Music Section 3 Flashcards
When and why did European started to write music down during the medieval ages?
The instigator of this endeavor was the Catholic Church since it was growing impossible to keep its chants consistent from parish to parish. Prior to notation, monks, nuns, and priests had to memorize all the Church’s increasing hundreds (even thousands) of devotional and ceremonial chants. Therefore, although we are sure that people sang secular (non- religious) music all the time in their daily lives, the earliest surviving written music is entirely sacred, intended to support religious services and activities.
What type of texture did the first Catholic Church’s chants had and why?
The Catholic Church’s chants were monophonic, so when notation first developed, only melodies needed to be transcribed. Monophonic music consists of a single, unaccompanied melodic line. Multiple instruments or voices may be presenting that melody, but they are all performing the same pitch at the same time—that is, they are playing the one melody in unison.
What did the earliest form of counterpoint look like and what modern process does it resemble?
The earliest form of counter point hey would often use an old, familiar chant as a foundation and develop new tunes that would coordinate with it. The process is a little like sampling today, in which older works are borrowed and quoted in new pieces.
T/F. “Row, Row, Row Your Boat” and “Are You Sleeping? (Frère Jacques)” are examples of singing rounds.
TRUE
Where was Sumer is icumen in (“Summer Has
Come”) preserved?
From the mid-thirteenth century it survived in an abbey near Reading (pronounced “Redding”), England.
What is the modern translation and meaning of “Sing, cuccu, nu” in “Summer is Icumen in?
The modern translation is “Sing Cuckoo, now” and is a celebration of summertime when the cuckoo would sing once again.
Why is the rondellus in Summer is icumen labeled as “pes”?
The repetitive rondellus (ostinato pattern) becomes an accompaniment pattern for the other four voices, so the medieval manuscript for Sumer is icumen in labels the rondellus as a “pes” (written in red ink, alongside a bracket), meaning “foot” or “ground.” The rondellus is the footing, or foundation, on top of which the other polyphonic rota layer is built.
What dynamic level finishes Sumer is icumen in?
Pianissimo dynamic at minute 1:36
In what language is the religious second poem underneath each staff of the rota in Sumer is icumen in?
Underneath each staff of the rota there is a second poem in Latin notated in red (although only one language accompanies the pes). The Latin poem begins “Perspice christicola” (“Behold, Christian”), and it is a religious text, in contrast to the secular spirit of the Sumer poetry.
What do some scholars believe is the reason religious monks added a second poem in Latin below the cheerful secular song (Sumer is icumnen in)?
Some scholars suggest that the sacred poem was added in order to justify the inclusion of this joyous secular piece within an expensive document intended for the Church.
What were the main reasons musical notation was not a necessity until the Middle ages?
Songs were learned “by ear” or “by rote.” This sort of imitative polyphony is easy to master. In addition, writing materials were extremely expensive in that era.
Why is Sume is icumen in different from the other music notations of its time?
The earliest surviving written music was entirely sacred and unlike this pieces this pieces which were usually stored in manuscripts, Sumer is icumen in is secular.
When was the first attempt to write down music in means of “musical notation”?
Ninth Century, during the Middle Ages by Europeans
What is one main comparison between Ansel Pereia’s “Let It Snow, Let It Snow” (1945) and Frans Schubert’s “Winterreise” (1827)?
Let it snow displays more happy emotions about winter while in comparison Winterreise displays more despair heartbroken emotions of a young man wandering during winter
What kind of “relatable feelings” was captured in “The Lonely One in Autumn” in “Das Lied Von Der Erde” by Gustav Mahler? (BE SPECIFIC)
Captured the sense of isolation people experience as the plants wither and the days get colder
What are nicknames for “Sumer is icumen in” (c.1250)?
“Reading Rota” (Rota meaning Round) this was named after the abbey that preserved the manuscript, another nickname is “Summer Cannon”
How does musical notiation (specifically the staff lines) from “Sumer is icumen in” (c1250) differ from how it looks today?
The staff has 6 lines while modern day staff’s only have 5 lines
For the clef in “Sumer is icumen in” (c.1250) they put a capital “C” on the fourth staff line. Why did they do that, and what does it tell you?
