Download General Music Notes – Music History

General Music Notes – Music History
The Medieval Period (1100- 1450)
Terminology:
 Chant – (also known as plainsong) a type of singing, with a simple, unaccompanied melody line; sacred
music
 Motet – Medieval or Renaissance vocal music with two or more simultaneous melody lines. Sometimes
chant melodies were used in motets, although motets are secular music.
 Sacred – pertaining to the church or “heavenly”
 Secular – pertaining to the “worldly” (non-church)
 Chant was used by the Catholic Church to convey biblical text during services. It was performed in Latin, and
usually followed the rhythm of the words (no steady beat). Chant was popular from 700-1500 (about 800
years!)
 The church was very powerful during this time period. Monks, nuns, & priests were some of the only educated
people during the Medieval period. That is why church chant is one of the only surviving written forms of
music from the Medieval period.
 Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) – a German nun who was known for her intellectual and musical pursuits.
She was one of the few composers of chant whose music still survives.
 Different types of chant have been used in many cultures or religions throughout history, for example, Native
American, Buddhist, or Muslim
The Renaissance Period 1450-1600
Terminology:
 Consort – a Renaissance band
 Renaissance means “Rebirth”.
 People of the time focused on intellectual pursuits
 The Arts searched for realism and human emotion
 The Printing press was invented in 1439 (this allowed music to be printed instead of handwritten by monks)
 Composers began to use harmony in 3 or 4 voice parts
 Popular music: love songs or dances
 Some instruments of the Renaissance Period: shawm, dulcian, viol, recorder, lute, cornetto, crumhorn, and
sackbut
The Baroque Period 1600-1750
Terminology:
 Ornamentation – The addition of decorations, or embellishments, to the basic structure of the work.
 Basso continuo – the bass line and continuous harmony in Baroque music, usually performed by cello
and harpsichord
 Concerto – a composition for orchestra and one or more solo instruments
 Gigue – the French word for “jig,” it is a quick, lively dance style from the Renaissance and Baroque
eras.
 One of the most important techniques of the Baroque period is ornamentation – music was highly decorated
during this time period.
 Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) – Baroque composer whose patrons (employers) were the church and
royalty
 Some Baroque instruments: Harpsichord, Recorder, Baroque Oboe, Baroque Trumpet, Violin, Cello
The Classical Period 1750- 1830
Terminology:
 Symphony – a large work for orchestra, made up of four movements, which became standard in the
Classical period.
 Sonata – instrumental music for a soloist, who is usually accompanied by a keyboard. Sonatas usually
have 3 movements
 Chamber music – music written for a small group, often having only one voice or instrument per part and
no conductor
 String quartet – a chamber group made up of two violins, one viola and one cello
 Overall characteristics of the Classical Period: balance, symmetry, control, order, and simplicity
 Inspired by ancient Greece & Rome
(Classical period, continued…)
 Franz Josef Haydn (1732-1809)
• Austrian music teacher, violinist, composer
• Employed by the Esterhazy family for nearly 30 years
• Became famous and well respected all over Europe
 Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)
• Known for his emotional intensity, drama, being revolutionary
• Broke tradition by using a motive (a rhythmic or melodic fragment upon which a complex musical structure
is built)
• Broke with the traditional patronage system
• Composed and conducted even after losing his hearing
• Used strong emotions and moods in his music (breaking away from Classical period ideas)
• Added instruments to create a larger symphony orchestra
• Used chorus as part of a symphony (never done before)
The Romantic Period (1830-1900)
Terminology:
 Art song – a type of expressive vocal music, usually based on poetry
 Lied (Lieder – pl) – German Romantic period art songs
 Recital – a performance featuring a soloist or small group of players or dancers
 Virtuoso – a person who excels at performing on a musical instrument
 Double stops & triple stops – the playing of two or three notes at the same time with the bow or fingers
on a string instrument
 Etude – study piece
 Cast – the entire group of performers in an opera or other show
 Role – a part played by a singer or actor in an opera or show
 Diva – a world-class female opera singer
 Aria – a song for solo voice and accompaniment in an opera, it usually expresses emotion
 Recitative – music that moves the plot along in an opera (uses a limited range of pitches)
 Nationalism – a musical style from the 1800’s which used folk materials (songs, dances, or stories) of a
particular country
 Program music – music that suggests or describes a nonmusical idea
 Symphonic poem – an orchestral work based on a story or poem
 Romantic period art songs were meant to be performed at intimate recitals, usually in someone’s home.
 Franz Schubert (1797- 1828)
• Started writing Lieder at the age of 17
• Wrote over 600 Lieder before he died at age 31
 Romantic Period Virtuosi
• Niccolo Paganini (1782- 1840) –violin
• Frederic Chopin (1810 – 1849) - piano
• Franz Liszt (1811-1886) - piano
 Opera singers need to be able to sing loudly enough to fill a large concert hall while also acting, dancing, and
performing stunts on stage.
 Operas are very dramatic with many twists and turns of plot
 Multiple characters can sing different ideas at the same time in an opera
 Nationalism: Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884) was a nationalist composer from Czechoslovakia (he composed “The
Moldau” based on a river in his homeland)
 Countries with strong Nationalism during this time were England, France, Russia, the United States, and countries
of Eastern Europe.
Impressionism (France, 1880-1920)
 Impressionism – using a variety of composing techniques (ie: vague harmony & rhythm) to create musical
impressions of moods, places, or nature.
 Famous Impressionist Composer: Claude Debussy (1862-1918)