Download doc Art of Listening Midterm Notes

Art of Listening Mid-Term Review
Texture Terms:
- Texture is the term used to refer to the blend of the various sounds and melodic
lines occurring simultaneously in music.
Monophonic:
- a musical texture involving a single melodic line, as in Gregorian Chant.
- Simplest texture
- Monophonic texture is seen is “row row row your boat”
Polyphonic:
- Musical texture in which two or more lines are sung or played simultaneously.
- In polyphony, the melodies are felt to be independent and of approximate equal
interest. The whole is more than the sum of the parts, however; the way the
melodies play off against one another makes for the possibility of greater
rick=hness and interest than if they were played singly.
- Polyphonic music automatically has harmony.
- A word often used for polyphonic texture is contrapuntal, which comes from the
word counterpoint, the technique of writing two or more melodies that fit
together.
Homophonic:
- A musical texture that involves only one melody of real interest, combines with
chords or other subsidiary sounds.
- A harmonized melody is an example of a homophonic texture, for example, one
person playing the guitar while another is singing “row row row your boat”.
Homorhythmic declamation:
Imitation:
- a polyphonic musical texture in which the various melodic lines use
approximately the same themes,
- results when the various lines sounding together use the same or fairly similar
melodies, with one coming in shortly after another.
- Non-imitative polyphony occurs when the melodies are essentially different
from one another. An example is a trumpet playing a main tune, and a trombone
and a clarinet playing melodies of their own.
Monody:
Basso Continuo:
- some early baroque music is homophonic and some is polyphonic, but both
textures are enriched by a feature unique to the period, the basso continuo.
-
The basso continuo has the double effect of clarifying harmony and of making the
texture bind or jell.
Recitative:
- a half singing, half reciting style of presenting words in opera, cantata, oratorio,
etc., following speech accents and speech rhythms closely. Secco recitative is
accompanied by orchestra.
- A technique of declaiming words musically ina heightened, theatrical manner.
There is always a musical accompaniment. The singing voice closely follows the
free rhythm of emotional speech; it mirrors and indeed exaggerates the natural ups
and downs that occur as an actor raises his or her voice at a question, lowers it in
“asides” or cries out angrily.
- Recitative was used for plot action, dialogue, and other places in the drama where
it is particularly important for the words to be brought out.
Aria:
- a vocal number for solo singer and orchestra, generally in an opera, cantata, or
oratorio.
- A set piece for solo singer tht has much more musical elaboration and coherence
than a passage of recitative. The vocal part is more melodic, and ordinarily the
accompaniment includes orchestra, not just the continuo, as in secco recitative.
Arioso:
- a singing style between recitative and aria
Genre:
Antiphon:
- a genre of plainchant usually showing a simple melodic style with very few
melismas.
Sequence:
- i) in melody, a series of fragments identical except for their placement
successively higher or lower pitch levels.
- Ii) in the middle ages, a type of plainchant in which successive phrases of text
receive nearly identical melodic treatment.
Courtly canso:
Organum:
- The earliest genre of medieval polyphonic music.
- Consists of traditional plainchant melody to which another melody has been
added in counterpart.
Motet:
- Usually a sacred composition. Early motets were based on fragments of Gregorian
chant.
- Later, motets developed into love poems or political satires for their texts.
Chanson:
- French for song; a genre of French secular vocal music.
- Simpler, gentler, and more supple form of polyphony.
Hymn setting:
- a simple, religious song in several stanzas, for congregational singing in church.
- Homophonic setting
Cyclical mass:
Madrigal:
- The main secular vocal genre of the renaissance.
- Mainly an Italian genre.
- The madrigal is a short composition set to a one-stanza poem—typically a love
poem, with rapid turnover of ideas and images.
- Sung one singer per part, in an intimate setting.
Venetian Opera:
- Opera music from Venice.
- It was described as colourful.
English “opera”/Masque:
Opera Seria:
- a term for the serious, heroic opera of the baroque period in Italy.
- Plots of opera were derived from ancient history.
- Conisted mainly of solo singing by sopranos and mezza-sopranos.