They put it on the 4th staff line (counting up from lowest) to tell singers to read pitches on that line as C. With the 4th line placement, it resembles the “tenor clef” from section 1
What language is “Sumer is icumen in” (c.1250) written in?
Old English
What does the the large red cross, or “plus” mean in the manuscript of “Sumer is icumen in” (c.1250)
When singer 1 gets to that point, singer 2 should start singing the same tune, and so on. this is called “polyphony” of the round, also could be seen as staggered singing
What is the second layer of musical activity happening in “Sumer is icumen in” (c.1250)? (hint: layer one is Polyphony)
a rondellus that contains two short motifs (a and b) which the two singers harmonize with one another and switch. Also known as a “voice-exchange”
What is the definition of “Rondellus?”
polyphonic genre for two or more voices, that was popular in the middle ages, it is considered a layer of musical activity separate from “imitative polyphony”
The manuscript for “Sumee is icumen in” labels rondellus as a “pes.” What do some scholars believe about the pes from this piece?
The pes was quoted, or “sampled” from an older sacred chant. “Regina caeli laetare”
What dynamic levels are mostly featured in “Sumer is icumen in” (c.1250)?
piano, and mezzopiano (note: 0:59 features a forte, and 1:36 features pianissimo)
From what years was the singer “What a wonderful world” alive
1901-1971
Who was the singer for “What a wonderful world”
Louis Armstrong
At what age was Louis Armstrong first arrested
nine
When Did Louis Armstrong shoot bullets into the New York sky, causing him to need to be relocated
New years eve 1912
Who was hired to be a band director for a intuition that Louis Armstrong stayed at
Peter Davis
After being arrested for the first time, who did start to live with
His Aunt
What musician showed an interest to young Louis
Joe “king” Oliver
Who was the pianist of Joe “king’s band and wife of Luis Armstrong
Lillian Hardin
Which famous musician nickname was Satchmo
Louis Armstrong
Louis Armstrong version of “Hello, Dolly!” get to number one of billboard charts in what year
1964
before 2023 who was the oldest person to have a song reach number one of the bildboard chart
Louis Armstrong
who made the song “hello dolly”
Jerry Herman
Who was the first singer of “What a Wonderful World”? (Hint: the song was also written for him)
Louis Armstrong
In what form was Listening Companion 7: “What a Wonderful World” (1967) composed by Bob Theile [“George Douglas”] and George David Weiss written in?
32-bar “song form” (A-A-B-A)
In Listening Companion 7: “What a Wonderful World” (1967) composed by Bob Theile [“George Douglas”] and George David Weiss but sung by and dedicated to Louis Armstrong, how are the first two A melodies different despite the contour of each being nearly identical?
because the first phrase cadences on “A” (the mediant of the F major key) while the second phrase ends on the tonic “F”
What is the common nickname for the third phrase of a 32-bar form (A-A-B-A)? And in what way is different from the A phrases?
the common nickname for the B phrase is bridge and it differs harmonically from the A phrases
Describe the first half of the bridge (B phrase of the 32-bar form) in Listening Companion 7: “What a Wonderful World” (1967) composed by Bob Theile [“George Douglas”] and George David Weiss but sung by and dedicated to Louis Armstrong
it lingers on several repetitions of the supertonic “G” and the mediant
Describe the second half of the bridge (B phrase of the 32-bar form) in Listening Companion 7: “What a Wonderful World” (1967) composed by Bob Theile [“George Douglas”] and George David Weiss but sung by and dedicated to Louis Armstrong
it alternates between the high “D” and “C” before descending to a cadence on “G”
When singing “What a Wonderful World” (1967), which is Listening Companion 7 composed by Bob Theile [“George Douglas”] and George David Wiess, Louis Armstrong improvised a brief “Oh, yeah” at the end of the final A that returns to the mediant yet again which allows the song to feel what?
as if it were lingering onward without ever ceasing
How is there a lack of resolution that builds our anticipation for the short coda phrase that does cadence on F in final A phase of “What a Wonderful World” (1967) composed by Bob Theile [“George Douglas”] and George David Weiss but sung by and dedicated to Louis Armstrong?
when A returns a third time as the last eight measures of the 32-bar form, it does not include on the expected tonic instead pauses on the mediant “A”
True or False? When singing Listening Companion 7: “What a Wonderful World” (1967) composed by Bob Theile [“George Douglas”] and George David Wiess, Louis Armstrong changes up the melody a little to better suit what he envisioned.
