Music Appreciation Test 2

homorhythmic texture

-all voices sing the same rhythm -results in a blocked chordal texture (homophonic) -delivers the text with clarity and emphasis

Motet composers

-josquin des prez -palistrina

Renaissance time period

1450-1600

Baroque time period

1600-1750

Middle Ages time period

476-1450

martin luther

95 Thesis, posted in 1517, led to religious reform in Germany, encouraged his followers to add polyphonic worship music to enhance the congregational unison singing

rhythm and melody in baroque

Baroque music began with a rhythmic freedom in the new monodic style, but gave way to a vigorous rhythm based on regular accent.

figured bass

Baroque practice consisting of an independent bass line that often includes numerals indicating the harmony to be supplied by the performer through improvisation. A type of shorthand method of notating harmony.

cantata

Baroque vocal genre for solo singers, chorus, and instrumentalists based on a lyric or dramatic poetic narrative. Can be based on either secular or sacred themes, but for our purposes think of it as sacred. Generally smaller on a smaller scale and shorter (though Bach shows exceptions). Sacred cantatas were often performed in churches as part of church services (whereas oratorios were often stand-alone performances in a hall).

Fugue

Baroque. a favored instrumental genre of Bach. A fugue is a contrapuntal composition based on imitation in which a single theme dominates the whole composition. The theme is presented in each of the voices(musical lines).

Cantata No. 140 Wachet auf No. 4 Unison Chorale

Baroque; Bach; genre cantata; polyphonic texture

Contrapunctus 1, from The Art of Fugue

Baroque; Bach; genre fugue; polyphonic texture

Water Music, Suite in D Major Second Movement Alla Hornpipe

Baroque; Handel; genre dance/orchestral suite; mixed monophonic and polyphonic texture

Messiah No. 18 Rejoice Greatly and No. 44 Hallelujah Chorus

Baroque; Handel; genre oratorio; is an aria

oratorio

Baroque; Large-scale dramatic genre based on a text of religious character. Similar to opera, without the scenery, costumes, or action.

Dido and Aeneas, Recicative and Dido's Lament

Baroque; Purcell; genre opera

The Four Seasons Op. 8, No. 1 First Movement, Spring

Baroque; Vivaldi; genre solo concerto; homophonic texture

suite

Baroque; a group of dances, usually in the same key, with each piece usually in binary form (sometimes ternary form). Typical dances include allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue. example is handel's water music

opera

Baroque; large scale music drama sung almost entirely throughout; combines poetry, acting, scenery, and costumes. Consists of the orchestra, solo arias (dramatic, releases the emotional drama through melody), recitatives (speech-like music speaking), ensemble numbers (trios, duets), and the chorus. Recitative and aria are the two most common types of vocal singing found in opera (as well as oratorio and cantata). First performed exclusively in the aristocratic courts; later made available to the public in public theaters.

council of trent

Called by Pope Paul III to reform the church and secure reconciliation with the Protestants; The committee assigned to deal with the music problem issued only general recommendations in favor of a pure vocal style that would respect the integrity of the sacred texts, avoid virtuosity, and encourage piety.

Alleluia, O virga mediatrix

Middle Ages; Hildegard; genre plainchant; monophonic texture

Gaude Maria Virgo

Middle Ages; Notre Dame School Organum; genre organum; polyphony alternating with monophonic chant

chant

Middle Ages; plainchant consists of a single-line melody; monophonic in texture

organum

Middle ages; lower voice sang the fixed melodies in extremely long notes; upper voice sang a freely composed part that moved rapidly above it; slightly polyphonic

ars antigua

Old Art; polyphonic musical style, usually French, from the period 1160-1320

basso coninuo

Performance group with a bass chordal instrument (harpsichord or organ) and one bass melody instrument (cello or bassoon). Not a genre. Performance group with a bass chordal instrument (harpsichord or organ) and one bass melody instrument (cello or bassoon). Accompanies vocal music AND found in orchestral music from this period.

madrigal

Renaissance secular work originating in Italy for voices, with or without instruments, set to a short, lyric love poem; also popular in England.

Fair Phyllis

Renaissance; Farmer; Madrigal; at first homophonic then becomes homorhythmic

Gloria, from Pope Marcellus Mass

Renaissance; Palestrina, genre from setting of mass ordinary; monophonic opening then homorhythmic with some polyphony

motet

Renaissance; Polyphonic vocal genre often secular in the middle ages; usually songs of unrequited love; sacred in renaissance

mass ordinary

Sections of the Roman Catholic Mass that remain the same from day to day throughout the church year, as distinct from the Proper, which changes daily according to the liturgical occasion.

mass proper

Sections of the Roman Catholic Mass that vary from day to day throughout the church year according to the particular liturgical occasion, as distinct from the Ordinary, in which they remain the same.

ritornello form

Short, recurring instrumental passage found in both the aria and the Baroque concerto

aria

Solo voice with orchestral support/accompaniment; emotional and tuneful; can be "detached" because they take place in "stop time"- the action is frozen and the character has the opportunity to dwell on a particular intense emotion

dynamics in baroque

Terraced dynamics, no gradual changes in dynamic.

counterpoint

The art of combining in a single texture two or more melodic lines.

renaissance is the golden era of...

