Musical Genres Flashcards
Secular Song - usually about love - accompanied by lute or sung by an a cappella chorus - often in English or Italian - Renaissance & Early Baroque
Madrigal
Sacred Song - a cappella chorus (SATB) - complex melodies and harmonies - Renaissance & Baroque
Motet
Musical Theatre - elaborate sets, props, costumes, orchestral accompaniment - dancers & highly trained singer-actors - arias, duets, trios, chorus, recitatives - began in the Baroque era and remains popular to this day.
Opera
Orchestral work - features a virtuoso soloist - 3 movements (fast, slow, fast) - cadenza sections - popular from Classical era onwards
Solo Concerto
Orchestral work that is mostly made up of strings and harpsichord - features a solo group often involving cello/bassoon, violin/flute and a keyboard (harpsichord) - ritornello & fugal forms - Baroque genre
Concerto Grosso
Orchestral work involving strings, winds, brass and percussion families - 4 movement (fast, slow, dance, fast) - evolved out of the Italian Overture of Baroque operas - Classical era
Symphony
A set of dances played by a small orchestra - features dances from different countries - Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue, Minuet, Polonaise etc. - these dances are in rounded binary form - Baroque era
Dance Suite
4 movement work for 4 string instruments - violin, violin, viola, cello - like a miniature symphony featuring sonata and rondo forms - Classical era
String Quartet
Orchestral work - One movement only - illustrates or evokes the content of a poem, short story, novel, painting, landscape, or other (non-musical) source - Romantic era
Tone Poem / Symphonic Poem
Orchestral music - contains contrasting sections that is played at the beginning of an opera or oratorio or preceding a play, often containing the main musical themes of the work.
Concert Overture
Sacred music - sung by soloists and choir, either a cappella or with accompaniment (organ or orchestra) - sets the portions Eucharist liturgy, so it comes in portions like Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei etc. - began in the Renaissance and is still composed for the church by contemporary composers
Mass
A large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists - concert piece, not staged - usually about religious (sacred) stories and topics - very popular in the Baroque period but there are contemporary works as well
Oratorio
Means “sung” - A vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir - religious (sacred) topics or biblical texts
Cantata
20th century jazz ensemble that involves a rhythm section (drumkit, bass, optional piano/guitar) and a group of wind players (saxophones, clarinets, trumpets, trombones)
Big Band
2oth century ensemble that involves a singer accompanied by drumkit, electric bass, rhythm guitar, lead guitar, keyboard/synthesizer - music is often in 4/4 time - homophonic - can be lively or slow
Rock Band
A melodic framework for improvisation akin to a melodic mode in Indian classical music - made up of four main sections: alap, johr, gat, jhala - features a main melody supported by drumming and a drone
Raga
Dramatic dance music of Argentina - distinct sound of bandoneon - also violin, guitar, piano, bass - features the habanera rhythm, a lot of ornamentation, speed changes - usually in 4/4
Tango
Indonesian orchestral music - mostly comprised of metallophones - two types: Bali, Java
Gamelan
Jamaican song - often about a socio-cultural topic - moderate 4/4 time - ska / skanking rhythm - distinct bass line, guitar, drumkit but also congas, bongos, timbales, and other percussion, sometimes marimbas and trumpets - mostly homophonic texture but backup singers, fills and bass line provides melodic interest
Reggae
Trinidad and Tobago song - often about a socio-cultural topic - lively 4/4 time - some syncopation - bass guitar, drumkit, guitar, keyboard and other percussion - distinct sounds of steelpan drums - best performers can make up the lyrics on the spot
Calypso
Solo piece in 4 movements that was made popular in the Classical era.
Sonata
A song that is spoken in complex rhythms
Rap
A song that is half spoken and half sung
Recitative
A song for solo voice accompanied by the piano, made popular in the Romantic period - usually in German and sung in private parties
Lied
A 20th century song that is made up of 12 or 16 bars, featuring dominant 7th chords - usually in a slow or moderate swing beat - the lyrics are often morose
Blues
