Music MIDTERM Review

The phrase Middle Ages refers to the period of European history spanning

450-1450. The thousand years that make up the European Middle Ages began after the disintegration of the Roman empire in 450 and lasted until the beginning of the Renaissance in 1450.

The early baroque period spanned the years

1600-1640. The early baroque period lasted from 1600-1640.

The middle baroque period spanned the years

1640-1690. The middle phase of the baroque lasted from 1640-1690.

The late baroque period spanned the years

1690-1750. The late baroque period lasted from 1690 to 1750.

The word movement in music normally refers to

a piece that sounds fairly complete and independent but is part of a larger composition. In music, the use of the word movement is meant to describe a piece that sounds fairly complete and independent but is part of a larger composition.

Music can be defined as

an art based on the organization of sounds in time. Music is a part of the world of sound, an art based on the organization of sounds in time.

Instrumental music became as important as vocal music for the first time in the ____________ period.

late baroque During the late baroque period, instrumental music became as important as vocal music.

The Renaissance motet is a

polyphonic choral work set to a sacred Latin text other than the ordinary of the mass. The Renaissance motet is a polyphonic choral work set to a sacred Latin text other than the ordinary of the mass. As a sacred work, it cannot be a dance or about love. The Renaissance mass is a sacred music work made up of five sections.

One of the major characteristics of ars nova music is its use of

syncopation. One of the more important innovations of ars nova music was the increased emphasis on syncopation.

Vivaldi spent most of his life working at an institution for orphaned and illegitimate girls in

Venice. Like many well-known baroque composers, Vivaldi spent most of his life working in Venice, Italy.

The ____________ is a Lutheran congregational hymn tune.

chorale The chorale is a Lutheran congregational hymn tune sung to a German religious text. It is different from a cantata or recitative in that it does not require professional training to sing the melodies.

An estampie is a medieval

dance. The estampie, a medieval dance, is one of the earliest surviving forms of instrumental music.

Retaining some features of a musical idea while changing others is called

variation. In the variation of a musical idea, some of its features will be retained while others are changed. For example, the melody might be restated with a different accompaniment. Or the pitches of a melody might stay the same while its rhythmic pattern is changed.

Most medieval music was

vocal. Most medieval music was church music and, as such, was vocal. The clergy felt that instruments distracted worshippers and drew attention away from the sacred texts.

Three-part form can be represented as

A B A. Three-part form can be represented as statement (A), contrast or departure (B), and return (A). When the return of A is varied, the form is outlined ABA'.

____________ is a musical idea repeated over and over in the bass while melodies above it constantly change.

Basso ostinato Basso ostinato, or ground bass, is a repeated musical idea in the bass over which melodies change and evolve.

Handel spent the major portion of his life in

England. Although born in Germany, Handel eventually spent most of his working life in England.

Bach's personal musical style was drawn from

Italian concertos. French dance pieces. German church music. Bach's musical style was an assimilation of many styles, including Italian concertos, French dance pieces, and German church music.

Josquin Desprez spent much of his life in

Italy. Josquin Desprez, born in Flanders, had an international career and spent much of his life in Italy, the epicenter for Renaissance art and music.

____________ refers to a vocal line that imitates the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech.

Recitative Whereas an aria is intensely melodic, a recitative is more akin to talking, imitating the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech.

Palestrina's career centered in

Rome. Because Palestrina devoted himself to writing music for the Catholic church, he was centered in Rome, the home of the Church.

The middle baroque was characterized by

a diffusion of the style into every corner of Europe. The middle baroque is associated mostly with the diffusion of the style into every corner of Europe.

Modern historians use the term baroque to indicate

a particular style in the arts, involving action and movement. Modern historians use the term baroque to describe a period in which action and movement were guiding principles.

A cadence is

a resting place at the end of a phrase. A resting place at the end of a phrase--a point of arrival--is called a cadence; it may be partial, setting up expectations (an incomplete cadence), or it may give a sense of finality (a complete cadence).

Melody may be defined as

a series of single notes which add up to a recognizable whole. A melody is a series of single notes that add up to a recognizable whole. A melody begins, moves, and ends; it has direction, shape, and continuity.

Oratorio differs from opera in that it has no

acting, scenery, or costumes. Oratorios are very similar to operas without the major ingredients of acting, scenery, or costumes.

Leonin and Perotin are notable because they

are the first important composers known by name. indicated definite time values and a clearly defined meter in their music. were the leaders of the school of Notre Dame. Leonin and Perotin, leaders of the Notre Dame school and among the first notable composers known by name, began the use of measured rhythm in their works.

Forward motion, conflict, and change of mood are produced through

contrast. Forward motion, conflict, and change of mood all come from contrast. Opposition--of loud and soft, strings and woodwinds, fast and slow, major and minor--propels and develops musical ideas.

Repetition is a technique widely used in music because it

creates a sense of unity. helps engrave a melody in the memory. provides a feeling of balance and symmetry. Repetition creates a sense of unity. Musical repetition appeals to the pleasure we get in recognizing and remembering something.