False; other than adding “Oh yeah” in the third A phrase, Armstrong stuck quite closely to the songwriters’ melody. He does not “jazz it up” in anyway in order to maintain the tender, ballad-like atmosphere that the record producers had envisioned.
In what form is ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” written in?
ternary form (A-B-A) with its B consisting of two repetitions of a 5-4-3-2-1 descent
What other lullaby-like celebrations of the natural world is our Listening Example 7: “What a Wonderful World” (1967) composed by Bob Theile [“George Douglas”] and George David Weiss but sung by and dedicated to Louis Armstrong, similar to?
the A phase of “What a Wonderful World” (in the upper staff) is similar to the first phrase of “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” (in the lower staff)
In what film of his, did Barry Levinson choose to include “What a Wonderful World” (1967) composed by Bob Theile [“George Douglas”] and George David Weiss but sung by Louis Armstrong?
Good Morning Vietnam (1988)
In what meter does “What a Wonderful World” (1967) begin in?
12/8
When was “What a Wonderful World” (1967), composed by Bob Theile [“George Douglas”] and George David Weiss but sung by Louis Armstrong, added to the Grammy Hall of Fame?
in 1999
True or False? “What a Wonderful World” (1967), composed by Bob Theile [“George Douglas”] and George David Weiss but sung by and dedicated to Louis Armstrong, was more popular in Britain before the U.S.
True; the record of this song had shot up to Number 1 in England and remained on the top of British list for four weeks and sold over six hundred thousand copies. This was despite Newton trying to get revenge by refusing to spend any money promoting the new recording as few than 1000 copies were sold in the United States over the next year
What did the Catholic Church begin devising in the Middle Ages, around the ninth century?
Musical notation to standardize the worship rituals.
What type of music was the earliest notated music?
Monophonic.
What language is the anonymous Sumer is icumen in set in?
Old English.
What is Sumer is icumen in nicknamed?
The “Reading Rota”.
What was the overture Global Warming inspired by?
The fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of communism.
When was Global Warming made?
1990
Who created Global Warming?
Abels
When did Louis Armstrong record “Hello, Dolly!”?
1964
Why did the Catholic Church rarely do secular music?
The handwritten manuscripts were expensive to produce.
What two types of counterpoint does Sumer is icumen in blend?
A rota and a rondellus.
What may the rondellus melody have been taken from?
A Latin chant called Regina caeli laetare.
What form is “What a Wonderful World” in?
“What a Wonderful World” is in 32-bar “song form”.
What scale does Irish music often use?
The Dorian mode scale
What is a Bodhran?
A single-headed Irish drum
What technique is used to mute a French Horn?
stopped horn
What mode does the B section of “Global Warming” use?
Mixolydian mode
Not all times of year are viewed with one emotion. Winter is described with opposite emotions in these 2 songs.
“Let is snow!” & “Winterreise” (Winter Journey)
Spring & Summer tend to be viewed in Negative lights by most of humanity. T/F
False, Spring & Summer are the majority of the time positive
What event inspired the subject matter of “Global Warming”
The fall of the Berlin Wall.
When did the Berlin Wall fall?
11/9/1989
Who were the leaders that announced the end of the Cold War on December 3, 1989?
Mikhail Gorbachev and George H. W. Bush.
What positive sign did Abels see in world politics?
Cultures warming to each other.
Where does Michael Abels live, which influenced his perspective on music?
Los Angeles.
What did Abels find intriguing about folk music?
The similarities between the folk music of different cultures.
What city commissioned the piece “Global Warming”
Phoenix, AZ.
What natural elements are depicted in the opening section of “Global Warming”?
A vast desert and buzzing cicadas.
Which two cultural music styles are most noticeably represented in “Global Warming”?
Irish and Middle Eastern music.
What musical technique does Abels use to suggest cicadas in the desert?
The tone color of a guiro.
What scale is commonly associated with Irish music, mentioned in the text?
