Vocabulary Flashcards
chant
unison unaccompanied song, particularly that of Latin liturgy; repertoire of unaccompanied liturgical songs of a certain rite
chanson
secular song with French words; used especially for polyphonic songs of the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries
troubadour
12-13th centuries; considered the earliest vernacular song composers, resided in the south of what is largely now France, spoke the regional vernacular now known as “Occitan,” and chiefly wrote their texts in the Old Provençal dialect.
trouvére
northern French composers in the 12-13th centuries; wrote monophonic songs in Old French (langue d’oil)
minnesinger
literally “singer of love;” German equivalent of a troubadour; lived in Middle High Germany; repertoire especially focused on love
church modes (aka medieval modes)
the eight (later 12) scaled or melody types recognized by church musicians and theorists in the Middle Ages, distinguished from one another by the arrangement of whole tones and semitones around the final, by the range relative to the final, and by the position of the tenor or reciting tone
organum
a style of early polyphony from the ninth through thirteenth centuries involving the addition of one or more voices to an existing chant; a piece, whether improvised for written, in which one voice is drawn from a chant.
Mass
Liturgy of the Word and Eucharist in the Roman Catholic Church. Has 5 essential parts: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei
Divine Office/Liturgy of the Hoursuwu
monastic liturgy throughout the whole day
motet
short definition: (from French “mot;”) polyphonic vocal composition; the specific meaning changes over time.
Long definition: 13th cent: one or more voices, each with its own sacred or secular text in Latin/French above a tenor drawn from chant or other melody
14th-early 15th cent: isorhythmic, may include a contratenor
Mid 15th cent: any polyphonic setting of a Latin text (other than a whole Mass) may be a motet
16th cent: term used to describe German sacred music and other languages
chorale
strophic Lutheran congregational hymn
organ Mass
setting for organ of all sections of the Mass for which the organ would play, including organ verses and other pieces
madrigal
1) 14th century Italian poetic form and its musical setting, having two or three stanzas followed by a ritornello; 2) 16th century Italian poem having any number of lines, each of seven or eleven syllables; 3) polyphonic or concertato setting of such a poem or of a sonnet or other nonrepetitive verse form; 4) English polyphonic work imitating the Italian genre
ritornello
Simple definition: “return” of a recurring musical theme, like a refrain
Long definition: 1) in a medieval madrigal, the closing section in a different meter from the preceding verses; 2) in 16th-17th cent vocal music, instrumental introduction or interlude between sung stanzas; 3) in an aria or similar piece, and instrumental passage that recurs several times, like a refrain, played in the beginning/middle/end stating the main theme; in a fast movement of a concerto, the recurring thematic material played at the beginning by full orchestra and repeated, usually in varied form, throughout the movement to the end.
trope
addition to an existing chant, consisting of 1) words and melody, 2) a melisma, or 3) words only that are set to an existing melsima/other melody
sequence
1) Latin chant that follows the alleluia; 2) in Baroque music and later, a restatement of a pattern, either melodic or harmonic, on successive or different pitch levels
formes fixes
schemes of poetic and musical repetition, each featuring a refrain, used in late medieval and fifteenth century French chansons; the three types are the Ballade, Rondeau, and Virelai.
estampie
type of medieval dance with a series of sections, each played twice with two different endings (ouvert and clos)
rhythmic modes
system of six durational patterns used in polyphony of the Ars Antiqua which served as the basis of rhythmic notation (ex: mode 1 is “long-short”)
vox organalis
In medieval organum, a voice added to a plainchant melody (vox principalis) singing the same melody in parallel motion at a fixed interval.
vox principalis
In medieval organum, the ‘principal voice’ (i.e. the pre-existent part used as a basis for polyphony); usually the chant melody
Ars Subtilior
a musical style characterized by rhythmic and notational complexity, centered in southern France/northern Spain at the end of the fourteenth century. It is used in contrast to Ars Nova. The Chantilly Codex contains pieces of this kind.
haut/bas
“high/low” grouping of musical instruments in medieval times (refers to volume, NOT pitch!)
Ars Nova
a musical polyphonic style which flourished in France and the Burgundian Low Countries in the late Middle Ages: more particularly, in the period between the preparation of the Roman de Fauvel (1310s) and the death of composer Guillaume de Machaut in 1377. It featured a new system of rhythmic notation, allowing duple or triple division of note values, syncopation, and general rhythmic flexibility. Philippe de Vitry wrote the treatise on Ars Nova.
