Download I. Ancient Greeks II. Middle Ages

I.
Ancient Greeks A.
II.
Doctrine of Ethos 1.
Music can change behavior and affect humans’ emotions 2.
Modes (scales) a)
Ionian (today’s major scale) b)
Dorian c)
Phrygian d)
Lydian e)
Mixolydian f)
Aeolian (today’s natural minor scale) g)
Locrian (banned by the Church) Middle Ages A.
Background 1.
Feudalism – dictates who are the producers and consumers of music a)
Serfs – bottom b)
Vassals/Nobility – feudal Lords/landowners c)
Clergy – The Church 2.
Most people are illiterate 3.
Catholic Church controlled information 4.
Bubonic Plague/Black Death wiped out significant portion of Europe’s population; hence, the Catholic Church’s dominance B.
Early Sacred music 1.
Gregorian Chant a)
Monophonic – all monks singing the same melody b)
Named after Pope Gregory I; so named because he ordered that it be codified (written down) c)
Chant melodies existed for centuries; grew out of Jewish tradition of cantoring (leading song in worship) d)
Neumatic notation – original notation, often printed on illuminated manuscripts e)
Hildegard von Bingen – abbess of Rupertsberg; her piece, O Successores, contains a drone, or held note played under the chant 2.
Organum a)
Composition that added one or more melodic lines to the chant 3.
b)
Originally other melodic line moved in parallel c)
Later became more polyphonic School of Notre Dame a)
Leonin & Perotin – first music with measured rhythm, clearly defined meter (1)
b)
Cantus firmus – original chant melody Machaut (1)
Jack of all trades – composer, church official, poet (2)
Wrote a significant amount of secular music as well (3)
Notre Dame Mass – first polyphonic treatment of the mass ordinary (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus/Benedictus, Agnus Dei) C.
Early Secular Music a)
Troubadours & Trouvères – Nobles and Knights, musical poets (1)
Troubadours – southern France; Guillaume IX, duke of Aquitane (2)
Trouvères – northern France (3)
Song topics included the Crusades, dance songs, and spinning songs; courtly love – admiration from afar b)
Jongleurs – “jugglers”, lowest level of society with prostitutes and slaves (1)
Performed in castles, taverns, town squares (2)
Some were fortunate to find work with the nobility (3)
Important source of historical information c)
Estampie – Medieval dance; instrumental d)
Francesco Landini (1)
Ballata – originated as a song to accompany dancing e)
Machaut – secular edition (1)
Wrote courtly love songs (2)
Rondeau – musical setting of poetry, form followed the rhyme scheme III.
Renaissance – “Rebirth” A.
Humanism 1.
Celebrating the achievements and power of mankind 2.
Culture looked back to that of the Greeks and Romans 3.
Church power declined significantly; education a status symbol for upper middle class and aristocracy 4.
Invention of Gutenberg’s printing press changed everything, including music printing 5.
Development of middle class was key in the late Renaissance 6.
Italy became the center of musical output, although many leading composers came from Flanders (Franco-­‐Flemish composers) 7.
Musicians gain higher status, began to be recognized for their work 8.
Big church job to have in Europe at the time was to be the maestro di cappella at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice B.
Musical characteristics 1.
Word painting 2.
Texture – polyphonic; “golden age” of a cappella 3.
Rhythm & melody – defined beat, but music has a very gentle flow C.
Josquin des Prez 1.
From Flanders; a Franco-­‐Flemish composer 2.
Composer of motets and masses; motets use sacred Latin texts other than the Ordinary of the Mass 3.
D.
Renaissance rock star – both in church and court positions Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina 1.
Considered the father of the Renaissance mass; wrote 104 as well as 450 sacred works 2.
During the Reformation, he remained loyal to the Catholic Church and was a musical player in during the Counter-­‐Reformation 3.
Pope Marcellus Mass – written for 6 voices: soprano, alto, 2 tenors, and 2 basses*** (yay for basses!) E.
Venetian School 1.
Gabrielis – Adrian Willaert, Andrea Gabrieli, and his nephew, Giovanni Gabrieli – all maestro di cappella at St. Mark’s Cathedral 2.
