Midterm #1

Question 1

Alleluia! O Virga mediatrix - Hildegard of Bingen

Answer 1

Text = Sacred (function) Language (Latin)
Texture = Monophonic
is a responsorial performance
Ensemble = acapella

Question 2

Agnus Dei From Notre Dame Mass - Guillaume de Machaut

Answer 2

Genre - mass movement (ars nova)
text = latin sacred
texture = non imitative polyphony 4 voices
ensemble = accapella
style = ars nova

Question 3

Vincente Lusitano - Regina Caeli

Answer 3

genre = motet
language = Latin (sacred text)
ensemble = SATB a cappella
texture = imitative polyphony (four parts)

Question 4

Francesca Caccini, Lasciatemi qui solo (lament aria, 1618)

Answer 4

• Aria
• soprano voice (soloist) with lute & bass viol

Question 5

Antonia Vivaldi - Violin Concerto No. 4 in F minor, op. 8,
RV297, I’inverno (Winter from The Four Seasons)

Answer 5

First movement: Allegro non molto (fast but not very fast)
- The first movement of this work is a RITORNELLO FORM: the music played by the orchestra
appears both at the beginning, end, and several times during the movement. This ritornello is alternated with the SOLO EPISODES played by the featured violin soloist.
- Second movement: Largo (slowly)
- The second movement is ‘brighter’ (in a major key) and more tuneful than the first or last.
This movement is a very simple binary form (A-B), in which both halves have the same bass

Question 6

George Frideric Handel - Giulio Cesare, Act III scene 2, “La giustizia ha già sull’arco”

Answer 6

genre of this specific movement = soprano aria from an opera seria

Question 7

ornamentation

Answer 7

• Ornamentation was the practice (both vocal and instrumental) of spontaneously adding
  (improvising) short decorative flourishes to the written music during performance. These
  additional notes are generally called ornaments or embellishments, although there are dozens and
  dozens of names for specific ornaments. The ornaments used were not random but followed the
  written and unwritten (aural) traditions of musical performance relevant to the specific music being
  performed (national origin of the music, the general musical style, the performance situation, etc.).
• Some Baroque composers used specially designed symbols to notate the ornaments that they
  preferred. During the High Baroque (early 18th century) instrumental treatises began to appear that
  provide detailed instructions on how to practice and play ornaments.

Question 8

Luigi Rossi (c. 1597/8-1653)

Answer 8

Italian composer and keyboard player who was
active in Naples, Rome and Paris.
* Considered by many to have composed some
of the finest vocal music of the 17th century.
* His canzonettas (short love songs) and cantatas
(a genre we’ve studied) enjoyed wide
popularity, and he composed operas for both
the papal family and the French royal court

Question 9

Atto Melani (1626-1714)

Answer 9

• an Italian castrato and composer in the service of the de’ Medici family in Tuscany Although he premiered the title role in Rossi’s tragic-comic opera L’Orfeo, he most often performed in private settings for his patrons and their guests, and at the aristocratic courts where his patrons sent him as an emissary
• Melani’s patrons also used Melani as a secret diplomatic courier (basically a spy). In hundreds and hundreds of letters, Atto kept patrons at the courts of Florence, Rome, Paris, Mantua, Turin,
  Innsbruck and Regensburg apprised of the military plans and political machinations of the others,
  his vocalism serving as an effective cover for gathering information.
• Such pursuits were dangerous, and the singer’s wide-ranging correspondence finally resulted in his
  banishment from France for a time

Question 10

The Castrato

Answer 10

male singer castrated before puberty to retain the pre-adolescent high (soprano or alto) vocal range.
* the most important category of vocal soloists in opera (and other vocal genres) during the baroque,
although most of them were employed by Italian churches.
* Many leading operatic roles for men—whether hero or romantic lead—were written for castrati. Castrati also commonly performed women’s roles.

Question 11

LAMENT (or Lament aria)

Answer 11

• a poem (or, when set to music, a song) expressing grief, regret or mourning.
• As a musical subcategory of recitative and aria, it was very popular in the 17th century and after.
• Baroque lament arias often featured a basso ostinato (also known as a ground bass), which is a short
  bass theme that repeats over and over. The basso ostinatos or ground basses of lament arias typically consists of a descending figure in a slow triple meter.

Question 12

basso ostinato / ground bass

Answer 12

• An ostinato is any musical figure that repeats over and over as an accompaniment, laying a harmonic foundation over which other prominent melodies occur.

