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Music > Music History > Flashcards

Music History Flashcards

1
Q

Absolute Music

A

Music for music’s sake, or music that does not accompany any kind of theme, plot, or story.

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2
Q

Accompanied Recitative

A

A recitative with an embellished instrumental accompaniment.

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3
Q

Agnus Dei

A

Section sung after the Sanctus in the Mass Ordinary.

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4
Q

Air

A

A vocal or instrumental piece that is melodic and song-like.

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5
Q

Air de Cour

A

A type of air popular in France during the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

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6
Q

Alberti Bass

A

An accompaniment pattern where each chord note is played one at a time.

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7
Q

Alleluia

A

In English, “Praise the Lord” and sung in the Mass Ordinary.

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8
Q

Allemande

A

A stylized dance that was popular in the Baroque period.

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9
Q

Ambrosian Chant

A

A type of Medieval plainchant.

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10
Q

Ametric

A

A metric music has no time signature, and it does not have a clear beat.

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11
Q

Antiphon

A

A psalm that is set to music, often sung in alternation between two choirs.

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12
Q

Antiphoner

A

A book of antiphons.

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13
Q

Anthem

A

A piece of music that promotes a nation, religion, or other cause.

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14
Q

Aria

A

A solo piece in Opera used to communicate the inner thoughts of a character.

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15
Q

Arioso

A

A less elaborate version of an aria.

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16
Q

Ars Nova

A

In English, “New Art”, referring to French Medieval music styles in the late 14th century.

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17
Q

Art Music

A

Music that follows certain fixed, written rules and traditions, often associated with classical music and in opposition to popular styles of music.

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18
Q

Art Song

A

In the classical tradition, a poem set to music with piano accompaniment.

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19
Q

Atonal

A

Music that does not have a key.

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20
Q

Avant-Garde

A

A movement in music that experiments beyond traditional ideas of melody, harmony, and rhythm.

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21
Q

Ballade

A

A poem set to music with a very specific structure.

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22
Q

Ballata

A

A poem set to music with a very specific structure, popular in Italy during the Medieval period.

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23
Q

Ballet

A

A formal style of dance set to music, especially popular in Russia and France beginning in the 19th century.

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24
Q

Balletto

A

An Italian vocal piece with a lighthearted style, popular during the late Medieval period.

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25
Q

Bamberg Codex

A

A Medieval manuscript containing music theory and many French compositions.

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26
Q

Baroque Period

A

The period of history from 1600-1750.

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27
Q

Cabaletta

A

A type of aria with a repeating rhythmic pattern.

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28
Q

Cadenza

A

A virtuosic section near the conclusion of a piece of music. Cadenzas are often improvised.

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29
Q

Canon

A

A piece of music in which multiple voices or instrument parts repeat the same melody, but begin at different times.

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30
Q

Cantata

A

A multi-movement work featuring an orchestra and a choir, often religious in nature.

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31
Q

Canticle

A

A psalm, hymn, or other song of praise to God sung during a church service.

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32
Q

Cantor

A

During Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque times, the cantor was the director of the choir and all other music in a local church.

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33
Q

Cantus Firmus

A

In English “fixed song”, the basic melody that is complemented or elaborated by counterpoint.

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34
Q

Canzona

A

A type of Franco-Flemish instrumental music, popular during the Renaissance period.

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35
Q

Canzonetta

A

A type of vocal music popular in Renaissance and Baroque Italy.

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36
Q

Castrato

A

A male singer who has undergone castration as a child to ensure that his voice would not change but would remain high.

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37
Q

Chamber Music

A

Music intended for performance by a small group of instrumentalists.

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38
Q

Chanson

A

A piece of vocal music very popular in Medieval and Renaissance France.

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39
Q

Character Piece

A

A piece of keyboard music that is meant to reflect one idea, character, or thought.

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40
Q

Chorale

A

A hymn of praise originally intended for congregational singing.

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41
Q

Chromaticism

A

A movement in music which incorporates notes from the chromatic scale into the harmony.

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42
Q

Classical Period

A

The Period of history generally considered to span from 1750-1820.

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43
Q

Coloratura

A

The practice of ornamenting a vocal line, especially in a high voice part.

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44
Q

Comic Opera

A

A lighthearted opera that has a happy ending.

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45
Q

Concerto

A

A musical work featuring a soloist who is accompanied by an orchestra.

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46
Q

Concerto Grosso

A

Like a concerto, but with multiple solos it’s rather than just one.