Musica Ficta
pitches that are not in the hexachord in which the composition is set; introduces accidentals into music notation
Isorhythm
short answer: repetition in a voice part (usually the tenor) of an extended pattern of durations throughout a section or an entire composition
long answer: a musical technique using a repeating rhythmic pattern, called a “talea,” in at least one voice part (usually the tenor) throughout a composition. The melodic pattern in isorhythmic writing is called “color.” It is the logical outgrowth of the Ars Antiqua’s rhythmic modes.
Humanism
an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters. Even though Renaissance humanism had no concrete link to the musical practice of antiquity, humanistic concerns were pivotal for the development of musical thought.
temperment
a tuning system that slightly compromises the pure intervals of just intonation to meet other requirements. There are multiple kinds of temperment
partbooks
a format for printing or copying music in which each book contains the part for a single voice or instrument, especially popular during the Renaissance and Baroque. This format contrasts with the large choirbook, which included all of the voice parts and could be shared by an entire choir.
countenance angloise
aka “English manner;” a distinctive style of polyphony developed in fifteenth-century England which uses full, rich harmonies based on the third and sixth.
fauxbourdon
continental renaissance polyphony in which two voices move mostly in parallel sixths and end each phrase on an octave while a third unwritten voice is sung in parallel perfect fourths below the upper voice
superius
highest voice in renaissance polyphony
point of imitation
passage in a polyphonic work in which two or more parts enter imitation
madrigalism
an evocative (or conventional, if disparaging) instance of text depiction or word painting
Council of Trent
first Vatican Council, was a response to the Lutheran reformation. Changed Palestrina’s compositional style because each word in the music was to be heard clearly. Palestrina’s response to the Council of Trent was the Missa Papae Marcelli.
contrafactum
the practice of replacing the text of a vocal work with a new text while the music remains essentially the same; or the resulting piece. THINK “PARODY”
metrical psalm
metric, rhymed, and strophic vernacular translation of a psalm, sung to a relatively simple melody that repeats for each strophe
psalter
published collection of metrical psalms
full anthem
anthem for unaccompanied choir in contrapuntal style
verse anthem
anthem in which passages for solo voices with accompaniment alternate with passages for full choir doubled by instruments
tablature
system of notation used for lute or other plucked string instrument that tells the player which strings to pluck and where to place the fingers on the strings, rather than indicating which notes will result. Also used to refer to the system of notation used in the North German Organ School
cori spezzati
“Broken choirs;” the Venetian School technique of composing for two or more choirs, which were sometimes placed in different parts of a building.
polychoral motet
motet for two or more choirs
seconda practica
“second practice;” Monteverdi’s term for a practice of counterpoint and composition that allows the rules of sixteenth-century counterpoint (the prima practica) to be broken in order to express the feelings of a text. Seconda practica is also known as “stile moderno.”
recitative style
a type of vocal singing that approaches speech and follows the natural rhythms of the text. Comes from Italian stile recitativo: “recitational style.”
intermedio
musical interlude on a pastoral, allegorical, or mythological subject performed before, between, or after the acts of a spoken comedy or tragedy
masque
seventeenth-century English entertainment involving poetry, music, dance, costumes, choruses, and elaborate sets, akin to the French court ballet
monody
1) an accompanied solo song; 2) the musical texture of solo singing accompanied by one or more instruments
opera
drama with continuous or nearly continuous music, staged with scenery, costumes, and action. Italian for “work”
cantata
1) 17th-18th cent: vocal chamber work with continuo, usually for solo voice, consisting of several sections or movements that include recitatives and arias and setting a lyrical or quasi-dramatic text; 2) 18th cent. form of Lutheran church music combining poetic texts with texts drawn from chorales or the bible, and including recitatives, arias, chorale settings, and usually one or more choruses; 3) in later eras, a work for soloists, chorus, and orchestra in several movements but smaller than an oratorio.
sacred concerto
in the 17th century, a composition on a sacred text for one or more singers and instrumental accompaniment
oratorio
short definition: a large ensemble work that is essentially an unstaged opera
long definition: a genre of dramatic music that originated in the 17th century, combining narrative, dialogue, and commentary through arias, recitatives, ensembles, choruses, and instrumental music, like an unstaged opera. Usually on a religious or biblical subject.
