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Piano History > Terms and Definitions > Flashcards

Terms and Definitions Flashcards

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1
Q

Absolute music

A

Pure instrumental music without any extra-musical associations

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2
Q

Anacrusis

A

A pickup beat

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3
Q

Answer

A

Second statement of main theme in a fugue (usually in the dominant key)

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4
Q

Antique cymbals

A

finger cymbals (small brass discs)

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5
Q

Aria

A

-Solo song with accompaniment in opera, oratorio, or cantata
-Very dramatic

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6
Q

Art song

A

solo musical setting of a poem

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7
Q

Atonality

A

Absence of a tonal centre

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8
Q

Augmentation

A

thematic materials in longer time values

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9
Q

Ballet

A

dance that interprets a story, 17th century

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10
Q

Baroque

A

music and art of the 17-18th centuries

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11
Q

Basso continuo

A

one playing notated bass line, one playing harmonies from figured bass

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12
Q

Binary form

A

A||B||

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13
Q

Cadence

A

punctuation at the end of phrases

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14
Q

Cha-cha

A

Cuban dance from the ’50s inspired by the mambo

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15
Q

Chamber music

A

2-10 players, one player part, no conductor

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16
Q

Changing meter

A

shift of metrical groupings from change in time signature

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17
Q

Chord

A

3+ notes that create harmony

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18
Q

Choreography

A

designing dance steps and movements in a ballet

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19
Q

Chromatic

A

melodies/harmonies outside the key, greek for colour

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20
Q

Chromatic harmony

A

lots of notes outside the key signature

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21
Q

Classicism

A

symmetry, balance, proportion, timeless

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22
Q

Clavier

A

Keyboard instruments other than organ

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23
Q

Codetta

A

extends final cadence, repeat sign

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24
Q

Col legno

A

players tap strings with wooden part of their bow

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25
Q

Compound time

A

time signature with each beat containing 3 subdivisions

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26
Q

Concert overture

A

overture style but for an independent performance

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27
Q

Concerto

A

fast-slow-fast form, usually ritornello

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28
Q

Conjunct

A

melody in a stepwise direction

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29
Q

Consonance

A

tones that invoke relaxation

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30
Q

counterpoint

A

polyphonic texture with 2+ melodic lines

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31
Q

Countersubject

A

accompanies subject and answer

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32
Q

Cyclical structure

A

material in one movement occurs in another movement, creates unity

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33
Q

Da capo aria

A

Aria with ABA
A2 is usually ornamented

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34
Q

Development

A

Second section in sonata, manipulates exposition

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35
Q

Diatonic

A

melodies built from the notes of a scale

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36
Q

Disjunct

A

melodies with leaps and direction changes

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37
Q

Dissonance

A

tones that invoke restlessness and instability

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38
Q

Dynamics

A

Italian terms or symbols for volume

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39
Q

Episode

A

passage in a fugue with no subject or answer

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40
Q

Equal temperament

A

octave of keyboard instruments is split into 12 equal semitones

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41
Q

Exoticism

A

fascination with foreign lands and cultures

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42
Q

expanded tonality

A

very chromatic harmony while still remaining faithful to tonal centre

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43
Q

exposition

A

first theme in sonata, two contrasting themes are presented (1-tonic key, 2-dominant/relative major)

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44
Q

fanfare

A

loud ceremonial tune with brass, for important person, event, or commemoration

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45
Q

figured bass

A

Baroque musical shorthand performed by basso continuo

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46
Q

French overture

A

first part - slow tempo, homophonic, texture, features dotted figures
second part – fast tempo, imitative texture

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47
Q

fugue

A

highly structured, imitative contrapuntal, single theme or subject

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48
Q

genre

A

classification of music type,
ex. sonata, symphony, opera

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49
Q

harmonic rhythm

A

frequency of chord changes

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50
Q

hemiola

A

temporary shift of metric accents (ex. America)