A gradual increase in loudness is known as a

crescendo. Decrescendo or diminuendo means gradually softer; crescendo means gradually louder.

The Renaissance may be described as an age of

curiosity and individualism. exploration and adventure. he "rebirth" of human creativity. The Renaissance was a time of human creativity, curiosity, and intellectual pursuits, resulting in stunning achievements in the arts and sciences. Exploration was also prized, as seen in the voyages of Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama, and Ferdinand Magellan.

Much of the instrumental music composed during the Renaissance was intended for

dancing. Much Renaissance instrumental music was intended for dancing, an important part of Renaissance social life. The church abhorred much instrumental accompaniment and, therefore, music composed for instruments was not intended for church use. Neither the concert hall nor the piano were around during the Renaissance era.

The first large body of secular songs that survives in decipherable notation was composed

during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The first large body of secular songs were written by French nobles called troubadours and trouvères during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

A new system of music notation that allowed composers to specify almost any rhythmical pattern had evolved by the

early fourteenth century. Although measured rhythm in music writings developed during the Middle Ages with Leonin and Perotin, it was not until the early fourteenth-century that almost any rhythmic pattern could be notated.

Baroque melodies often are

elaborate and ornamental. Like much of baroque art, compositional melodies were often elaborate and feature complex ornamentations.

Affections in baroque usage refers to

emotional states or moods of music. Baroque music usually expresses a mood or emotional state, known as affections.

The concerto grosso most often has three movements whose tempo markings are

fast, slow, fast. The concerto grosso is usually divided into three movements whose contrasting tempos are fast, slow, fast.

A bass part together with numbers that specify the chords to be played above it is called

figured bass. The notation of the bass part, with numbers (figures) is called a figured bass. The numbers specify only basic chords, not the exact way in which the chords should be played.

Baroque trio sonatas usually involve ____________ performers.

four The term "trio sonata" is slightly misleading because it usually involves four instrumentalists: two high instruments for the melodies and two instruments for the basso continuo.

A type of polyphonic composition based on one main theme is a

fugue. A fugue is a polyphonic composition based on one main theme, called a subject.

The musical element that refers to the way chords are constructed and how they follow each other is

harmony. Harmony refers to the way chords are constructed and how they follow each other. Harmonizing adds support, depth, and richness to the melody.

A tone in music is a sound that

has a definite pitch. In music, a sound that has a definite pitch is called a tone.

Lute songs are mostly __________ in texture.

homophonic Lute songs mostly feature a singer supported by harmonic accompaniment, resulting in a homophonic texture.

The early baroque was characterized by

homophonic texture. Composers of the early baroque favored homophonic textures in contrast to the elaborate polyphony of the late Renaissance.

Musical texture refers to

how many different layers of sound are heard at the same time. what kind of layers of sound are heard (melody or harmony). how layers of sound are related to each other. At a particular moment within a piece, we may hear one unaccompanied melody, several simultaneous melodies, or a melody with supporting chords. To describe these various possibilities, we use the term musical texture, which refers to how many different layers of sound are heard at once, to what kind of layers they are (melody or harmony), and to how they are related to each other.

A consonance is a combination of tones that

is considered stable and restful. Some chords have been considered stable and restful, others unstable and tense. A tone combination that is stable is called a consonance. Consonances are points of arrival, rest, and resolution.

A major difference between a cantata and an oratorio is that an oratorio

is not intended for religious services. Both cantatas and oratorios feature solo singers and can be based on biblical stories. The major difference is that cantatas were exclusively intended for church service on Sunday, while an oratorio could be performed at any time.

The text, or book, of a musical dramatic work is called the

libretto. The libretto is the text upon which an opera is based. An opera is usually a collaboration between the composer and the librettist, or dramatist.

Gregorian chant consists of

melody sung without accompaniment. A Gregorian chant is a melody sung without accompaniment, in order to supplement a worshipper's contemplation of religious texts.

The organization of beats into regular groups is called

meter. In music we find a repeated pattern of a strong beat plus one or more weaker beats. The organization of beats into regular groups is called meter.

The interval that occurs when two different tones blend so well when sounded together that they seem to merge into one tone, is called a(n)

octave. When tones are separated by the interval called an octave, they sound very much alike.

The medieval jongleurs, important sources of information in a time when there were no newspapers, were

on the lowest social level. Minstrels, or jongleurs, had no civil rights and were on the lowest social level, alongside prostitutes and slaves.

Homophonic texture consists of

one main melody accompanied by chords. When we hear one main melody accompanied by chords, the texture is homophonic. Attention is focused on the melody, which is supported and colored by sounds of subordinate interest.

An ____________ is a play, set to music, sung to orchestral accompaniment, with scenery, costumes, and action.

opera A drama that is sung to orchestral accompaniment is known as opera. Opera incorporates music, acting, scenery, and costumes to create a total theatrical experience.

Bach was recognized as the most eminent ____________ of his day.

organist Bach is most famous for his compositions today, but during his lifetime he was recognized as a virtuoso and eminent organist.