Passion
a musical setting of one of the biblical accounts of Jesus’ crucifixion, the most common type of historia
ritornello
short definition: “return;” refers to a recurring theme in a piece that functions often like a refrain
long definition:
1) 14th cent. madrigals: the closing section, in a different meter from the preceding verses
2) 16th-17th cent vocal music: instrumental introduction or interlude between sung stanzas
3) in an aria or similar piece: an instrumental passage recurring several times like a refrain. It may appear at the beginning, in interludes, and at the end, stating the main theme
4) In a fast movement of a concerto; the recurring thematic material played at the beginning by full orchestra and repeated, usually in varied form, throughout the whole movement and at the end.
stile concitato
“agitated style;” style devised by Monteverdi to portray anger and warlike actions, characterized by rapid reiteration of a single note, whether on quickly spoken syllables or in a measured string tremolo
chorale prelude
setting for organ of a chorale melody, used as an introduction for congregational singing or as an interlude in a Lutheran church service
basso continuo
“continuous bass;”
1) system of notation and performance practice, used in the baroque period in which an instrumental bass line is written out and one or more players of keyboard, lute, or similar instruments fill in the harmony with appropriate chords or instruments fill in the harmony with appropriate chords or improvised melodic lines
2) the bass line itself
figured bass
a form of basso continuo in which the bass line is supplied with numbers or flat or sharp signs to indicate the appropriate chords to be played
suite
a set of pieces that are linked together into a single work. In the baroque period a suite is a set of stylized dance pieces
fugue
composition or section of a composition in imitative texture that is based on a single subject and begins with successive statements of the subject in voices
tragédie en musique
French 17th-18th cent. form of opera pioneered by Lully that combined the French classic drama and ballet traditions with music, dances, and spectacles. Literally “tragedy in music;” later was called “tragédie lyrique” (lyric tragedy).
divertissement
in a tragédie en musique, a long interlude of ballet, solo airs, choral singing, and spectacle intended as entertainment (literally “show”)
zarzuela
Spanish genre of musical theater; a light, mythological play in a pastoral setting that alternates between sung and spoken dialogue and various types of ensemble and solo song
trio sonata
short definition: common baroque instrumental genre; a sonata for two treble instruments above a basso continuo.
more details: the upper parts were usually violins. A performance had four or more players if more than one was used for the continuo part.
sonata da camera
aka “chamber sonata;” baroque sonata, usually a suite of stylized dances, scored for one or more treble instruments and continuo. This form was made popular by Corelli.
sonata di chiesa
aka “church sonata;” baroque instrumental work intended for performance in church; usually in four movements (slow-fast-slow-fast) and scored for one or more treble instruments and continuo. This form was made popular by Corelli.
solo concerto
a musical form which features a single solo instrument with the melody line, accompanied by an orchestra. Traditionally, there are three movements in this form, consisting of a fast section, a slow and lyrical section, and then another fast section
concerto grosso
instrumental work that exploits the contrast in sonority between a small ensemble of solo instruments (concertino), usually the same forces that appeared in the trio sonata, and a large ensemble (ripieno or concerto grosso). This form was made popular by Corelli
ripieno
aka “tutti;” in a concerto/concerto grosso, designates the full orchestra.
orchestra concerto
orchestra genre in several movements, originating in the late 17th century, that emphasizes the first violin part and the bass, avoiding the more contrapuntal texture of the sonata.
ordre
short definition: a set or suite of short pieces for harpsichord or ensemble in 18th-century France
long definition: An ordre often began with several pieces in the style of an allemande, courante and sarabande, but mostly contained descriptive pieces with fanciful titles
church cantata/sacred cantata
a cantata intended to be performed during a liturgical service.
prelude
introductory piece for solo instrument, often in the style of an improvisation, or introductory movement in a multi-movement work as an opera or suite
opera seria
18th century genre of Italian opera on a serious subject but normally with a happy ending, usually without comic characters and scenes
intermedio
musical interlude on a pastoral, allegorical, or mythological subject performed before, between, or after the acts of a spoken comedy or tragedy
intermezzo
18th cent. genre of Italian comic opera, performed between acts of a serious opera or play
opera buffa
(Italian “comic opera”); 18th cent. genre of Italian comic opera, sung throughout
opera comique
(French “comic opera”); 1) in the 18th century, light French comic opera which used spoken dialogue instead of recitatives; 2) in 19th cent. France, opera with spoken dialogue whether comic or tragic
ballad opera
genre of 18th century English comic play featuring songs in which new words are set to borrowed tunes
singspiel
German “singing play;” German genre of opera featuring spoken dialogue interspersed with songs, choruses, and instrumental music
string quartet
1) standard chamber ensemble consisting of two violins, viola, and cello; 2) multimovement composition for this ensemble
symphony
large work for orchestra, usually in 4 movements
Vingt-quatre Violons du Roi
a five–part string ensemble at the French royal court, existing from 1626 to 1761. The five parts, or parties, were premier, haut-contre, taille, quinte, and basse, equivalent to violin, alto viola, tenor viola, low-tenor viola, and cello.