Concerto:
- a large composition for orchestra and solo instrument.
- Concerto shows off the brilliance of soloists against the power of the orchestra.
Fugue:
- a composition written systematically in imitative polyphony, usually with a single
main theme, the fugue subject.
- Uses only one theme throughout.
- Uses improvisation.
Cantata:
- a composition in several movements for solo voices, instruments, and perhaps
also a chorus. Depending on the text, cantatas are categorized as secular or church
cantatas.
- Piece of moderate length.
Form:
Through-composed:
- a song with new music for each stanza of the poem; as opposed to strophic song.
Paired versicle:
Strophic:
- a song in several stanzas, with the ame music sung for each stanza; as opposed to
through-composed.
Alternatim:
Ritornello form:
- a Baroque musical form based on recurrences of a ritornello.
- Ritornello is the name for the orchestral music that generally starts the movement
off.
- Focuses on contrast between two musical ideas, or groups of ideas—one
belonging to the orchestra and the other to the soloist.
Movement:
- a self-contained section of a larger piece, such as symphony or concerto grosso.
- Can be compared to chapters in a book
- Show variety in temp, meter, key, mood, and musical form.
Fugue:
- a composition written systematically in imitative polyphony, usually with a single
main theme, the fugue subject.
- Uses only one theme throughout.
- Uses improvisation.
Da Capo:
- Literally, “from the beginning”; a direction to the performer to repeat music from
the beginning of the piece up to a later point.
Techniques:
Melody:
- the aspect of music having to do with the succession of pitches; also applied to
any particular succession of pitches.
- In a melody, the notes seem to be holding together in a meaningful, interesting
way.
Harmony:
- having to do with chords, or the ‘vertical’ aspect of musical texture.
Rhythm:
- the aspect of music having to do with the duration of the notes in time; also
applied to any particular durational pattern.
- Refers to an actual arrangement of durations, long and short notes, in a particular
melody.
Recitation:
Hocket:
- the alteration of very short melodic phrases, or single notes, between two or more
voices.
- Fast echos between the soprano and the alto.
Isorhythm:
- in 14th century music, the technique of repeating the identical rhythm for each
section f a composition, while the pitches are altered.
Canon:
- strict imitative polyphony, with the same melody appearing in each voice, at
staggered intervals.
Text/word painting:
Ground bass:
- an ostinato in the bass.
Ostinato:
- a motive, phrase, or theme repeated over and over again.
Descending tetrachord:
-
Ornamentation:
- addition of fast notes and vocal effects to a melody, making it more florid and
expressive. Ornamentation is typically improvised in the music of all cultures, and
in Western music is often written out.
Text Setting:
Syllabic:
Melismatic:
- a passage of many notes sung to a single syllable.
People, places, things, etc.:
Liturgy:
Mode:
- in music since the renaissance, one of the two types of tonality: major mode or
minor mode.
- Word for the different tonic pitches.
Solmisation:
L’Amour courtise:
Troubador:
- aristocratic poet-musicians of the Middle Ages.
- Ex. Hildegards “columba aspexit”
Langue d’Oc:
Ars nova:
- contemporary terms for the “old technique” of 13th century organum and the new
polyphonic music of the 14th century.