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51
Q

homophonic texture

A

single line of melody with harmonic accompaniment

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52
Q

homorhythmic texture

A

all voices play the same rhythm

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53
Q

Idee fixe

A

recurring theme (symphony fantastique)

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54
Q

idiomatic writing

A

highlights unique capabilities of instrument, opposite of generic

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55
Q

impressionism

A

suggest images rather than depicts them, whole-tone, modal, pentatonic scales
parallel chords, innovative orchestra

56
Q

interval

A

distance between two pitches

57
Q

Jazz

A

african, popular, and European music, a lot of improvisation

58
Q

libretto

A

text of an opera, oratorio, or cantata, not usually written by composer

59
Q

major-minor tonal system

A

music based on major and minor scales
ionian and aeolian

60
Q

Mambo

A

dance of afro-cubans in 40s and 50s (rhythmic ostinatos and rift passages)

61
Q

measure

A

unit contains a fixed number of beats

62
Q

menuet and trio

A

menuet: stylized French dance in triple meter
trio: ABA

63
Q

meter

A

pattern of strong and weak beats

64
Q

minimalism

A

little variation
Steve Reich, john Adams, Philip glass

65
Q

modal scales

A

scales with unconventional whole steps and half steps patterns

66
Q

modified strophic

A

song structure that allows for some repetition in music, some changes to reflect the text

67
Q

modulation

A

changing from one tonal centre to another

68
Q

monophonic texture

A

single line of unaccompanied melody

69
Q

motive

A

short fragment used to build a melody

70
Q

musical

A

unique genre in USA: spoken dialogue, musical numbers, costumes, lighting

71
Q

nationalism

A

patriotism: folk song and dance, myths and legends, landscapes, historical events

72
Q

opera

A

sung drama with recitatives, arias, ensembles and choruses (1600s)

73
Q

opus

A

“work”

74
Q

oratorio

A

large-scale work for orchestras, chorus and soloists, usually biblical and baroque (similar to an opera)

75
Q

ornamentation

A

musical embellishment to decorate melody, improvised or shown with symbols

76
Q

ostinato

A

extended rhythmic or melodic pattern

77
Q

pedal point

A

1+ notes sustained through harmony changes in other parts

78
Q

overture

A

orchestral piece at the beginning of opera, suite, play, oratorio, or other extended composition

79
Q

pentatonic scale

A

scale with 5 pitches, European and Asian

80
Q

phrase

A

sentence, complete musical thought

81
Q

Period

A

two complementary musical phrases (question and answer)

82
Q

pitch

A

highness or lowness of sound

83
Q

polonaise

A

polish dance in triple meter (Chopin)

84
Q

polyphonic texture

A

combination of 2+ melodic lines

85
Q

polyrhythm

A

2+ conflicting rhythms at same time

86
Q

portamento

A

sliding smoothly from one note to the next (Berlioz), originally vocal

87
Q

polytonality

A

2+ tonal centres

88
Q

prelude

A

short, improvisatory keyboard work, paired with a fugue

89
Q

primitivism

A

use of strong accents, heavy syncopation, polyrhythms, expanded percussion section (rite of spring)

90
Q

program music

A

extramusical associations (literary, poetic, visual), descriptive title, sometimes includes text

91
Q

program symphony

A

multi-movement orchestral work, programmatic elements, title, text

92
Q

programmatic writing

A

music with a descriptive element, inspired by extramusical associations, like a story or a painting (1800s)

93
Q

range

A

distance between highest and lowest notes in a melody

94
Q

real answer

A

the exact transposition of the subject

95
Q

recapitulation

A

the third main section in sonata form, first and second themes are both restated in the tonic

96
Q

recitative

A

a speech-like style of singing used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas, follows text, flexible rhythm

97
Q

recitative accompagnato

A

speech like style of singing, supported by instruments

98
Q

recitative secco

A

speech like style of singing, supported only by continuo

99
Q

ripieno

A

full orchestra

100
Q

ritornello form

A

a structure employed in the first and third movements of the Baroque concerto, the opening passage (ritornello) is restated throughout the movement

