Part 3 - Romantic Era Flashcards
Art song
The musical setting of a poem, for solo voice, generally with piano accompaniment.
Lied (plural, Lieder)
The musical setting of a German poem, for solo voice, generally with piano accompaniment, which flourished in the 19th century.
Durchkomponiert (through-composed)
- A song structure that does not repeat entire sections of the music;
- As a result, melody, harmony, and piano accompaniment are able to reflect the meaning of the text as the story unfolds.
Polonaise
- Stately Polish dance in triple meter, transformed by Chopin into a virtuosic piano composition;
- Often proud and majestic in character;
- Often includes characteristic rhythmic figures.
Rubato
- Italian for “robbed time”;
- Rhythmic flexibility, speeding up or slowing down;
- An expressive device for interpreting music.
Program symphony
- A 19th-century, multi-movement orchestral work;
- Modeled after the 18th-century symphony, with programmatic elements;
- Includes a descriptive title;
- The accompanying text often outlines the program.
Idee fixe
- French for ‘fixed idea’;
- Devised by Berlioz;
- A recurring theme that undergoes transformation;
- Serves as a unifying thread in a multi-movement composition;
- In “Symphonie fantastique”, it represents “the beloved”.
Col legno
- Italian for “with the wood”;
- Novel string effect used by Berlioz;
- Players tap on the strings with the wooden parts of their bows.
Dies irae
- Latin for “day of wrath”;
- A monophonic chant melody dating from the Middle Ages;
- Drawn from the Roman Catholic Requiem (Mass for the Dead);
- 19th-century audiences would have associated the tune with funeral services.
Opera
- Drama that is sung;
- Combines vocal and instrumental music with drama (staging and acting), visual arts (costume and scenery), and often dance;
- Components include recitative, arias, ensembles, and choruses;
- Originated in Italy around 1600.
Exoticism in music
Important element of 19th-century musical style, featuring fascination with foreign lands and cultures. This was evoked through melody, rhythm, harmony, and orchestration.
Libretto
The text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. In Italian, “the little book”.
Aria
A solo song with accompaniment that is highly emotional and virtuous. Used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas.
Recitative
- In an opera, oratorio, cantata, or other multi-movement vocal compositions, a recitative is a narrative song that describes some action, thought, or emotion;
- The recitative follows the natural flow of the language, and is more a speaking composition than a singing composition;
- The two styles of recitative are the dry (secco) style and the accompanied (accompagnato) or measured recitative (recitative misurato or stromentato) style.
Ostinato
A motif or phrase that persistently repeats in the same musical voice, frequently in the same pitch.
