Performing and Repertoire Flashcards
Compare and contrast appropriate etiquette (audience etiquette) for three different types of performance venues.
CLASSICAL:
Audience does not talk during the performance.
Applause is only polite at the end of a musical work.
JAZZ:
Audience can clap or give sound approval at any point during the performance to exhibit admiration for an improvised section or solo.
ROCK:
Audience can clap or give approval any time.
Audience members can freely talk any time.
ALL CONCERTS:
Arrive early to settle in.
Check photography/videography regulations.
Be responsible for children.
Describe the importance of vocal timbre in characterizing different emotions.
Timbre (the quality of a sound) is how the emotion of mood of the music is expressed. Vocal expression communicates emotion through regular speech. Those same qualities and inflections communicate emotion to the audience.
To communicate emotions like disgust and loathing, the singer uses a darker timbral quality and may include a raspy delivery or harsher consonants.
To communicate emotions like hope and assurance, the singer uses a brighter timbral quality with a smooth, flowing delivery.
To communicate emotions like sorrow and gloom, the singer uses a dark and hollow timbral quality that may include a shaky delivery.
To communicate emotions like anger and vengeance, the singer uses an intensified dark timbral quality with sonorous (deep and full) delivery of vowels and consonants.
Explain the physical properties behind sound production.
For sound to be produced, there must be a vibration (a pressure oscillation) through a medium that is transmitted through the air, through the mechanical structure of the ear to be perceived as sound in the brain.
The source of the oscillation can be any simple resonator, which as it moves through space, it creates fluctuates in the pressure of the surrounding air. Strings of an instrument, heads of a drum, and reeds of a woodwind are all resonators.
Energy imparted to resonators through the motion of a bow, the strike of a stick, or the wind blown across the reed act to set the oscillations in motion.
The subsequent physical vibration of the surrounding air travels as complex sound waves outwards. As these waves travel towards the listener, the membrane of the ear drum perceives the sound waves and converts the frequencies into aural perception where the listener will hear a tone or noise.
Describe the use of vowel modification, dynamics, and vocal vibrato to achieve a choral blend.
Good choral blend should prioritize uniform sound, texture, and tone.
In choral settings, pure vowel sounds are preferred in producing the sounds a, e, i, o, and u. The mouth cavity must be open with a raised palette to produce the pure vowel sounds.
Dynamics must be adjusted amongst the singers to compensate for stronger and weaker singers (self monitoring is key in knowing when to adjust sound levels in accordance with the surrounding musicians).
Vocal vibrato should generally be kept to a minimum to achieve good choral blend. An active vocal vibrato can easily stick out of the choral texture.
Describe the position of the baton and the various roles of the free hand while conducting.
The baton should be a natural extension of the hand and arm. Should not be rigidly in line but serve as a musical tool of expression. The elbow should be slightly raised away from the body so the baton can be clearly seen from all angles.
The free hand can reinforce dynamics, show crescendos and decrescendos, and aid in cueing parts. The free hand should also indicate releases, phrasing, musical style, and necessary modifications in the balance of the ensemble.
Order the following terms by decreasing length of duration, then describe each term : Staccato, Tenuto, Portato, Staccatissimo.
Tenuto-Portato-Staccato-Staccatissimo
Tenuto - To hold
Hold the note for its full value
Indicated by a horizontal line over or under the note head.
Portato - To carry
Smoothly detach the notes similarly to legato but shorter than length and longer than a staccato.
Indicated by two dots and slur over or under the note head.
Staccato - To detach
Shortly detach each note
Indicated by a dot over or under the note head.
Staccatissimo
Extremely shortened note
Indicated by a wedge or pike over or under the note head.
Define the elements of music needed in order to successfully perform a piece of music.
We have to know more than what is written on the page.
Melody
Rhythm
Harmony
Form.
A thorough analysis of the melody can inform the performer where the climax is, allowing the performer to appropriately time the musical tension and release of the overall piece.
Knowing the rhythmic form allow the performer to note any subtle transitions that the composer may be suggesting.
The harmony of the work holds cues as to the structure of the work, allowing the performer to bring the appropriate mood in transitions and development of the work.
The historical context is also important. Knowing the intention and purpose of the composition can inform the musician as to how to execute dynamics, articulations, and releases depending on the given mood.
Define con amore, con bravura, con brio, con fuoco, con grazia, con tenerezza.
Con Amore - With love
Con Bravura - With bravery
Con Brio - With spirit
Con Fuoco - With fire
Con Grazia - With grace
Con Tenerezza - With tenderness
NOTE:
These terms are subjective.