Question 13

MULTI-MOVEMENT WORK

Answer 13

a musical work under one title that is actually several separate musical pieces that are always played together in the same order. Each of the individual pieces that comprise a multi-movement genre is called a MOVEMENT.

Question 14

solo sonata

Answer 14

SOLO SONATA (two types, both with the same title)
* (1) - 1) single soloist + basso continuo
- 2) solo keyboard

both mass multimovement genres

Question 15

trio sonata

Answer 15

• multi-movement genre for TWO instrumental soloists and basso continuo.
  Be careful about this one, because the ensemble can vary widely. Since the basso continuo part might be played by one, two or three people, the total ensemble of a trio sonata could include from 3 players (2 soloists + 1 continuo player) to 5 players (2
  soloists + 3 continuo players) or even more

Question 16

concerto grosso

Answer 16

multi-movement (usually three but could be more) genre for two or more instrumental soloists
and orchestra (including the basso continuo).

• Many such works were written for two violinists and basso continuo (the solo group) accompanied by a larger group (the orchestra, which usually also consisted of strings only). Part of the interest in such works is the exciting contrast of the smaller solo group with the larger orchestra.
• During the Baroque Era, concerto grosso (concerto grossi is the Italian plural) was NEVER titled Concerto Grosso. They were usually titled simply ‘concerto,’ and are therefore difficult to differentiate from a solo concerto by title alone

Question 17

suite / dance suite / baroque dance suite

Answer 17

• a multi-movement genre for orchestra without any particular featured soloists. Usually each
  movement is named after and is an example of a particular dance type, although some
  movements might have other inspirations and be unrelated to dance.
• SUITE, by definition, means a multi-movement collection of dances.
• Dance suites could be used for dancing or simply as concert works for listening enjoyment.
  -The prominence of this
  genre during the baroque period highlights the importance of dance during the period.

Question 18

monody

Answer 18

-Both arias and recitatives fall under the general vocal category of monody, which includes all works that can be correctly referred to as a “song” of one kind or another.

• Monody involves a single vocal melody above an instrumental accompaniment; therefore, monody has, by definition, a homophonic texture.

Question 19

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)

Answer 19

• death marks the end of the Baroque period
• German, Lutheran composer
• Bach composed six “Brandenburg” concertos, five of which have three movements (No. 1
  in F major has four), and each for a different ensemble for instrumental soloists with orchestra.
  In 1721 Bach sent manuscripts of these newly composed work to the Margrave
  of Brandenburg, a nobleman (thus the collection’s title), probably hoping to gain employment at that court or perhaps earn a monetary gift.

Question 20

Homophonic and polyphonic (in baroque era)

Answer 20

• melody + accompaniment in a hierarchical
  relationship; characterized by a clear bass line.
• Homophonic texture can be created by vocalists
  alone, instruments alone, or any combination of the
  two, and both voices and instruments are capable of performing in the role of accompaniment.
• Homophonic texture is NOT determined by the presence of instruments but by the relationship
  between the parts being played (or sung), regardless of ensemble type.
• Despite the prevalence of homophony (for instance in opera), imitative polyphony remained
  important in many Baroque genres. However, the Baroque polyphony often occurs between
  melodic upper voices/parts performed ‘over’ a basso continuo, creating a complex texture that is
  a dynamic mixture of polyphony and homophony.

Question 21

dynamics markings to know

Answer 21

DYNAMICS—refers to the relative loudness or softness of the music. There are many such
terms
forte f = play loudly
mezzo forte mf = somewhat loudly (less loud than f)
mezzo-piano mp = somewhat softly (less loud than mf)
piano p = play softly
crescendo < = to become gradually louder
decrescendo > = to become gradually softer

Question 22

Tempo terms

Answer 22

• Refers to the relative speed of the beat in music. There are many terms (in all languages)
  that indicate tempo, but you are responsible for six.

presto = very fast
allegro = fast
allegretto = moderately fast
moderato = at a moderate rate (slower than allegretto)
adagio or andante = slow

Question 23

ornamentation

Answer 23

Ornamentation was the practice (both vocal and instrumental) of spontaneously adding
(improvising) short decorative flourishes to the written music during performance. These
additional notes are generally called ornaments or embellishments,

Question 24

Baroque orchestra

Answer 24

It was during the Baroque Era that our modern conception of the orchestra, as a group centered
around a group of bowed strings, first developed. Baroque orchestras were much smaller than the
orchestras used in later art music, usually included only 10 to 25 people, and often consisted of
nothing but bowed strings and perhaps a harpsichord or organ. Wind instruments (brass and
woodwinds) could be used and often were, including a limited array of percussion, but the bowed
strings were the CORE of the orchestra from its earliest inception.

