Chapter 5

The German poet Goethe once described architecture as "frozen music." If this building was a musical work, which of the following letter diagrams could be used to describe the form? Please disregard the bell tower for the purposes of this exercise.

A A' A" closing section

In a musical work that can be analyzed as A B A′:

A represents - the main theme B represents - a contrasting section A′ represents - a variation on the main theme

Consider the following information about a musical work."The 'Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy' from the ballet The Nutcracker is played by an orchestra. The piece begins in a light, whimsical manner that pits the high pitches and shimmering bell-like sounds of the celesta against the deep rumbling sound of a bass clarinet. The middle section has a contrasting mysterious quality with sudden punctuations from the string family before the music concludes with a section that varies the original melody."Based on the above information, what is the musical form of this piece?

ABA'

Complete the following statement to describe the musical form of The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra.

Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra contains several types of musical form. Generally, it is an example of variation form with a series of melodic sections that are all based on one central theme. Towards the end of the piece, Britten introduces another type of form within this larger form, a polyphonic fugue. When viewed at the macro level, the entire work can be diagramed as A B A′ because the full orchestral theme heard at the beginning returns at the end.

Which of the following were Benjamin Britten's intentions when he composed The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra?

Britten's intention: - To highlight the timbres of orchestral instruments for educational purposes - To create a complete and engaging composition.

Which of the following are examples of how genre can be defined by its function?

Example of genre defined by function: - Incidental music is written as background music to accompany a play or film. - A requiem is written for a funeral service.

Which of the following factors are related to a composer's style?

Factor related to composer's style: - A rejection of some musical conventions and acceptance of others. - A preference for using minor modes. - The influence of current musical trends and cultural situations.

Which are musical forms and which are musical genres?

Genre: symphony, string quartet & opera Form: fugue, ABA, & theme and variations

Musical genres are, in many ways, a product of the historical and cultural context in which they were created and often go out of fashion over time. Which of the following genres are associated primarily with early music and which are considered to be main musical genres?

Main Musical Genre: symphony, opera, string quartet Early Music Genre: organum, chanson, madrigal

What is the purpose of including general information about history and culture as it relates to music?

Purpose of historical/cultural context: - To understand how lifestyle may have influenced a composer's musical style. - To help focus and sharpen the process of listening. - To help remake listening contexts, which can influence our listening experience.

This is section "a" of Tchaikovsky's "Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy." Based on that information, label the other musical sections heard in the examples below:

Repeat of section a, but one octave higher: Example 4 Variation of section a: Example 2 Contrasting section: Example 3

Listen to this excerpt from the second movement of Haydn's Symphony No. 94 in G Major. Based on what you hear, what is the musical form of this excerpt? (0:53 seconds)

Section 1: A Section 2: A Section 3: B

Listen to the following musical examples, paying close attention to the elements of musical style. Based on the way the composers of these pieces used and combined musical elements, match the examples to the styles that they most closely resemble.

Style 1: C Style 2: A Style 3: B Style 4: D

Letter diagrams are useful for showing which of the following?

Use for letter diagrams: - repetition - variation - contrast not used for letter diagrams: - genre - style

Consider the following information about a musical work."The 'Dance of the Sugar-Plum Fairy' from the ballet The Nutcracker is played by an orchestra. The piece begins in a light, whimsical manner that pits the high pitches and shimmering bell-like sounds of the celesta against the deep rumbling sound of a bass clarinet. The middle section has a contrasting mysterious quality with sudden punctuations from the string family before the music concludes with a section that varies the original melody."Based on the above information, what is the musical genre of this piece?

ballet

Which term refers to the organization of elements in a musical work?

form

Which term refers to a category or type of music?

genre

The term to describe different categories of music like a symphony or opera is________, while the term ______is used to describe how elements of music are organized in a musical work.

genre; form

A combination of musical qualities such as specific rhythms, harmonies, tone colors, and/or textures are some of the many factors that contribute to a composer's what?

musical styles

Compare the following excerpts from Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra.excerpt 10:23excerpt 20:25

repetition