Ars sublitior:
Contenence angloise:
-
Doctrine of the affections:
Vere Dignum, by Anonymous
Period: the middle ages
Genre: Gregorian chant
Formal and stylistic features: in the Dorian mode (D)
-pitch: low register, very small range of notes
-rhythm: non-metrical with a slow tempo
-melody and harmony: candences on “chorus angelorum” and
“quondam paupere”
Performing Forces: solo voice
Dynamics: loud the entire way through, very full sound
Meter: non-metrical
Texture: monophonic
In Paradisum, by Anonymous
Period: the middle ages
Genre: Gregorian antiphon plainchant
Formal and Stylistic features: in the Mixolydian mode (G)
-pitch: tenor range, larger range than other chant
-rhythm: non-metrical with slow tempo
-melody and harmony: first sentence has 4 phrases, other have 3
-each sentence divided into phrases, and last phrase has lower reciting tone
-phrases slide up to reciting tone then sink down again
Performing Forces: a cappella choir
Dynamics: loud until the end of phrase where it dies down
Meter: non-metrical
Texture: monophonic
Columba aspexit by Hildegard of Bingen
Period: the middle ages
Genre: plainchant sequence (more elaborate than antiphon)
Formal and stylistic features: in the Mixolydian mode (G)
-pitch: soprano range, high pitch, includes a drone
-rhythm: non-metrical
-melody and harmony: cadences in the mixolydian mode at the end of each part
(ie. After a, then after a 1 etc)
Performing forces: solo voice followed by choir parts with drone accompaniment
Dynamics: phrases go from loud to soft, have slight crescendos towards the end
Meter: non-metrical
Texture: monophonic
La Dousa Votz by Bernart de Ventadorn
Period: the middle ages
Genre: troubadour song
Formal and stylistic features:
-pitch: alto, large range
-rhythm/: duple meter (4/4 time) – guitar plays accented bits
-melody and harmony: strophic form, all stanzas to same melody
Performing forces: solo voice accompanied by guitar
Dynamics: soft at beginning, crescendos through the stanzas
Meter: duple meter, metrical
Texture: homophonic
Alleluia. Diffusa est gratia by Perotin
Period: the middle ages
Genre: organum
Formal and Stylistic features
-rhythm: starts off non-metrical and then moves to triple meter (6/8)
-melody and harmony: starts with Gregorian chant then goes to organum
Performing voices: a capella choir
Dynamics: ends of phrases of Gregorian chant are softer, in organum all about the same
Meter: non-metrical at first, then metrical in 6/8 time
Texture: monophonic and then polyphonic
Ave maris stella, by Dufay
Period: renaissance
Genre: hamornized hymn (short tune followed by an amen)
Formal and stylistic features: set in the Dorian (D) mode
-rhythm: tripe meter
-melody and harmony: first just one tune, then it is many different lines
Performing voices: a cappella choir (at first just men for plainchant then add women for
paraphrased part
Dynamics: plainchant is softer in general compared to paraphrased part (also lighter)
Meter: metrical, in 3/4 time
Texture: monophonic then polyphonic then back to monophonic
Pange lingua Mass, kyrie by Josquin Desperez
Period: renaissance
Genre: mass, kyrie (a simple prayer)
Formal and stylistic features:
-rhythm: in triple meter (3/2)
-melody and harmony: point of imitation, parts enter at different times with the \
same melody—the motive enters many times
-3 sections: Kyrie, Christe, Kyrie II (they have diff points of imitation)
Performing voices: a capella choir
Dynamics: loud at the beginning of the kyrie, softer the second time the motive comes in
Meter: metrical (3/2)
Texture: monophonic then polyphonic
Pange lingua Mass, Gloria by Josquin Desperez
Period: renaissance
Genre: mass, Gloria
-melody and harmony: countless new points of imitation
-first part is just like 2 people talking to God, then it turns into a communal
worship like as if they plea for mercy and relief
Performing voices: a cappella choir
Dynamics: soft at the beginning, and then when the whole choir joins in much louder and
a much fuller sound
Meter:
Texture: homophonie (because one main tune, and chords to accompany)??
Pope Marcellus Mass from the Gloria, by Palestrina
Period: renaissance
Genre: mass, Gloria
Performing forces: a cappella choir, 6 vocal parts and then a semi choir and then full
Dynamics: soft at the beginning, gradual crescendo to the end
Meter: metrical, 4/4 duple meter
Texture: homophonic
As Vesta Was from Latmos Hill Descending, by Thomas Weelkes
Period: renaissance
Genre: madrigal
Performing forces: a cappella choir, 2 soprano, alto, 2 tenor and bass
Dynamics: soft pretty much all the way through to the end
Meter: duple meter, 2/2 time
Texture: homophonic??
-clear harmonies and crisp melodic motives --- futuristic
Coronation of Poppea, Recitative, by Claudio Monteverdi
Period: early baroque
Genre: opera, recitative
Performing forces: solo soprano and then solo mezzo-soprano voice with lute as
continuo
Dynamics: soft at beginning, more forceful during exchange “tornerai” and then soft at
their goodbyes.
