Music Flashcards
Also
known as the Middle Ages or
―Dark Ages that started with
the fall of the Roman Empire.
Medieval period
Historical events during the Middle Ages
The Great Famine, Black Death/Plague
Originally known as “plainchant”, was named after Pope Gregory I, who made this the approved music of the Catholic Church. Pope
Gregory’s action made monophonic plainchants popular
Gregorian Chant
Texture refers to the layers of music. The monophonic texture consists of one layer (single melody).
Characteristics of Gregorian Chant
Describes a melody that moves in distinct steps or intervals, smoothly,
and in a connected way.
Conjunct melody
The opposite of Conjunct Melody.
Disjunct Melody
The relationship
between the melody of the chant and the text.
This is divided into four classifications.
Text Setting
It means one syllable of the text is set
to one note of the chant melody. It means when
you use a syllabic style of singing. This is the easiest to use.
Syllabic
It means one syllable of the text is set
to a few notes of the chant melody.
Neumatic
One syllable of the text is set to many
notes of the chant melody. It is similar to NEUMATIC
but with more notes, usually 5 or more notes. The
genres like RNB, Hip hop, Pop, and Soul commonly
uses this type of singing.
Melismatic
It means numerous syllables of the
text are set to only one repeated note of the chant
melody. This the most different out of the four types
of text setting because it only uses a single note but
with many syllables.
Psalmodic
They were a little different in that not all of their
music or poetry was religious. They perform
for the nobles at feasts and for everyone at
tournaments and festivals.
Troubadour
Usually monophonic
Characteristics of Troubadour music
Also known as Adam dela Bossu (Adam the Hunchback) was a
French-born troubadour. He was a composer, poet, musician, and an innovator of
the earliest French secular theatre. He’s one of the few composers from the
middle ages who are important part of the medieval culture.
Adam dela Halle
The word comes from the word renaitre which means “rebirth, revival, and rediscovery.
It is a period of looking back to the Golden Age of Greece and Rome.
As a result, Western civilization had to begin again during the Medieval Period.
Renaissance Period
The invention of ______ in the 1400’s paved the way for a wide distribution of renaissance compositions.
Printing
The prominent instrument of the renaissance era.
Any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity,
usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.
Lute
Songs that are not bound by any religious themes. It usually
talks about love, friendship, real-life experiences, heroes, etc.
Secular music
Mostly polyphonic
- Polyphonic means multiple layers of melody.
Characteristics of Renaissance Music
A form of sacred musical composition that sets texts of the Eucharistic liturgy into
music.
Mass
Characteristics of the Mass:
• Polyphonic
• May be sung a cappella or with orchestral accompaniment
• Text may be syllabic (one note set to each syllable), neumatic (a few notes set to one syllable),
or melismatic (many notes to one syllable)
Five sections of the Mass
Kyrie (Lord Have Mercy) • Gloria (Glory to God in the Highest) • Credo (I Believe in One God) • Sanctus and Benedictus (Holy, holy and Blessed Is He) • Agnus Dei (Lamb of God)
A secular vocal polyphonic music composition which originated from Italy. It is written and
expressed in a poetic text and sung during courtly social gatherings. It is the most
important secular form during the Renaissance period.
Madrigal
Polyphonic • Sung a cappella • Through–composed (not based on repeated sections or verses, especially having different music for each verse) • Frequently in 3 to 6 voices
Characteristics of Madrigal:
