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7 Elements of Music:
- Rhythm = beats, tempo, meter, syncopation
- series of beats: constant pulses
- tempo: speed of beats (largo for slow, allegro for medium, vivace for fast)
- meter: grouping of beats
- duple = two
- triple = three
! - syncopation: emphasis on notes that are going against the series of beats
- Timbre = “color” of sound; instrumentation; whatever instrument is playing has itʼs own
sound
- INSTRUMENTS:
- woodwinds: flute, clarinet, etc. (saxophone is categorized here because
of its sound)
- brass: trumpet, horn, trombone, etc.
- strings: violin, cello, viola, guitar, bass, etc.
- percussion: xylophone, drums, triangle, etc.
- keyboard: piano, organ, etc.
- voice: soprano, alto, tenor, bass
- computer: machine created sound
- Texture = how musical lines are laid out on top of one another
- monophonic: one line (played/sung alone)
- homophonic: melody and accompaniment (accompaniment is the harmony)
- polyphonic: many layers of melody
- imitative: round, singing the same sound at different times
- non-imitative: singing two different songs
Levels of Listening:
Musical Style:
- Dance: Estampie
- TIMBRE: instruments only
- TEXTURE: homophonic
- METER: strong triple
- Composers are usually anonymous
- Mass: 2 kinds
- proper: appropriate for the season (ex. Christmas Music)
- ordinary: mass parts for EVERY mass, they never change:
- Kyrie
- Gloria
- Credo
- Sanctus
- Agnus Dei
- TEXTURE: polyphonic
- Composers:
- Machaut Agnus Dei
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AKpexxzR4Ak
- Mass: sacred
- TEXTURE: polyphonic (imitative)
- has SIX parts instead of the usual four
- S A TT BB (doubled tenor and bass parts)
- Composers:
- Palestrina Kyrie from Pope Marcellus Mass
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=itKeTpK83IY
- Madrigal: secular
- TEXTURE: mixes polyphonic and homophonic
- TIMBRE: a cappella
- written in vernacular language
- used for entertainment purposes at social gatherings
- word painting: musical depiction of the text
- the word ascending will be sung in an ascending tone
- Composers:
- Weelkes As Vesta
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=FatgEWZvRIY&feature=related
- Dance: secular
- TIMBRE: instruments only, NO voices
- strong meter
- A <A B <B C <C (structure in duple meter)
- A <A B <B C <C A B C (structure in triple meter)
- repetitive structure because:
- we have TWO feet
- to check out your partnerʼs stuff
- Genres of Baroque:
- Concerto (to fight)
- two forces; orchestra VS the soloist(s) (Goliath VS David)
- concerto grosso: 2 or more soloists against the orchestra
- orchestra: 15 or more people playing a variety of instruments
- concerto solo: 1 soloist against orchestra
- for INSTRUMENTS only
- multi-movement (more than one movement in the piece) usually three
- tutti: all/everyone
- ritornello form: return/refrain (a theme that always returns)
- RIT, SOLO, RIT, SOLO, RIT, SOLO, RIT (rit always “wins”)
- Composers:
- Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (concerto grosso); 3 soloists
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSEuMxeGwGI
- Vivaldi: Spring Concerto (concerto solo); 1 soloist
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntMzK0VLMAo
- virtuoso: “master” of the instrument
- tremolos: trembling sound
- Fugue (to chase, to pursue)
- subject: main theme of music
- TEXTURE: polyphonic (imitative)
- voice is the range of the instruments, not only applying to human voice
- FORM: exposition, episode, exposition, episode, exposition
- exposition: subject is heard
- episode: subject is not heard
- Composers:
- Bach: Organ Fugue in G Minor
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=vDn3GOJfdH8&feature=related
- Opera (drama that is sung)
- theater set to music
- libretto: text of opera
- librettist: writes libretto, or text; takes out most important/dramatic scenes
of storyline and shortens it (i.e. books to movies)
- aria: solo song with accompaniment by the orchestra
- recitative: half-declaimed and half-sung by soloist; has no meter, but
uses the rhythm of the text
- ensemble: two or more singers simultaneously performing
- 2 duet
- 3 trio
- 4 quartet
- 5 quintet
- 6 sextet
- prompter: reminds performers of cues and lines if forgotten
- chorus: 15 or more singers together
- overture/prelude: instruments only, opens the opera
- Venice was perfect starting place for opera because it is the crossroads
of many different cultures
- Baroque music shows emotion, while Renaissance music does not
- emotion is shown through tone of the voice and word painting
- basso ostinato: “stubborn bass”, it is repetitive and relentless
- Composers:
- Monteverdi: Orfeo - Tu seʼ Morta
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btynSxzbbh8
- Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Svipj7y2qjI
- Suite (collection of dances, variety)
- repetitive structure A A B B
- Cantata (to sing)
- multi-movement work: for chorus, solo, orchestra
- sometimes has an overture
- same ideas as Opera: contains choruses, arias, ensembles, and
recitatives
- DIFFERENCE: subject matter
- Opera subject: love, nature, heartbreak, etc (used for
entertainment purposes)
- Cantata subject: religious (used for worship purposes)
- chorale: hymn tune in German religious text
- Composers:
- Bach: Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSkz3j9b23Y
- Oratorio
- similar to Opera
- DIFFERENCE: subject matter and no theatrical displays
- Opera subject: love, nature, heartbreak, etc (used for
entertainment purposes)
- Oratorio subject: biblical text (used for entertainment
purposes)
- similar to Cantata
- DIFFERENCE: purpose
- Cantata purpose: worship purposes
- Oratorio purpose: entertainment
- it is staged with no acting or performances other than the chorus and
orchestra just playing music.