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47
Q

Conductus

A

A type of vocal music with a devotional text, popular during the Medieval period.

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48
Q

Consort Music

A

Music for a small group of instrumentalists, popular in England during the Renaissance period.

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49
Q

Contrafactum

A

A song which uses a familiar tune, yet has different lyrics.

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50
Q

Counterpoint

A

A type of polyphony where two or more voices move independently.

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51
Q

Credo

A

A musical setting in the Mass after the Gloria section.

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52
Q

Cyclic Mass

A

A type of Mass that had a musical theme tying each movement as one cycle.

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53
Q

De Capo Aria

A

An aria made up of an A section, then a B section, followed by an embellished A section.

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54
Q

Discant

A

A countermelody that is usually sung above the soprano part.

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55
Q

Dry Recitative

A

A recitative with a simple instrumental accompaniment.

56
Q

Duo Sonata

A

A type of sonata that was common in the Baroque period, performed by one soloist and two basso continuo players.

57
Q

Electronic Music

A

Music that is made up of electronic sounds and/or electronic instruments.

58
Q

Etude

A

A short instrumental exercise that emphasizes a particular skill or technique.

59
Q

Exoticism

A

A movement in music that tries to emulate the sounds and styles of music in far away nations

60
Q

Expressionism

A

A movement in music that tries to convey the artist’s emotions, often by distorting or blurring traditional harmony and form.

61
Q

Fauxbourbon

A

A style of harmonization popular in the Renaissance. This style relies on parallel movement between the voice parts.

62
Q

Figured Bass

A

A system of numbers and symbols that indicate what chords should be played in the bass line.

63
Q

Formes Fixes

A

Three popular forms of music in France during the Medieval period (Ballade, Rondeau, and Virelais).

64
Q

Fugue

A

A complex form of instrumental music in which a subject is introduced and then developed between multiple voices.

65
Q

Galant Style

A

A style of music that became popular during the Classical, period. This style was lighter and more elegant than the formal Baroque style of music.

66
Q

Grand Opera

A

An elaborate multi-opera that was popular during the 19th century.

67
Q

Gregorian Chant

A

A type of Medieval plainchant named after Pope Gregory I.

68
Q

Heightened Neumes

A

The earliest pitch indications in music notation, used on a four line music staff before the five line staff was invented.

69
Q

Hocket

A

A popular Medieval technique that splits the melody between two voices or instruments.

70
Q

Homophony

A

Music that has more than one line or part, and the parts move together with the same basic rhythm and structure.

71
Q

Hymn

A

A song of praise or prayer to God.

72
Q

Idee Fixe

A

In English “fixed idea” or the primary idea or thought in a piece of music. A common musical concept in the Romantic period.

73
Q

Impressionism

A

A movement in music that uses impressions and ambiguity to convey the emotion or atmosphere the composer desires.

74
Q

Incidental Music

A

Background music in a play or film that creates a particular mood or feeling that corresponds to the story’s plot.

75
Q

Isorhythm

A

A Medieval compositional technique in which a repeating rhythm, called the talea, is intertwined with repeating pitches, called the color.

76
Q

Just Intonation

A

A system of tuning that was common from Ancient times until the Medieval period. This system tunes each note a fixed, unequal distance apart.

77
Q

Kyrie

A

The first part sung in the Mass Ordinary.

78
Q

Leitmotif

A

In English “leading motive”, or the primary motive of a musical work that keeps reappearing.

79
Q

Libretto

A

The lyrics that accompany an opera.

80
Q

Lieder

A

A type of German song that often featured a voice part with piano accompaniment. Very popular during the Classical and Romantic periods.

81
Q

Liturgical Drama

A

A musical drama with a religious or devotional theme that may or may not be performed as part of a church service.

82
Q

Madrigal

A

A piece of music for one or more voices which often used word painting, not usually accompanied by instruments. Very popular during the Renaissance period.

83
Q

Mass

A

The formal church service in Roman Catholic and Anglican Churches.

84
Q

Mass Ordinary

A

The part of Mass liturgy that is the same in every season.

85
Q

Mass Proper

A

The part of Mass liturgy that changes to correspond with the Church calendar.

86
Q

Medieval Period

A

The period of history generally considered to span from 476-1450.

87
Q

Mensural Notation

A

A type of notation from the late Medieval and Renaissance periods that allowed rhythm as well as pitch to be indicated in the store.

88
Q

Melodrama

A

A grand, emotionally charged drama that is often accompanied by instrumental music.