French overture
type of overture used in tragédie en musique and other genres that opens with a slow, homophonic, and majestic section, followed by a faster second section that begins with imitation
notes inégales
short definition: 17th cent. style of French music in which long and short notes are alternated to produce a lilting rhythm
long definition: (French for “unequal notes;” 17th cent. convention of performing French music in which passages notated in short, even durations, such as a succession of eighth notes, are performed by alternating longer notes on the beat with shorter offbeats to produce a lilting rhythm
overdotting
performing practice in French Baroque music in which a dotted note is held longer than written, while the following short note is shortened
agrément
ornament in French music usually indicated by a sign
clavecin
“harpsichord” in French
concertino
“small concerto”
tutti
aka “ripieno;” full sound, all stops/instruments
stadtpfeifer
German for “town pipers;” professional town musicians who had the exclusive right to provide music within city limits
abendmusik
“evening music” in German; an evening concert usually performed in a church
conservatoire/conservatory
school that specializes in teaching music
il preto rosso
the nickname given to Vivaldi: “The Red Priest”
Pio Ospedale della Pietà
a convent, orphanage, and music school in Venice. Vivaldi held a post there
ritornello form
standard form for fast movements in concertos fo the first half of the eighteenth century, featuring a ritornello for full orchestra that alternates with episodes characterized by virtuosic material played by one or more soloists.
Concert Spirituel
the first ever concert series; began in Paris in 1725
collegium musicum
1) an association of amateurs popular during the baroque period who gathered to play and sing together for their own pleasure; 2) today, an ensemble of university students that performs early music
galant style/stile galant
French for “elegant;” 18th cent. musical style that featured songlike melodies, short phrases, frequent cadences, and light accompaniment
emfindsam style/emfindsamer stil
German for “sensitive style;” close relative fo the galant style featuring surprising turns of harmony, chromaticism, nervous rhythms, and speech-like melodies
Enlightenment
a European intellectual movement of the late 17th and 18th centuries emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition. It was heavily influenced by 17th-century philosophers such as Descartes, Locke, and Newton, and its prominent exponents include Kant, Goethe, Voltaire, Rousseau, and Adam Smith.
periodicity
the quality of being periodic (organized in phrases/periods), especially when this is emphasized through frequent resting points and articulations between phrases and periods
da capo aria
short definition - ABA form aria
long definition - literally “to the head;” aria with two sections. The first section repeats after the second section’s close, which carries the instruction “da capo,” creating an ABA form
Querelle de bouffons
“Quarrel of the comic actors;” the name given to a battle of rival musical philosophies which took place in Paris between 1752 and 1754. The controversy concerned the relative merits of French and Italian opera. Rosseau argued for the merits of Italian opera because these composers could express any emotion through melody.
fuging tune
18th century American type of psalm or hymn tune with a passage in free imitation usually preceded and followed by homophonic sections. This music was championed by William Billings.
pianoforte
keyboard instrument invented in 1700 in which strings are struck and not plucked, allowing for dynamic effects
binary form
short definition: a form comprised of two complementary sections, each of which is repeated
long definition: the first section usually ends on the dominant although it may end on the tonic or other key; the second section returns to the tonic. Three types include simple binary, balanced, binary, and rounded binary
sonata form
form used in first movements of sonatas, instrumental chamber works, and symphonies during the classic and romantic periods. It is an expansion of rounded binary form described in the 19th century as having an exposition, development, and recapitulation based on a limited umber of themes
variation
process of reworking a given melody, song, theme, or other musical idea, or the resulting varied form of it
minuet and trio
form that joins two binary form minuets to create an ABA pattern where A is the minuet and B is the trio
rondo form
form in which the first section recurs between subsidiary sections (episodes)
symphonie concertante
a concerto-like genre of the late 18th/early 19th centuries for two or more solo instruments and orchestra, characterized by its lightheartedness and melodic variety
Mannheim School
refers to both the orchestral techniques pioneered by the court orchestra of Mannheim in the latter half of the 18th century and the group of composers of the early classical period, who composed for the orchestra of Mannheim. The father of the school is considered to be the Bohemian composer Johann Stamitz.