Polychoral motets written for the acoustics at St. Mark’s – Renaissance “surround sound” – multiple choirs placed around the church F.
Secular music 1.
Madrigals – set to poetry, usually about love; book example was As Vesta Was Descending – Thomas Weelkes; other notable composers were Thomas Morley 2.
Lute Song – lute came from the Arab instrument; Lute songs are solo voice songs with lute accompaniment, and are homophonic**; major composer from the book is England’s John Dowland 3.
Instrumental music still subordinate to vocal music; most instrumental music was for dancing; i.e. the Passamezzo, Pavane, and the Galliard IV.
Baroque Period A.
Sociopolitical characteristics 1.
Absolutism a)
Wealthy wielded great power over their subjects b)
Lived extravagant lifestyles; music was leisure for the rich – many had orchestras 2.
Period of scientific and artistic growth and discovery a)
Newton b)
Galileo 3.
Middle class made significant contributions; became important patrons of the arts (public opera houses**) B.
Baroque Music divided into 3 periods: Early, Middle, Late 1.
Early Baroque is chiefly homophonic 2.
Late Baroque returns to polyphony 3.
Rules for music theory/structure of harmony develop in the middle to late Baroque C.
Characteristics of Baroque 1.
Unity of mood – one mood throughout the piece, except in opera; affections was the term given to moods in music 2.
Rhythm – repeated patterns throughout the piece 3.
Melody – melody is heard throughout compositions 4.
Dynamics – terraced dynamics; shifts in volume occur suddenly; instruments such as clavichord were able to make gradual dynamic changes; harpsichord only played at one dynamic because of design (plucked strings) 5.
Texture – early Baroque features soprano dominance in terms of melody for the first time; late Baroque composers like Handel alternated between homophonic and polyphonic textures within a piece 6.
Chords/Basso continuo – basso continuo usually contained a keyboard instrument and a low instrument such as cello or bassoon; part was written in figured bass (similar to modern day tab for guitar) – can sound different from one performance to the next because of improvisational quality 7.
Words and Music – text painting and melismatic lines D.
Baroque Orchestra – small compared to today’s orchestras; timpani in the percussion, smaller brass, woodwind, and string sections E.
Music in Baroque society 1.
Wealthy’s demand for new music! They don’t want to get bored 2.
Court musician versus church musician – pros and cons a)
Being a musician is now a status symbol, and the wealthy competed for the best musicians b)
Italian music still reigns supreme – desire for Italian musicians and styles F.
Baroque forms – a movement sounds like an independent piece but is part of a larger work 1.
Concerto grosso a)
3 movement work, (fast-­‐slow-­‐fast arrangement of tempi for movements) b)
Composition for full orchestra and a group of soloists c)
First and last movements are typically in ritornello form – alternation between tutti and soloists; ritornello (refrain) is only played in full at beginning and the end of each movement d)
Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto is unusual because he gives the harpsichord a solo role rather than being a part of the continuo 2.
Fugue a)
Main theme is called the subject b)
After each “voice” presents the subject, they play episodic material c)
Fugues can either be played on one instrument such as an organ or harpsichord, or a fugue can be written for a group of voices or instruments d)
Compositional devices include: (1)
Countersubject (a melody that competes with the subject) (2)
Stretto (subject is imitated before it is completed) (3)
Pedal point in the organ (low tone played while harmonies move over it) (4)
(5)
Treatment of the subject includes (a)
inversion (flipping it upside down) (b)
retrograde (playing it backwards) (c)
augmentation (making note values longer) (d)
diminution (making note values shorter) (e)
Abby’s favorite is the Little Organ Fugue Often fugues are introduced by preludes 3.
Solo Concerto – 3 movement work; like a concerto grosso, but for a single soloist and orchestra 4.
Baroque Sonata – 4 movement instrumental work (fast-­‐fast-­‐
slow-­‐fast tempi) a)
Trio sonatas contain 3 different melodic lines b)
4 instruments – two high instruments and basso continuo c)
2 types of sonatas were sonata da chiesa (church, dignified for services) and sonata da camera (chamber, dancelike and played at courts) 5.