89
Q

Minimalism

A

A movement in music that embraces simplicity in music, often changing one aspect of the music gradually as the composition is played or sung.

90
Q

Minstrel

A

Traveling musicians during the Medieval period.

91
Q

Minuet

A

A dance that is usually written in triple meter, popular during the Baroque and Classical periods.

92
Q

Modern Period

A

The period of history generally considered to span from 1900 to the present day.

93
Q

Monody

A

A song for one voice, often lamenting. Popular in Ancient Greece.

94
Q

Monophony

A

Music that has only one line or part.

95
Q

Motet

A

A piece of vocal music, usually short and religious in nature.

96
Q

Music Drama

A

A play or drama in which vocal and /or instrumental music is woven into the plot.

97
Q

Nationalism

A

A movement in music which tries to capture the spirit of each individual nation to have a “national style”.

98
Q

Neo-Classicism

A

A 20th century movement in music to return to many of the sty,es and principles of music in the Classical period.

99
Q

Neumes

A

The first markings in early musical notation.

100
Q

Nocturne

A

A keyboard work which reflects or is inspired by the night.

101
Q

Obbligato

A

An important instrumental line which is markedly different from the other parts and should not be omitted.

102
Q

Offertory

A

An instrumental piece played during the collection and offerings during a church service.

103
Q

Opera Buffa

A

A type of comic opera that deals with everyday people and situations.

104
Q

Opera Comique

A

A type of opera that alternates between singing and speaking parts, popular in France during the Baroque period.

105
Q

Opera Seria

A

A type of opera that is serious and tragic, popular in Italy during the Baroque period.

106
Q

Operetta

A

A short, lighthearted opera that alternates between singing and speaking parts.

107
Q

Oratorio

A

A story told through singing only, similar to an opera but dealing with a religious theme.

108
Q

Organum

A

Polyphonic plainchant, popular during the Medieval period.

109
Q

Ostinato

A

A stubborn repeating rhythmic or melodic pattern.

110
Q

Parlor Song

A

A genre of piano and vocal music intended for performance by amateur musicians in their homes.

111
Q

Parody Mass

A

A type of mass that includes musical quotations from other non-liturgical sources, popular during the Renaissance period.

112
Q

Plainchant

A

Various styles of monophonic chant used in the liturgy, popular throughout the Medieval period.

113
Q

Popular Music

A

Music that is based on popular styles and is distinct from the classical music tradition.

114
Q

Prelude

A

The first piece of music in a multi-movement work or the musical introduction to a church service.

115
Q

Program Music

A

Music that accompanies a theme, plot, or story.

116
Q

Psalm

A

And ancient song of praise to God from the Book of Psalms.

117
Q

Polyphony

A

Music that has more than one line or part, and the parts move independently with different structures and rhythms.

118
Q

Recitative

A

A vocal piece that is less melodic and more speech-like than an aria.

119
Q

Renaissance

A

The period of history generally considered to span from 1450-1600.

120
Q

Requiem

A

A mass for the dead.

121
Q

Romantic Period

A

The period of history generally considered to span from 1820-1900.

122
Q

Rondeau

A

A poem set to music, and this came from the Medieval period.

123
Q

Rondo

A

A piece of keyboard music that follows a set form with an alternating A section, popular during the Classical period.

124
Q

Ritornello

A

An instrumental interlude during a musical movement, common during the Baroque and Classical periods.

125
Q

Sacred Music

A

Music that is used in religious services and ceremonies or for private religious purposes.

126
Q

Sanctus

A

The section after the Credo in the Mass Ordinary.

127
Q

Secular Music

A

Music that is not intended for use in religious services and ceremonies or for other religious purposes.

128
Q

Sonata

A

An instrumental work featuring an exposition, development, and a recapitulation.

129
Q

Sonatina

A

A shortened version of a sonata.

130
Q

Song Cycle

A

A group of songs that are meant to be performed together, often centering around one theme.

131
Q

Subject

A

The principle melody in a fugue, developed and passed around between all of the voices as the fugue progresses.

132
Q

Suite

A

A group of stylized dances usually played as a set, especially popular during the Baroque period.

133
Q

Symphony

A

A grand four-movement orchestral work, made popular by Ludwig van Beethoven.

134
Q

Talea

A

The repeating rhythmic pattern in Medieval isorhythm.

135
Q

Timbre

A

The color and character of a musical note.

136
Q

Toccata

A

A free-from instrumental piece that requires technical virtuosity.

Music (5 decks)

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