- was created because Opera was forbidden during the seasons of Advent
and Lent, it replaced the Opera during those periods of time.
- Composers:
- Handel: Hallelujiah Chorus from Messiah
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76RrdwElnTU
- Developing a theme:
1. sequence: same melody, but presented in a different pitch level (ex.
Gloria in Angels We Have Heard on High) only transposed THREE
times
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRoGN8ii5_g&feature=related
2. augmentation: stretching the value of the notes l o n g e r
3. diminution: note values become faster
4. inversion: theme is “upside down”
5. retrograde: theme is backwards
6. *retrograde inversion* : “upside down” and backwards
ORIGINAL RETROGRADE
5 5
4 4
3 6 6 3
2 2
1 7 7 1
1 7 7 1
2 2
3 6 6 3
4 4
5 5
INVERSION RETROGRADE INVERSION
7. change of meter: triple to duple, duple to triple
8. change of mode: like changing the mood of a song, same theme with
different clothes, major key to minor key
9. fragmentation: breaks apart the theme
- Composers:
- Mozart: Symphony No. 40 (page 243)
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cf6lwFcsKao&feature=fvst
- Composers:
- Hayden, Mozart, and Beethoven were the main three composers of the
classical era, they were the most popular
- Beethoven was first person to break away from working for the church and
nobility. He worked for himself
- Beethoven: 5th Symphony
- Movement One: sonata form, has a coda
- Theme One: four notes, four notes are sequenced and repeated over
and over.
- Industrial Revolution:
- brass instruments were perfected, more notes were able to be played
- no more animal intestines, metal frames and strings enabled the piano to have
bigger/stronger range and sound
- saxophone was invented
- Romantic Music: emphasis on emotion rather than the actual structure
- individuality, self-expression: able to differentiate between composers and who
wrote what
- subjects: nature, romantic love, emotions
- nationalism: pride of oneʼs own nation; establishing oneʼs identity by using folk
songs, dances, etc from their nation in their themes.
- exoticism: use of other countriesʼ styles, focuses on far away people/countries;
also includes styles and histories from another time period.
- program music: instrumental, musical depiction of a story, picture, idea, etc.
- tone color (timbre): woodwinds and percussion instruments were more
predominant; classical era focused mainly on strings while the woodwinds and
percussion filled in the background
- colorful harmony: chromatic harmony
- chromatic harmony: uses chords containing tones not found in the
scales, unstable
- range of dynamics: because of improved instruments, dynamics were louder
and softer than ever before
- range of tempo: rubato
- rubato: slightly holding back or pressing forward of tempo (rubber band),
elasticity of tempo
- forms: miniature and monumental
- Miniature: short pieces
- Genres:
- Art Song: lied or lieder
- piano and voice EQUAL importance
- based on german poems
- word painting
- Composers:
- Schubert: The Erlking
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=SOiMVPSzr7E
- Nocturne: night piece for instruments
- Composers:
- Chopin: Nocturne in Eb Major, Op. 9, No. 2
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=5ZUw78FXpG4
- Etude: study
- used to help master technical difficulty (a trumpet
and high notes; fast scales with piano)
- instruments ONLY
- elevated exercises into an art form
- Composers:
- Chopin: Etude in C Minor, Op. 10, No. 12
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=dKczNpfgN90
- practices/exercises piano scales
- Polonaise: Polish dance
- very dissonant, chromatic harmony
- Character Pieces: about a specific person
- music that describes the personality of a person
- Composers:
- Mendelssohn: Violin Concerto
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=OJfKlp1ZfSg
Exposition Development Cadenza Recap Coda