Establishing a difference between con amore, con tenerezza, and con grazia is tricky as they all have similar interpretations.
Con brioso, con fuoco, and con bravura also share similare characteristics but will have more staccato articulations and limited rubato than grazia, tenerezza, and amore styles.
Describe the relationship between frequency and perceived pitch.
Frequency refers to the number of oscillations of a waveform per second, aka hertz.
Pitch is the human perception of the fundamental frequency of a sound wave and can be affected by distance from the source, amplitude, physiology, and mental expectation.
The average human listener can hear frequencies between 16hz and 20,000hz. Humans typically hear higher frequencies of higher pitches and lower frequencies of oscillations as lower pitches. Over time, certain frequencies have been standardized for a particular pitch. Concert ‘a,’ for example, has been measured at 440hz since the 20th century.
Describe how variations in amplitude are perceived.
For every sound wave, there are two basic parts to consider: frequency and amplitude.
Frequency refers to the number of sound waves per second, also known as hertz and perceived by the ear as musical pitch.
Amplitude refers to the height of the sound wave and is measured in decibels. Variations in amplitude are generally perceived by the human ear as changes in loudness; the higher the decibel level, the louder the sound.
Variations in amplitude can also be perceived in an attack of a tone. A plucked tone has a sharp attack, the waveform reaches its peak amplitude quickly, while the amplitude gradually decreases as the sound fades away. Variations in amplitude can also be found in tremolos and vibratos.
Vibratos are generally known as frequency modulation (FM) and tremolos are generally known as amplitude modulation (AM), in execution, both forms of modulation are usually present.
Order the following from slowest to fastest and define each term: presto, larghissimo, andante, largo, vivace, larghetto, moderato, allergro.
Larghissimo - extremely broad
Largo - broad
Andante - in a walking manner
Moderato - moderately
Allegro - fast
Vivace - lively
Preso - very fast
Describe the difference between a pure tone and one produced by an instrument.
Pure Tone : a simple sine wave whose frequency stays constant over time. A tone produced by an instrument is not a simple sine wave but is in fact a complex wave. No instrument produces a pure tone.
When an instrument plays a sound, there is a primary resonating frequency called the fundamental frequency, which is joined by harmonics and overtones.
Pure tones contain no harmonics or overtones. The various timbres of the different instruments are greatly dependent on the waveform profile of the complex wave.
Describe the acoustical implications of blocked section, mixed, and column choral formations.
Blocked Section : Vocal parts are solidly separated from front to back. All sopranos are grouped at one end from front to back, then the altos are grouped next to them from front to back, then tenors, then basses at the opposite end. The choral sound from a blocked formation tends to be better suited for homophonic pieces but can create issues of the singers being able to listen to other parts.
Column Formation : This suits polyphonic music as it is easier for singers to hear for balance.
Describe the performance approach of the cadenza in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
A cadenza is a section in a large concert or ensemble work in which the soloist plays without any accompanying instruments. It can be improvised or written out but usually occurs at the end of a prominent cadence such as the ending tonic cadence of a movement.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, cadenzas became increasingly virtuosic and included more thematic material from the work. Although still commonly improvised as from early times, cadenzas were also increasingly written out by composers as they integrated more complex and elaborate materials. Many cadenzas became prescribed instead of merely optional and were also placed inn increasingly unconventional places within the musical work.
Compare and contrast the terms forzando (z), rinforzando (rinf), and sforzando (sfz).
These dynamic markings all refer to an increased loudness in sound. All three Italian directives have roots from the word forzare, which means ‘to force.’
Forzando : forced, directs the musician to strongly accent the notes of which the markings occur.
Rinforzando : reinforcing or strengthening, refers to the increase in volume of a group of notes throughout a phrase and is played increasingly louder similarly to a crescendo but over a shorter length of time.
Sforszando : forced/similar meaning to forszando, and the two terms can be interchanged to mean a sudden increase in loudness of the note or notes over which the marking occurs.
Describe the most important properties of sound that contribute to an instrument’s tone quality.
There are multiple different sound properties that make up an instrument’s tone quality.
Tone : a complex wave that is composed of many different partial frequencies. Unlike a simple sine wave that only has the one fundamental frequency and no partial frequencies, the sound of a complex wave will vary widely given the profile of the complex wave form, contributing greatly to the various instrumental timbres.