101
Q

rocket theme

A

rapidly ascending melody outlining an arpeggio (classical)

102
Q

romanticism

A

reaction against classicism, emphasis on creative imagination and expression of emotions (1700s)

103
Q

rondo form

A

ABACA or ABACABA

104
Q

rounded binary form

A

two-part form: A||B+A1||

104
Q

rubato

A

rhythmic flexibility

105
Q

scherzo and trio

A

third movement in the sonata cycle, also in triple meter, but generally more dramatic than the elegant menuet, ABA

106
Q

Sequence

A

repetition of a short musical phrase at another pitch

107
Q

serenade

A

a multi-movement orchestral genre
for small orchestra or chamber ensemble (classical)

108
Q

simple time

A

time signatures in which each beat contains two subdivisions

109
Q

sonata cycle

A

multi-movement structure (classical) demonstrated in the symphony, sonata or concerto

110
Q

sonata form/sonata-allegro form

A

consists of exposition (statement of two or more contrasting themes), development (departure), and recapitulation (return)

111
Q

sonata-rondo form

A

ABACABA
ABA functions as the expositions
C functions as the development
second ABA functions as the recapitulation

112
Q

song cycle

A

collection of art songs with a central theme performed together

113
Q

string quartet

A

-performing forces: first violin, second violin, viola, and cello
-usually in four movements: fast – slow – moderately fast – fast
-first movement is usually in sonata form

114
Q

strophic

A

a song structure in which the same music is performed for each verse of the poem
as a result, little connection can be achieved between the words and music

115
Q

subject

A

the initial statement of the main theme of a fugue in the tonic key

116
Q

symbolism

A

symbolist writers include Paul Verlaine and Stéphane Mallarmé, authors sought to suggest subject matter rather than depict it specifically (1800s)

117
Q

symphonic poem

A

a single-movement work, generally free in form, with literary or pictorial associations
invented by Franz Liszt

118
Q

symphony

A

usually in four movements: fast – slow – moderate – fast, at least one movement is in sonata form (1700s)

119
Q

syncopation

A

a deliberate shifting of the musical accent to a weak beat

120
Q

tempo

A

the speed at which music is performed

121
Q

ternary form

A

A||B||A||
-section A generally ends with a closed cadence in the tonic key
-section B generally creates contrast in key and/or material (menuet and trios)

122
Q

terraced dynamics

A

Baroque practice of changing volume levels abruptly that results in stark contrast rather than gradual change

123
Q

The affections

A

refers to the emotional states of the soul (baroque)

124
Q

theme and variations

A

a work featuring a statement of a melody (theme) followed by a series of transformations (variations), often in sonata cycle

125
Q

Through-composed (durchkomponiert)

A

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

126
Q

timbre

A

the quality of sound specific to a voice or instrument, tone colour

127
Q

tonal answer

A

a statement of the subject in which one or more intervals is adjusted to accommodate the harmony

128
Q

tonal answer

A

a three-note chord that consists of a root, third and fifth

129
Q

tritone

A

the name used to describe the interval of an augmented fourth or diminished fifth, three whole steps

130
Q

twelve-tone method

A

atonal music based on an arrangement of all twelve chromatic pitches (tone row)
developed by composer Arnold Schoenberg

131
Q

verse-chorus structure

A

verses develop the character/storyline, while the “chorus” acts as a tuneful refrain

132
Q

viennese school

A

-refers to the musical style forged by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven and their contemporaries
-in late 18th century Vienna, Austria flourished as a musical centre

133
Q

whole-tone scale

A

consists of six different pitches, all spaced a whole tone (whole step) apart

134
Q

word painting

A

the music mirrors the literal meaning of the words achieved through melody, harmony or rhythm

Piano History (2 decks)

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