The Dorian mode.
What type of notes does Abels ask the cellist to play to signal the approach of the Irish-flavored section?
Grace notes.
What prestigious music school is mentioned?
Julliard school
Abel joined what in USC
gospel choir
Where did Abel study west African drumming
at California Institute for the Arts
what belief did Abel have about music?
that it was a universal language
T or f: Abel’s career skyrocketed early.
False
What did Abel work in prior?
music teacher in New Roads (private school)
What award did Abel’s film win?
Oscar for best screen play
What else was Abel successful in?
concertt and thearatical musician
What award did opera Omar win?
a Pulitzer Prize
Smith conducted the premiere of Global Warming on what day?
5/7/1991
Global warming has been performed by around how many ensembles?
200
Global warming was inspired by what?
The fall of the berlin wall
what is the Berlin wall?
the collapse of several communist governments in central and eastern Europe.
Who composed Le quattro stagioni?
Antonio Vivaldi
During what era was Le quattro stagioni composed?
Baroque
Winterreise is about a(n)
heartbroken man who walks in the winter countryside
What composition did Gustav Mahler write?
“The Lonely One in Autumn”
Why was “The Lonely One in Autumn” written?
to express the despair individuals feel as the autumn days get colder and lose their plant life
“The Lonely One in Autumn” was included in what composition?
Lied von der Erde
The EARLIEST surviving written music was intended to
support religious services
What is the musical texture of the Catholic Church’s chants?
monophony
A handwritten document is known as a(n)
manuscript
What is the genre of “Row, Row, Row Your Boat”?
round
A composer would MOST likely use sampling to
include old music in a song
The handwritten document including Sumer is icumen in was found in
Reading in a Catholic abbey
The Middle Ages dates from approximately the
ninth century
What term is used to describe non-religious music?
secular
What is the musical texture of “Are You Sleeping? (Frère Jacques)”?
imitative polyphony
Sumer is Icumen in is also known as the
“reading Rota”
What pitch does the fourth line from the bottom of the staff represent in the manuscript of Sumer is Icumen in?
C
In Sumer is Icumen in, each new singer begins to sing after the prior singer finishes the line
“Summer has come”
What symbol on the manuscript of Sumer is Icumen in indicates a new singer should enter?
red cross
The rondellus in Sumer is Icumen in includes the verse
“Sing cuckoo, now”
The melody of the rondellus in Sumer is Icumen in was likely quoted from
Regina caeli laetare
The opening dynamic level of Sumer is Icumen in is
piano
The EARLIEST written music used what type of notation?
square notation, because the notes were written as squares
What characteristic applies to a rondellus?
The voices will switch their motifs
In Sumer is icumen in, the rondellus is called the
pes, term is Latin for ‘foot’ or ‘ground’
What Latin poem was printed on the Sumer is icumen in manuscript?
Perspice christicola
In Sumer is icumen in, the FIRST upper voice comes in at
mezzopiano
In what era would a rota MOST likely have been composed?
Medieval
What pitch in Sumer is icumen in is flattened?
B
What is the LAST verse in Sumer is icumen in?
“Nor stop thou never now”
Who FIRST taught Louis Armstrong music performance?
Peter Davis
How did Lillian Hardin improve Louis Armstrong’s musical ability?
She taught him music theory and notation.
What was Louis Armstrong’s nickname?
“Satchomo”
Info: he was teased for having a mouth “as big as a satchel.”
Louis Armstrong became famous after recording
“Hello, Dolly!”
In 1960, Louis Armstrong traveled as an official state ambassador to
Africa
How much was Louis Armstrong approximately paid to record “What a Wonderful World”?
$250
What alias did Bob Thiele use to publish “What a Wonderful World”?
George Douglas
Info: because of an industry bias against record producers recording their compositions
What challenge occurred during the recording of “What a Wonderful World”?
The recording caught the sound of a train whistle
What law was cited to explain the recording challenges of “What a Wonderful World”?
Murphy’s Law
Info: the idea that anything that can go wrong will go wrong to explain the recording challenges
During the recording of “What a Wonderful World,” Artie Butler served as a(n)
music arranger
How many sold records were required to go “Silver” in England?