cadenza
a virtuoso solo passage inserted into a movement in a concerto or other work, typically near the end.
concerto
a musical composition for a solo instrument or instruments accompanied by an orchestra. It typically has 3 movements that are fast, slow, and fast.
sonata rondo
an 18th century form which combines organizational elements of both the sonata and rondo to create a pattern of ABACABA
scherzo
a vigorous, light, or playful composition, typically comprising a movement in a symphony or sonata (literally “a joke”)
topic
allusios within a piece of music to a well-known kind of music associated with various social settings, such as the hunt, the courtly dance, religious rituals, etc.
Eszterháza
the palace of the Eszterházy family where Haydn worked
Heiligenstadt Testament
a letter written in 1802 from Beethoven to his brothers which reflects his despair over his increasing deafness, even his contemplation of suicide, and his continued desire to overcome his physical and emotional ailments to complete his artistic destiny.
program music
music that has an extra-musical idea to go along with it. It might be a story, an idea, a picture, or a text.
absolute music
music that has NO extra-musical idea to go along with it. It is music for its own sake, with the composer giving you NO hint as to what it might be depicting.
virtuoso
an individual who possesses outstanding technical ability in a particular art or field such as fine arts, music, singing, playing a musical instrument, or composition.
lied/art song
setting poetry to classical music to create a piece of polyphonic music.
song cycle
a set of related songs, often on a romantic theme, intended to form a single musical entity
piano cycle
A multi-movement set of character pieces for piano assembled together in a similar manner to a song cycle
waltz
a piece of music with a rhythm of three beats in each bar, which people can dance to. It was popular in the Romantic era
mazurka
a lively Polish dance in triple time. Chopin wrote many and popularized this folk style in the classical music scene
polonaise
a slow dance of Polish origin in triple time, consisting chiefly of an intricate march or procession. Neil Mitchell’s favorite thing to play
nocturne
a musical composition that is inspired by, or evocative of, the night
ballade
a poem normally composed of three stanzas and an envoi. The last line of the opening stanza is used as a refrain, and the same rhymes, strictly limited in number, recur throughout.
concert etude
a particularly brilliant instrumental composition evolved from a single technical motive.
program symphony
A multi-movement composition with extra-musical content that directs the attention of the listener to a literary or pictoral association
character piece
term used for a broad range of 19th-century piano music based on a single idea or program.
strophic
music in which every verse or chorus is sung to the same refrain
etude
a short musical composition, typically for one instrument, designed as an exercise to improve the technique or demonstrate the skill of the player.
Neue Zeitschrift für Musik
a music magazine, co-founded in Leipzig by Robert Schumann, his teacher and future father-in law Friedrich Wieck, and his close friend Ludwig Schuncke.
idée fixe
an idea or desire that dominates the mind; an obsession.
cabaletta
a more animated section following the songlike cantabile that presents heightened intensity/emotions in the plot
developing variation
a formal Schoenbergian technique in which the concepts of development and variation are united in that variations are produced through the development of existing material.
Sprechstimme
between singing and speaking
klangfarbenmelodie
a musical technique that involves splitting a musical line or melody between several instruments, rather than assigning it to just one instrument, thereby adding color and texture to the melodic line.
neotonality
an inclusive term referring to musical compositions of the twentieth century in which the tonality of the common-practice period is replaced by one or several nontraditional tonal conceptions, such as tonal assertion or contrapuntal motion around a central chord
cumulative form
a song with a simple verse structure modified by progressive addition so that each verse is longer than the verse before (ex: 12 Days of Christmas)
New Objectivity
an art form that offered a return to unsentimental reality and a focus on the objective world, as opposed to the more abstract, romantic, or idealistic tendencies of Expressionism.
Gebrauschmusik
utility music
socialist realism
A form of modern realism imposed in Russia by Stalin following his rise to power after the death of Lenin in 1924, characterised in painting by rigorously optimistic pictures of Soviet life painted in a realist style
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fluxus
an international, interdisciplinary community of artists, composers, designers and poets during the 1960s and 1970s who engaged in experimental art performances which emphasized the artistic process over the finished product.
third stream
synthesis of jazz and classical music.
Darmstadt School
refers to a group of composers who were associated with this German city’s International Summer Courses for New Music
musique concrete
music constructed by mixing recorded sounds, first developed by experimental composers in the 1940s.
