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Midterm 1 Flashcards

0
Q

When did Bach die?

A

1750 IMPORTANT

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1
Q

Johann Sebastian Bach

A

1685-1750

Created HIGH BAROQUE music

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2
Q

What is the most studied and influential music in the classical repertory?

A

Bach’s HIGH BAROQUE

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3
Q

MONODY

A

A song characterized by a SOLO VOCAL MELODY WITH INSTRUMENTAL ACCOMPANIMENT

Homophonic texture

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4
Q

HOMOPHONIC TEXTURE

A

Melody + accompaniment

Can be created by instruments alone, vocals alone, or a combo of the two

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5
Q

What is musical texture determined by?

A

The relationship between the parts being played

NOT determined by the presence of instruments

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6
Q

What is the Baroque polyphony like?

A

It is a dynamic mixture of polyphony and homophony

Melodic upper parts performed ‘over’ a basso continuo

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7
Q

BASSO CONTINUO

A

One, two, or more instruments that provide an ACCOMPANIMENT for one or more vocal or instrumental soloists

The soloists read from a musical part called the FIGURED BASS

At least one of the instruments plays the bass line

Low bass string instrument/low wind and a chordal instrument

Baroque/classical periods = keyboard instrument = harpsichord or organ

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8
Q

FIGURED BASS

A

Notated as a single musical line (bass line) over which numbers and other symbols indicate which other notes should be played in each chord

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9
Q

Continuo Group

A

The instrumentation of the basso continuo

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10
Q

What does the Baroque period contain that other periods before it do not?

A

BAROQUE NOTATION CONTAINS MORE PERFORMANCE DETAILS

Dynamics (loudness)

Improvisation

Ornamentation

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11
Q

DYNAMICS

A

Refers to the relative loudness or softness of the music

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

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12
Q

TEMPO

A

Refers to the relative speed of the beat in music

PRESTO = very fast

ALLEGO = fast

ALLEGRETTO = moderately fast

MODERATO = at a moderate rate

ADAGIO or ANDANTE = slow

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13
Q

ORNAMENTATION

A

The practice of IMPROVISING short decorative flourishes during performance

These notes are generally called ORNAMENTS/EMBELLISHMENTS

During HIGH BAROQUE, instructions came out on how to play ornaments

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14
Q

THE BAROQUE ORCHESTRA

A

New things:

Centered around BOWED STRINGS
Sometimes used harpsichord/organ

TIMBRE (sound color)

LOUDNESS

BASSO CONTINUO instruments specified in published scores

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15
Q

What were the CORE of the Baroque orchestra?

A

BOWED STRINGS

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16
Q

SCORE

A

A piece of music that shows all of the parts in a given piece, all together on each page

Also called a full score

Not practical for larger ensembles

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17
Q

PART

A

A piece of music that shows only the music that one instrument or voice performs during the work

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18
Q

MULTI-MOVEMENT WORK

A

A musical work under one title that is actually several separate musical pieces that are always played together in the same order

Each part is called a MOVEMENT

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19
Q

MOVEMENT

A

An individual piece that is part of a multi-movement work

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20
Q

What are the LARGE-SCALE INSTRUMENTAL GENRES?

A

SOLO CONCERTO

CONCERTO GROSSO

BAROQUE DANCE SUITE/ORCHESTRAL DANCE SUITE

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21
Q

SOLO CONCERTO

A

Mutli-movement genre for a single instrumental soloist and orchestra

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22
Q

CONCERTO GROSSO

A

Multi-movement genre for TWO OR MORE instrumental soloists and orchestra

Ex. two violinists and basso continuo (the solo group) accompanied by a larger group (orchestra)

During Baroque Era, concerto gross were NEVER titled Concerto Grosso, but simply titled ‘concerto’

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23
Q

What were concerto grosso NEVER titled? What are the implications of this?

A

Concerto Grosso

They are therefore difficult to differentiate from a solo concerto by title alone