The resonating body has another effect on the instrument’s tone quality. Once the vibrations of the instrument are set into motion, the surrounding air will resonate through the instrument’s body, whether it be a hollow wooden shell such as a string instrument or through a metal tube such as a brass instrument. The resonating bodies each have their own unique set of complex resonances known as formants, further giving each instrument its own unique tone quality.
List and describe eight to ten bowing techniques.
Detache : detach the notes by playing one note per bow stroke.
Ondule : the bow plays two adjacent strings like a tremolo.
Sautille : bouncing of notes by the middle of the bow, typically played at a fast tempo.
Sul ponticello : the bow plays close to the bridge in a harsh, grating sound.
Sul tasto : the bow plays over the end of the fingerboard to produce a light, airy sound.
Martele : an abrupt release of a stroke in a forceful manner.
Ricochet : the rapid bouncing of the upper third of the bow and the player drops the bow on a down-bow.
Loure : the slight detachment of the notes without changing the direction of the bow.
Col legno : using the stick of the bow on the strings instead of the hair.
Compare and contrast durational rhythm and tonal rhythm.
Durational Rhythm : closely tied with meter and consists of the aspect of rhythm associated with patterns of durations, emphases, and groupings.
Tonal Rhythm : does not arise from patterns of stress and duration and is essentially independent of meter. It arises from rhythmic properties of the tonal system.
Examples : recurrence of a single tone, the octave relationship, chordal and linear associations, consonances, and dissonances.
Any series of tones will have rhythmic characteristics that will be defined by the relative structural importance of the tones and that duration and structural importance may be unrelated.
List the following in order of increasing reverberation time and explain : rehearsal room, concert hall, football field, cathedral.
Football Field : Very little reverberation as the direct signal would already be weakened by the long distances it takes to reach the bleachers and the lack of ceiling to reflect the sound waves.
Rehearsal Room : Slightly more reverberation, given the presence of a ceiling. The actual reverberation time of a rehearsal room will very depending on the wall materials.
Concert Hall : Significantly more reverberation as the design of the space usually increases the blend of sound and thus reverberation.
Cathedral : The most reverberation time of the list, with highly reflective walls typical of cathedrals and the intricate ceilings in which sound waves would have multiples points to reflect and travel.
Describe the preparatory, active, and passive beats in conducting.
Preparatory Beats : Used to ready an ensemble before an attack and before a release to allow the ensemble to anticipate the cutoff of a held note. They should indicate style, tempo, and expression of the music to be played.
Active Beats : Used to signal an immediate change or action from the ensemble. Typical changes that may be indicated by an active beat include marcato, legato, staccato, and accents.
Passive Beats : Beats that don’t require an immediate change from the ensemble but help to indicate things like rests, offbeats, and other simple pulses.
A conscientious conductor should use all three types of beats in variation to elicit musical changes such as sectional transitions, syncopations, hemiolas, and other important musical events.
Describe the role of notes, rests, and time signatures as musical symbols for rhythms.
Rhythm : The movement of music over time. Certain aspects such as pitch duration, silence, and meter play key roles in translating musical symbols to real-time musical rhythm.
Whole Notes : Held through four quarter-note lengths.
Half Notes : Held through two quarter-note lengths.
Quarter Notes : Held for half the length of a half note.
Eighth Notes : Held for half the length of a quarter note.
Sixteenth Notes : Held for half the length of an eighth note.
Silence durations are notate through rests, which have note name equivalents. (Whole rest, half rest, quarter rest, etc).
Meters or Time Signatures are essential in establishing rhythm as meters define the general organization of stresses and pulses.
Discuss key acoustical considerations for instrumental ensemble arrangements.
A general guideline holds that softer instruments with important melody lines should sit near the front so that the audience can easily hear their sound. The seating arrangement should be so that when accompanying parts play softer to balance with the projecting melody, those instruments will not pull back so softly as a deficiency but will still be able to support the melody line expressively and imaginatively. Thus, instrument groups with similar lines should be seated together as well as instrument groups with counter-melodies. This allows the musicians to be more aurally aware of the ensemble and to play with more confidence and freedom.
Explain how pitches are defined by the G-clef, C-clef, and the F-clef.
All clefs indicate the position of a particular pitch on the five-lined staff.
G-Clef : Spirals around the second line from the bottom, indicating it as the G line for the pitch above middle C.
C-Clef : Has a middle point that is placed to indicate the line as middle C. It can be placed on the third line, which is called the alto/viola line. When it is placed on the fourth line from the bottom, it is called the tenor clef.
F-Clef : Looks like a backwards C with two dots to the right of it. The two dots to the right of the curve surround the F line, indicating is at the F pitch below middle C.