Baroque Suite a)
Multi-­‐movement work b)
Dance inspired movements like Gigue, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gavotte, Bourrée c)
Begins with a French overture d)
Bach (and others) often included an Air, another non-­‐
dance-­‐inspired movement e)
Forms of movements are symmetrical to reflect dance steps G.
Opera 1.
Started by Florentine Camerata in the late Renaissance 2.
Jacopo Peri’s Euridice is the earliest opera that has been preserved 3.
Monteverdi wrote Orfeo soon after – first great opera 4.
Both operas based on Greek tragedy of Orpheus and Euridice 5.
First public opera house opened in Venice in 1637 6.
Was most popular in Italy, but later spread to other parts of Europe 7.
Opera elements a)
Voice ranges (1)
Coloratura soprano – capable of singing rapid scales and passages (2)
Lyric soprano – lighter voice (3)
Dramatic soprano – full, powerful (4)
Lyric tenor – light, bright (5)
Dramatic tenor – powerful voice (6)
Basso buffo – comic roles, can sing rapid passages (7)
Basso profondo – very low range; powerful voice b)
Solo songs include arias and recitatives; recitatives are sung in a speech-­‐like manner (1)
only Secco recitative – accompanied by basso continuo (2)
Accompanied recitative – accompanied by full orchestra (3)
Da capo arias – ABA form; during the return of the A section, the soloist is expected to ornament and display virtuosity c)
Groups of vocalists include ensembles (small group) and chorus (full cast – may play crowds, groups of people, etc.) d)
H.
Operas include acting, elaborate scenery, and costuming Sacred Vocal Music 1.
Chorale – hymn tune familiar to churchgoers 2.
Chorale preludes were played in order to remind congregation of the hymn tune 3.
Cantata – multi-­‐movement choral/orchestral work intended for church service a)
long, meant to reinforce the sermon b)
Included solos, choruses, organ pieces, and orchestra c)
Bach’s Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme is a key example 4.
Oratorio – multi-­‐movement choral/orchestral work intended for performance in concert halls and in churches outside the service a)
Like opera, it has a general plot line but does not include costume, scenery, or acting b)
Began in early 1600’s in small prayer halls in Italy called oratorios I.
Significant Composers 1.
Claudio Monteverdi – early Baroque a)
Bridge composer from the Renaissance – 2 periods in his career stile antico (old style) to stile moderno (modern style) b)
Wrote operas, church music, madrigals c)
Perfect storm – was in Venice, Italy when opera became wildly popular, and had the most significant church position at St. Mark’s Cathedral 2.
Henry Purcell (middle Baroque) a)
Considered greatest of English composers b)
Wrote Dido & Aeneas, his only true opera c)
Basso ostinato, or ground bass, is an orchestral feature of using a low bass pattern over which melodic material could move (used in Dido’s Lament) 3.
4.
Arcangelo Corelli – the “Red Priest” a)
String composer b)
Wrote music for girls at the Pietà for orphaned girls Johann Sebastian Bach a)
Last name became synonymous with “town musician”; fathered 20 children b)
Studied organ as a young man; became an organ virtuoso c)
Became the court organist at Weimar; was jailed after asking the Duke of Weimar to leave d)
Court conductor for the prince of Cöthen – very good job e)
Moved and took the job as cantor (music director) of for churches in Leipzig f)
Was little known outside Germany; Felix Mendelssohn revived his music in 1829, and he has been a household name since then g)
Wrote The Well-­‐Tempered Clavier – was a book intended for students to improve playing (a method book) – filled with fugues and other exercises h)
Wrote a significant amount of church music – cantatas, masses, and chorales 5.
George Frideric Handel a)
German born, died an English citizen b)
Premier opera composer – studied and work in Italy, then took his fame abroad c)
Had a court position with George Ludwig, Elector of Hanover d)
Took 2 leaves to London while working for Elector; second trip was for 47 years, and consequently the Elector became King George I e)
The new King didn’t mind his absence and doubled his salary f)
Handel became scapegoat in battle between two political parties; bankrupted his opera house and his opposition’s g)
Started his own opera company, but English middle class didn’t care for it h)
Wrote oratorios and became successful with the English public i)
Wrote Messiah, probably greatest Baroque oratorio; wrote many significant oratorios