Terms Part 1 Flashcards
absolute music
Music that simply stands alone, without reference to something outside of itself.
Symphony No. 5 in C Minor/ J.S. Bach
the “Affections”
In Baroque music, a single “affection” or “affect” (one clear emotion) is usually projected through an entire composition or movement. / Refers to emotional states of the soul.
answer
The second statement of the main theme in a fugue
Usually in the dominant key
Bach and the Well-Tempered Clavier / J.S. Bach
aria
Italian for “air” / a solo piece sung in an opera or another large-scale vocal work, like an oratorio.
Handel and Messiah
art song
a Western vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano accompaniment, and usually in the classical art music tradition.
Schubert and Erlkonig
atonality
Music that lacks a tonal center, or key.
ballet
A highly stylized type of dance that often interprets a story. / First developed in the 17th century at the court of Louis XIV; flourished in the 19th century.
Stravinsky and The Rite of Spring
Baroque
From the Portuguese barroco meaning “irregularly shaped or misshapen pearl”
basso continuo
A continuous bass line with improvised harmonies in Baroque period music.
chamber music
Music for small ensemble (two to ten players) / one player per part / usually performed without a conductor.
Haydn and The “Emperor Quartet”
changing meter
A method of composition which incorporates any change of meter.
choreography
The sequence of steps and movements in dance, especially in a ballet or other staged dance.
binary form
A musical piece has been divided into two sections.
A B