Question 25

Score

Answer 25

—a piece of music that shows all of the parts in a given piece, all together on each
page: also called a full score.
Some small-ensemble music commonly appears in such a format, but it is not practical for larger ensembles. Full scores of large-ensemble works are generally
used only by conductors (who rehearse and cue the entire ensemble) and for study

Question 26

Part

Answer 26

a piece of music that shows only the music that one instrument or voice performs during
the work; i.e., the part that does not contain the music played by the other members of the ensemble

Question 27

MULTI-MOVEMENT WORK

Answer 27

a musical work under one title that is actually several separate musical pieces that are always played together in the same order. Each of the individual pieces that comprise a multi-movement genre is called a MOVEMENT.

Question 28

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Answer 28

• Famous and influential as a virtuoso violinist and
  composer.
• Worked as a violin teacher, composer, and conductor
  at the Music School of the Pietà, orphanage for girls

Question 29

Bach - Brandenburg Concerto No. 4 in G major, BWV 1049

Answer 29

genre = concerto grosso
ensemble = concertino: violin and two alto recorders
ripieno (orchestra): two violins, viola, cello, violone and basso continuo
form = first movement is a ritornello form (within an ABA structure)
features = recorders play ritornello but are also featured in solo episodes. violin part of the first movement is very virtuosic. very strong bass line played by cellos and harpsichord on basso continuo part

Question 30

Bach - Prelude and Fugue No. 1 in C Major from The Well-Tempered Clavier

Answer 30

• Well-Tempered Clavier (German: Das Wohltemperierte Klavier), BWV 846–893, is a collection of solo keyboard music. He first gave the title to a book of preludes and fugues in all 24 major
  and minor keys
• fugue is imitative polyphony

Question 31

Fugue

Answer 31

An entire piece or distinct subsection of music that employs imitative polyphony in a strictly prescribed manner.

A fugue can be a genre (if an entire piece or movement contains nothing
but that fugue), but it is also possible for a subsection of a piece to be described as a fugue.

• Fugues may be written for any instrument capable of polyphonic solo playing, or for any combination of voices or instruments, or instruments and voices together.
• The first musical theme of a fugue is called the SUBJECT. After its first appearance in a single voice or part, you will then hear that same melody again and again in the other parts.

Question 32

Bach - Cello Suite No. 2 in D Minor, BWV 1008, vi. Gigue

Answer 32

• Note how this single cellist can play both a melody and an accompaniment at the same time.
  String instruments and keyboards (of all types) are capable of play both homophonic and polyphonic music alone.
• ## unaccompanied viochello

Question 33

cantor

Answer 33

the music director (prestigious position)

Question 34

Rossi, “Mio ben teco il tormento” (lament aria) from L’Orfeo

Answer 34

• orfeo is a Tragicommedia in a prologue and three acts to a libretto by Francesco Buti.
• • The title role was performed by a castrato—Atto Melani (1626-1714)
• lament aria

Question 35

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759)

Answer 35

• German-born composer most remembered for his 39 Italian-style operas and his oratorios for English audiences.
  -moved to england so his work is mostly in English

Question 36

The genre of Oratorio

Answer 36

• Much like an opera, a large-scale music drama for vocal soloists, chorus and orchestra; oratorios are
  multi-movement works that contain introductory orchestral overtures, arias, recitatives, duets, trios,
  choral numbers, and interludes for orchestra alone.
• however, unlike an opera there is no acting, scenery, or costumes. In an oratorio, the singers simply stand in place during their recitatives and arias, without moving about or otherwise pretending to otherwise be the characters they portray.
• oratorios were originally conceived as a secular genre.

Question 37

HANDEL’S MESSIAH (1741) - “There were shepherds” (soprano recitative) and “Glory to God” (chorus)

Answer 37

• Unlike most of Handel’s other oratorios, Messiah is meditative in nature and not particularly
  dramatic or “plot driven.”
• The libretto is constructed of texts from both the Old Testament (Isaiah, Psalms and Job) and the
  New Testament (Luke, Corinthians and the Book of Revelation)
• ## The original version lasted more than 2 ½ hours and had more than fifty movements