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24
BAROQUE DANCE SUITE/ORCHESTRAL DANCE SUITE
A multi-movement genre for orchestra without any particular featured solist SUITE = multi-movement collection of dances
25
SUITE
Multi-movement collection of dances
26
SMALL-SCALE INSTRUMENTAL GENRES (CHAMBER MUSIC)
SOLO SONATA TRIO SONATA
27
CHAMBER MUSIC
Small ensemble music appropriate for smaller venues and other more intimate settings NOT A GENRE General description that covers several genres
28
SOLO SONATA (two types, both with the same title)
1) Multi-movement genre for a solo instrumentalist and basso continuo or 2) Multi-movement genre for a solo keyboard (harpsichord most commonly)
29
TRIO SONATA
Multi-movement genre for TWO instrumental soloists and basso continuo Tricky to tell because ensemble can vary widely, from 3 players (2 soloists + 1 continuo player) to 5 players (2 soloists + 3 continuo players) or even more
30
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
The "Red Priest" VIolinist Worked at orphanage for girls (music school) Best known for his 450 or so concertos (both SOLO CONCERTO and CONCERTO GROSSO) VIOLIN CONCERTO IN G MAJOR
31
WHy was Vivaldi called the Red Priest?
Because he was a priest and he had red hair
32
VIOLIN CONCERTO IN G MAJOR
FIRST MOVEMENT: 1) spirito e non presto 2) RITORNELLO FORM 3) SOLOS SECOND MOVEMENT = LARGO 1) a THEME AND VARIATIONS FORM 2) BASSO OSTINATO (descending, repetitious bass line) THIRD MOVEMENT = Allegro
33
RITORNELLO FORM
The music played by the orchestra appears both at the beginning, end, and several times during the movement Ex. VIOLIN CONCERTO IN G MAJOR, FIRST MOVEMENT
34
THEME & VARIATIONS FORM
The melody (theme) heard at the beginning is followed by alternative versions of that same melody Ex. VIOLIN CONCERTO IN G MAJOR SECOND MOVEMENT
35
How/when/why was opera created
It was created by a group of intellectuals/poets/musicians who were attempting to recreate the ANCIENT GREEK DRAMAS in declamatory style
36
What was opera originally designed for?
Aristocratic entertainment
37
What happened to opera?
It eventually became available to the public Public opera houses Became one of the most important public venues in history
38
OPERA
Accompanied solo song interspersed with brief instrumental works HOMOPHONIC in texture Contains LIBRETTO and OVERTURE
39
What does opera represent
A large-scale cooperative effort between everyone involved in the piece
40
LIBRETTO
The story or text of an opera Written by LIBRETTIST Written in SECULAR TEXTS in a vernacular language Wide range of subject matter Drew subject matter from ANCIENT GREEK//ROMAN MYTHS/DRAMAS/HISTORIES
41
LIBRETTIST
The person who wrote the LIBRETTO Almost never the composer himself, but rather somone with literary and poetic skills
42
OVERTURE
The instrumental piece (for the orchestra alone) that introduces an opera The first thing you hear in an opera
43
TWO SUBGENRES (TYPES OF SONGS) IN OPERAS, ORATORIOS, AND OTHER LARGE-SCALE VOCAL GENRES
RECITATIVE ARIA
44
RECITATIVE
A song that imitates the rhythms and pitch patterns of natural speech NOT very LYRICAL and MELODIOUS, sounds more like SPEECH or RECITATION Often syllabic NONMETRICAL Usually accompanied by only 1 or 2 instruments, the BASSO CONTINUO, who closely follow the singer
45
ARIA
A song for solo voice, often with a larger ensemble (orchestra) playing the accompaniment Strongly metrical, has a STRONG AND RECOGNIZABLE BEAT Very lyrical, often REPEATING FRAGMENTS OF THE TEXT Most well-known parts of an opera
46
What were typically the most well-known parts of an opera?
ARIAS
47
What were recitatives and arias also composed as? What are the implications of this?
Stand-alone works Therefore, it is important to note that they are DETERMINED BY THEIR MUSICAL STYLE ALONE, not by their placement within the larger genres
48
HENRY PURCELL (1659-1695)
First great ENglish composer of international acclaim DIDO AND AENEAS (Thy Hand Belinda)
49
LAMENT (or LAMENT ARIA)
A poem expressing grief, regret, or mourning Baroque lament arias feature a BASSO OSTINATO
50
BASSO OSTINATO (or GROUND BASS)
Any musical figure that repeats over and over as an accompaniment, laying harmonic foundation over which other prominent melodies occur Bass theme that repeeats over and over
51
Johann Sebastian Bach
DIED 1750 German, Lutheran Composed 6 Brandenburg Concertos, 5 of which have 3 movements
52
How many Brandenburg concertos are there? How many had three movements?
6 concertos 5 of which had 3 movements
53
Well-Tempered Clavier
Bach's collection of solo keyboard music Book of preludes and fugues in all 24 major and minor keys
54
FUGUE
An entire piece OR distinct subsection of music that employs IMITATIVE POLYPHONY Can be a genre Written for any instrument The first musical theme of a fugue is called the SUBJECT BACH
55
What was the newer style of classical music not sympathetic to? What did they prefer?
Complex polyphony Simple, homophonic texture
56
CANTOR
Music director In charge of almost everything (paying employees, mainting instruments, selecting music, etc)
57
What was Bach's most pretigious position?
CANTOR at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig
58
What did Bach compose hundreds of during his years as CANTOR?
SACRED CANTATAS
59
SACRED CANTATA
A fairly large-scale multi-movement genre, typically consisting of 6-8 movements Used in the worship services of GERMAN LUTHERAN CHURCHES Not a dramatic presentation, but is divided into sections like opera Ensemble consists of: - A SMALLISH CHOIR (12 or so) - VOCAL SOLOISTS - An ORCHESTRA (10-20 or so) - An ORGAN Texts are in VERNACULAR LANGUAGE Texts were PROPER Texts based off of well-known LUTHERAN CHORALES
60
CHORALE (LUTHERAN CHORALE)
Hymn-like songs used for CONGREGATIONAL SINGING in Lutheran Church Composed in SATB texture SACRED GENRE used in worship STROPHIC = each verse of text is sung to the same repeated music Chorale preludes = music performed before the chorale was sung
61
ORCHESTRAL SUITE (sometimes called DANCE SUITE or BAROQUE DANCE SUITE)
Multi-movement instrumental work for orchestra alone (with basso continuo in Baroque) Non-standardized movement number Individual movements are often evocative of DANCE TYPES Highlights the IMPORTANCE OF DANCE during baroque period
62
What do ORCHESTRAL SUITES highlight the importance of during the Baroque period?
importance of dance
63
Ternary Form
A-B-A' Middle section (b) in contrasting scoring Followed by a return to the music of the beginning (A')
64
Downbeat
The basic pulse is subdivided into groups of three, as is indicated by an emphasis on every third beat
65
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL
German Not from musical family Studied Italian opera style Produced ORATORIO genre
66
OVERTURE
A binary form (A-B) work
67
DA CAPO FORM
Da capo aria A specific type of ternary form (A-B-A)
68
CASTRATO
Male singer castrated before puberty in order to retain the pre-adolescent high vocal range Most important vocal soloist in opera during baroque Commonly performed women's roles
69
ORATORIO
Handel Large-scale music drama similar to opera Narrative, but unlike opera, there is no acting/scenery/costumes Secular genre composed/performed for entertainment

Art of Listening (5 decks)

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