Medieval music that consists of Gregorian chant and one or more additional melodic lines is called

organum. Medieval music that consists of Gregorian chant and one or more additional melodic lines is called organum.

A ____________ is a single tone, usually in the bass, that is held while the other voices produce a series of changing harmonies against it.

pedal point Pedal point, another technique common in fugues, involves holding a single tone, usually in the bass, while other voices change harmonies against it.

The Renaissance madrigal is a

piece for several solo voices set to a short poem, usually about love. The Renaissance madrigal was a song (not a dance) for several solo voices set to a short poem, usually about love. A madrigal combines homophonic and polyphonic textures and was rarely set to Latin text.

The four main properties of musical sounds are

pitch, dynamics, tone color, and duration. We distinguish music from other sounds by recognizing the four main properties of musical sounds: pitch, dynamics, tone color, and duration.

The texture of Renaissance music is chiefly

polyphonic. Renaissance composers continued to focus on, develop, and advance the techniques of polyphony in music.

When two or more melodic lines of equal interest are performed simultaneously, the texture is

polyphonic. Simultaneous performance of two or more melodic lines of relatively equal interest produces the texture called polyphonic, meaning having many sounds. In polyphony, several melodic lines compete for attention. Polyphony adds a dimension that has been compared to perspective in painting: each line enriches the others.

The element of music defined as the ordered flow of music through time, or more specifically, the particular arrangement of note lengths in a piece of music, is

rhythm. Rhythm forms the lifeblood of music. In its widest sense, rhythm is the flow of music through time. It has several interrelated aspects, which we'll consider in turn: beat, meter, accent and syncopation, and tempo.

The first oratorios were based on

stories from the Bible. The first oratorios were based on biblical stories (although they were not intended for religious services). Music based on Greek and Roman myths was more typical of the Renaissance.

The main theme of a fugue is called the

subject. The main theme of a fugue is called the subject, which can be manipulated and varied in many ways throughout the composition.

Sets of dance-inspired instrumental movements are called

suites. Suites are compositions for solo instruments, small groups, or orchestra that were inspired by dances of the day.

The term ___________ refers to the speed of the beat of the music.

tempo Tempo--the speed of the beat--is the basic pace of the music. A fast tempo is associated with a feeling of energy, drive, and excitement. A slow tempo often contributes to a solemn, lyrical, or calm mood.

A musical statement, followed by a repeat of that statement, then a counterstatement, would be called __________ form.

ternary Two-part (binary) form is a composition made up of two sections. The form gives a sense of statement (A) and counterstatement (B).

Dynamics in music refer to

the degree of loudness and softness. Degrees of loudness or softness in music are called dynamics. Loudness is related to the amplitude of the vibration that produces the sound.

Hildegard of Bingen was

the first woman composer to leave a large number of works that have survived. abbess of the convent at Rupertsberg. a visionary and mystic active in religious and diplomatic affairs. A multifaceted woman, Hildegard of Bingen was the abbess of the convent at Rupertsberg and the first woman composer to have a large number of her works survive. She was a visionary and mystic, active in both religious and diplomatic matters.

Form in music is

the organization of musical ideas in time. The word form is associated with shape, structure, organization, and coherence. Form in music is the organization of musical elements in time. In a musical composition, pitch, tone color, dynamics, melody, and texture interact to produce a sense of shape and structure. All parts of the composition are interrelated.

Pitch is defined as

the relative highness or lowness that we hear in a sound. Pitch is the relative highness or lowness that we hear in a sound.

The members of the Camerata wanted the vocal line of their music to follow

the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech. The Camerata believed that the Greek dramas had been sung throughout in a style that was midway between melody and speech. When the members of the Camerata were creating their works, they wanted to simulate this style, creating a vocal line that follows the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech.

Terraced dynamics refers to

the sudden alternation from one dynamic level to another. A sudden shift in dynamic level is a technique called terraced dynamics.

Timbre is synonymous with

tone color. We can tell one instrument from another when each of them is playing the same tone at the same dynamic level. The quality that distinguishes them is called tone color or timbre.

In music, a sound that has a definite pitch is called a

tone. A sound that has a definite pitch is called a tone. It has a specific frequency.

The central tone around which a musical composition is organized is called the

tonic. Practically all familiar melodies are built around a central tone toward which the other tones gravitate and on which the melody usually ends. This central tone is the keynote, or tonic. A keynote can be any of the twelve tones of the octave. When a piece is in the key of C, for example, C is the keynote, or tonic.

A musical ornament consisting of the rapid alternation of two tones that are a whole or half step apart is a

trill. A trill is an ornament consisting of the rapid alternation of two tones that are a whole or half step apart.

A cappella refers to

unaccompanied choral music. The term a cappella refers to unaccompanied choral music.

Performance of a single melodic line by more than one instrument or voice is described as playing or singing in

unison. Performance of a single melodic line at the same pitch by more than one instrument or voice is playing or singing in unison and results in a fuller, richer-sounding monophonic texture.