600,000 records
“What a Wonderful World” was included in what show/movie?
Good Morning, Vietnam
Louis Armstrong FIRST learned to play the
cornet
In order to perform with Joe “King” Oliver’s band, Louis Armstrong moved to
Chicago
Who was a co-writer of “What a Wonderful World?
George David Weiss and Bob Thiele
What is the PRIMARY key of “What a Wonderful World”?
F major
Info: the tonic pitch is F and the dominant is C
The third phrase in “What a Wonderful World” is known as the
bridge
The first phrase in “What a Wonderful World” cadences on
A
What diagram BEST depicts the form of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star”?
ABA
The B section in “What a Wonderful World” cadences on
G
Info: B section in “What a Wonderful World” cadences on the supertonic (scale degree 2) of F major, which is G.
What is the meter of “What a Wonderful World”?
12-8 time
What words are sung as an anacrusis in “What a Wonderful World”?
“I see”
The B section of “What a Wonderful World” opens with the verse
“The colors of the rainbow”
How did Louis Armstrong change his standard practice when recording “What a Wonderful World”?
He performed the melody as written.
In “What a Wonderful World,” the accompaniment is BEST described as
“flowing”
On which pitch does the LAST A section in “What a Wonderful World” cadence?
mediant of F major, which is A
What is the HIGHEST pitch in the FIRST A section of “What a Wonderful World”?
submediant of F major, which is D
What verse is included in the LAST A section of “What a Wonderful World”?
“I hear babies cry” is the first one in the last A section
While staying with his grandparents, Michael Abels lived in
South Dakota
Michael Abels attended a summer music camp at
NAU - Northern Arizona University
What term describes a school focusing exclusively on training in the arts?
conservatory
What composition won Michael Abels the “Outstanding Senior” during his undergraduate education?
Queries in 1984
Prepared piano requires the pianist to
insert objects into the piano
Who directed Get Out?
Jordan Peele
While at Cal Arts, Michael Abels studied
West African drumming
What organization commissioned Global Warming?
Phoenix Symphony Guild
Michael Abels composed the film score for
Us and Nope
What is the genre of Omar?
opera
Info: Michael Abels co-wrote the opera Omar with Rhiannon Giddens in 2022. It won the Pulitzer Prize for music
What is the genre of Global Warming?
overture
What prize did Omar win in 2023?
Pulitzer Prize
After graduating from college, Michael Abels worked as a
music teacher at New Roads private school
What orchestra included Global Warming as part of its African Heritage Symphonic Series?
Chicago Sinfonietta in 2002
What event MOST inspired the subject matter of Global Warming?
fall of the Berlin Wall
The orchestra that commissioned Global Warming was based in
Arizona
In Global Warming, the guiro suggests
cicada buzzing, featured in the A section
What musical technique is characteristic of bagpipe performance?
grace notes
What are the FIRST three intervals of Dorian mode?
whole step - half step - whole step
What instrument in Global Warming performs a cadenza?
cello and violin
How does a French horn player use the stopped horn technique?
placing a fist in the bell
What instrument opens the B section of Global Warming?
oboe
What mode does the B section of Global Warming use?
Mixolydian
The opening section of Global Warming is intended to
resemble a vast desert
Who composed Global Warming?
Michael Abels
What opens the A section of Global Warming?
syncopated marimba pattern
What percussion instrument supports the “Irish” feel of section A in Global Warming?
bodhran, which is a single-headed Irish drum
Hemiola MOST influences how a listener
senses the pulse
What is the opening dynamic level of Global Warming?
pianissimo
The Catholic Church devised musical notation to
standardize worship rituals
Lillian Hardin encouraged Louis Armstrong to
pursue a solo career
What form does “What a Wonderful World” use?
song form or 32-bar form
Michael Abels won a 1984 award for a piece featuring
prepared piano
How did Michael Abels begin exploring his Black heritage?
He sang with a gospel choir
The B section of Global Warming uses a technique called
hemiola
How did “What a Wonderful World” become famous in the United States?
It was featured in a movie, Good Morning Vietnam
What is the musical texture of a round?
imitative polyphony
What is the process of adopting older music in newer settings called?
Sampling
