Words to remember Flashcards
Monophonic Texture
Music consisting of a single line of melody with no harmony or accompaniment
Polyphonic Texture
Two or more independent melodic lines heard simultaneously
Referred to as contrapuntal style
A cappella
Latin for “in the chapel”
Vocal music without instrumental accompaniment
Characteristic feature of vocal music in Middle Ages and Renaissance
Modes
Scale patterns distinguished by their own unique order of tones and semitones, used in the music of Ancient Greece
Neumes
The earliest form of notation in Western art music; small notational symbols, originally indicating the direction of the melodic line
Plainchant
chanting with no musical accompaniment, unmeasured rhythm, following the flow of the melody. Monophonic. It is the unmeasured rhythm and monophony of the Gregorian chant.
Syllabic Text setting
one note per syllable, can be heard very clearly
Neumatic Text setting
one note per syllable
Melismatic Text setting
Many notes for a single syllable of text
Responsorial Singing
A method of performance in which the solo voice alternates with the chorus
Mass
The most important service in the Roman Catholic liturgy, it became important during the Renaissance era, Choral work
Mass Proper
The changing, variable prayers of the Mass linked to the Church calendar; consists of Introit, Gradual, Alleluia or Tract, Offertory, Communion
Organum
Vocal music in which new melodic line(s) are added to an existing Gregorian chant (IV, V, VIII)
Polyphony
music that simultaneously combines two or more independent lines.
Cantus Firmus
Latin for “fixed song”; borrowed material, often from a Gregorian chant that serves as a structural skeleton for a new polyphonic composition
Tenor
From Latin tenere, “to hold”; in a polyphonic composition from the Middle Ages, it refers to the voice that contains the cantus firmus (borrowed material)
Organal style
A style of free organum in which the notes from the original chant are sung by the lower voice in long note values
Discant style
A style of organum in which there is more rhythmic movement in the cantus firmus
Rhythmic modes
Rhythmic patterns related to poetic meters used in Latin grammar that were used to provide rhythmic structure
Motet
Vocal composition with or without instrumental accompaniment, usually anonymous and often polytextual in the 13th century
Polytextuality
Two or more texts heard simultaneously; as a result, the words can sometimes be hard to distinguish
Strophic
A song were the same music is performed in each verse; little connection can be achieved between words and music
Trouvere
French for “finder” or “inventor”, an aristocratic poet-musicians who composed and performed original songs and poems; worked and lived in North France
Bas
French for “low”, soft volume, indoor instruments such as dulcimer, lute, recorder and vielle
Haut
French for “high”, loud volume , outdoor instruments such as cornetto, crumhorn, sackbut and shawm
Estampie
A Medieval dance with stately character, danced by couples involving elaborate body movements
Heterophonic
Simultaneous variation, same melody is played in more than one way at a time among two voices
Mass
the important service in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, consists of prayers that do not change from day to day (Ordinary) and prayers that change depending on the calendar (Proper)
Mass Ordinary
Unchanging prayers of the Mass; consists of Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei.
Mass Proper
The prayers of the Mass that change according to the calendar; Consists of Indroit, Gradual, Alleluia, Tract, Offertory, Communion
Musica Ficta
Latin for “False music”, performance practised applied in modal music of the later Middle Ages and Renaissance, performers raised or lowered pitches by a half step much like modern-day accidentals
Isorhythm
A compositional device perfected in the Ars Nova; combines melodic patterns with rhythmic patterns
Hocket
from French word hoquet meaning “hiccup”; a rhythmic and melodic technique where two voices are combined to create a single melody; one rests, while the other sings
Renaissance
French for “rebirth”, the period spanning the years 1450-1600 in European history, a time of continued change and developement in musical style
Imitative counterpoint
a type of polyphony associated with the Renaissance style; a motive or theme from one voice to another
Madrigal
A popular secular vocal genre that flourished in the 16th century, based on the intimate relationship between poetry and music, for aristocratic audiences. Wordpainting, music was generally through composed, chromaticism was used as an expressive device
Word painting
A musical pictorialization ; the music reflects the meaning of the texts in vocal works
Nonsense syllables
Syllables with no meaning, such as “fa-la-la”, a characteristic feature of the English madrigal
Chromaticism
Melodies and harmonies that include any of the notes within the octave, in either tonal or modal context