Meter: free rhythm
Texture: homophonic
Coronation of Poppea, Aria, by Claudio Monteverdi
Period: Early baroque
Genre: opera, aria (jubilant—like a victory dance)
Performing forces: solo soprano voice and orchestral parts (strings and recorder)
Dynamics: loud and energetic but gains sound as it becomes more lighthearted (when
she says the gods are fighting on her behlf)
-her character, manipulative, fearless is shown in this scene
Meter: metrical, triple meter, 3/4 time
Texture: homophonic
Dido and Aenaes, Act III final scene, Henry Purcell
Period: early baroque
Genre: opera, recitative/aria
Performing forces: solo soprano voice with strings accompaniment, ground bass
Dynamics: each phrase contrains soft and loud, louder near the end of the “remember
me”’s and then soft at the last.
Meter: duple meter, metrical, 3/2 time
Texture: homophonic
Chorus, by Henry Purcell
Period: early baroque
Genre: opera, chorus
Performing forces: choir with accompaniment (communal mourning)
Dynamics: mainly soft, as in mourning, louder at “keep here” and soft at “never”
Meter: metrical, 2/2 time
Texture: imitative polyphony and homophonic
Violin Concerto in G, La Stravaganza, by Vivaldi
Period: late baroque
Genre: violin concerto
Performing forces: solo violin and basic Baroque orchestra
-ritornello form
Dynamics: full loud sound with orchestra ritornello, lighter softer with soloist, louder in
solo 4 and in ritornello 4
Meter: metrical, in 3/8 time
Texture: polyphonic (or homophonic??)
Brandenburg concerto No.5, by Johann Sebastian Bach
Period: late baroque
Genre: concerto grosso, ritornello form
Performing voices: solo group (flute, violin, harpsichord) and orchestra
-harpsichord has a cadenza
Dynamics: starts off forte and when it changes dynamics mainly stays that way
Meter: metrical, duple meter, 2/2 time
Texture: polyphonic
The Art of Fugue, Contrapunctus 4, by Bach
Period: late baroque
Genre: fugue, with exposition, episodes etc
Performing voices: string quartet (usually played by harpsichord)
Dynamics: varied dynamics until the end, where the climax is louder
Meter: metrical, 2/2 time
Texture: imitative polyphony
Orchestral suite, Air, by Bach
Period: late baroque
Genre: air, (or song)
-bach puts in many sequences into the air, grows louder in sequences
-binary form
Performing voices: only strings and continuo who play a walking bass
Dyanmics: phrases have a variety of dynamics, louder when it gains intensity
Meter: metrical, duple meter, 4/4 time
Texture: homophonic??
Orchestral suite, Gavotte, by Bach
Period: late baroque
Genre: gavotte and trio ABA form
-(A (a a b b) B (c c d d) A (a b) )
-inverts the melody of a, to be the melody of b
Performing voices: the wind and brass come back, festive baroque orchestra returns
Dyanmics: when section A returns, it is louder each time
Meter: metrical, 4/4 time, duple
Texture: homophonic??
Messiah, Recitative and Chorus, by Handel (oratorio)
Period: late baroque
Genre: messiah recitative (secco and accompanied) and chorus
-the recitative is in 4 parts
-accompanied recitative reserved for dramatic moments
Performing voices: solo voice with accompaniment and then full choir with orchestra
Dynamics: recitative part mainly soft, louder near the end when the chorus is to come in,
chorus part much fuller sound, and louder.
Meter: 4/4 time, metrical during the chorus part
Texture: homophonic in accom. recitative and then polyphonic during chorus
Messiah, Hallelujah chorus, by Handel (oratorio)
Period: late baroque
Genre: messiah hallelujah chorus
Performing voices: choir and orchestra
Dynamics: loud the entire way through
Meter: metrical, 4/4 time, duple meter
Texture: monophonic (King of Kings) , homophonic (opening)
Pitch: rate of sound vibration (high or low)
-long vibrations are low pitches, short vibrations are high pitches