a capella

sponsors of music in baroque

aristocracy

sacred cantata composers

bach

three big b's

bach, beethoven, brahm

important baroque composers

bach, monteverdi, purcell, vivaldi, handel, telemann

rise of virtuosic music

baroque; virtuosity is remarkable technical skill

concerto grosso

based on the opposition between a small group of instruments and a larger group of instruments. Bach's Brandenburg Concerti are exemplary of the concerto grosso genre.

sonata da camera

chamber sonata of several movements, usually a suite of stylized dances.

trio sonata

chamber sonata type for four players written in three parts: two melody lines and the basso continuo. Don't be confused by the word 'trio': four performers make up a trio sonata.

music genres of middle ages

chant, organum

sponsors of music in medieval times

church

society in middle ages

church dominated what society was like; faith was a big factor; people focused on how what they did would affect them on the other side; music mostly sacred; people wanted to focus on the text of the music

sonata da chiesa

church sonata, instrumental work for performance in church. Usually in four movements (slow-fast-slow-fast).

instrumental genres of baroque

concerto, suite, fugue

musicians in baroque

could find a variety of types of employment; more amateur music making; more professional musicians doing a variety of music activities

harpsichord is the _________ of the piano, not the __________

forerunner; ancestor

oratorio composers

handel

development of instruments in baroque

in italy and germany people were improving and refining their instrument building, which facilitated virtuosity; instrumental music now on equal footing with vocal music

mellismatic

many notes per syllable

chanson composers

mauchaut; chanson is a french monophonic or polyphonic song set to either courtly or popular poetry

syllabic

melodic style of one note set to each text syllable; often performed by the church especially in the middle ages to concentrate focus on the words

transitional composer between renaissance and baroque

montiverdi

music genres of renaissance

motet, madrigal

recicative

movement of a larger work; imitates the rhythm and pitch fluctuations of speech; often precedes an aria; used to convey background info to the audience, accompaniment is normally continuo only (music being played during it is basso coninuo)

imitation

musical gesture is repeated later in a different form, but retaining its original character

word painting

musical illustration of the meaning of a word or a short verbal phrase; music mirrors the words; began some in renaissance and continued into baroque

monodony

new style of music featuring solo song with instrumental accompaniment. Homophonic texture. Not monophony. An opera aria is an example of monody.

Hildegard

nun who wrote music and was a visionary- very important because women did not generally do this; she wrote music for the church, which in the case of chant people normally did anonymously, but not in her case

Telemann

one of the most prolific composers in history. Highly regarded during his own time, his music reflects several different cultural influences. baroque.

major/minor tonality system

one of the most significant events in music history (Baroque); harmonic system based on the use of major and minor scales; modal harmonies disappear

vocal genres of baroque

opera, oratorio, cantata

baroque instruments

organ, harpsichord, strings, winds, brass, perc., orchestra (strings with select added winds, brass and perc.). Some popular only in Baroque period and don't continue beyond this time.

polyphonic texture

performance of two or more melodic lines of relatively equal interest at the same time

italian opera

popular everywhere except for England. They wanted opera in their native tongue (vernacular) and weren't fans of the subject matter. See Oratorio.

opera composers

purcell, monteverdi

john calvin

religious reformer who believed in predestination and a strict sense of morality for society; believed worship should be monophonic and shared by all congregants; believed that simple, monophonic congregational singing in the vernacular should be the basis of christian worship

society in renaissance

shift away from faith and towards inquiry; rebirth; skills of many trades; more secular; some sacred and some secular music functions; more ability to listen to the beauty of music, not just the subject

homophonic texture

single line of melody supported by a harmonic accompaniment

monophonic texture

single melodic line without accompaniment

orchestra in baroque

size and membership was much smaller-rarely instruments beyond strings and 1-2 brass and woodwinds; not common practice to have a conductor- led by first chair violinist or the soloist

solo concerto

solo instrument with instrumental group accompaniment...for our purposed think orchestra. example is vivaldi's four seasons

ars nova

style of polyphony from 14th century France, distinguished from earlier styles by a new system of rhythmic notation that allowed duple or triple division of note values, syncopation, and great rhythmic flexibility

sonata composers

telemann

"baroque" derived from...

the Portuguese "barroco," meaning a pearl of irregular shape used in jewelry

baroque society

turbulent change in politics, science, and the arts. ends with death of Bach. an era of absolute monarchy; lavish aristocratic courts; people begin to rely more on reason than on faith. three main powers are aristocratic courts, church, and government; rise in the middle class but also in wealthy and increase in poverty; trend of moving towards more secular society significant

bas vs haut

used to describe soft/indoor instruments vs loud/outdoor instruments

Bach

virtuoso organist, writing much music for that instrument. He considers himself to be first and foremost a church musician, which greatly influences his compositional career. culminating figure of baroque style

concerto composers

vivaldi and bach

Handel

was music director of Royal Academy of Music in England, but comic opera was overtaking opera seria, and eventually the Academy (which promoted opera seria) failed. This is when Handel turned away from opera to the oratorio. His music is exemplary of the Baroque style.

Bach's sacred cantatas

were written for the Lutheran church service. Bach is a devout Lutheran and this figures prominently in his compositional output. The Lutheran cantatas are generally unified by a chorale (hymn tune) sung in four-part harmony. often used Martin Luther's hymn tunes as the basis for his own compositions.

librettist

writes the libretto, or text, of an opera.

Palestrina

wrote renaissance music- no one else could satisfy the council of trent- hear high voices, music still sounds advanced- mass genre - music would be the same no matter the time of year; organist and choirmaster in italian churches; pure a capella style of polyphony typical of late renaissance