Music Vocabulary Week 1

Vocabulary: WEEK 1: 1. A melodic line that moves by small intervals is called: - Conjunct 2. The term referring to the overall shape of a melody is called: - Contour 3. The basic unit of rhythm is the: - Beat 4. The element that propels music forward in time is: - Rhythm 5. In plainchant from the Middle Ages, if there are many notes per syllable, the style is called - Melismatic 6. The musical attributes of plainchant include all the following: - Monophonic texture - Free-flowing vocal lone - Sung a cappella - Not in a major key 7. Composers from the CATHEDRAL OF NOTRE DAME in Paris were at the forefront of musical composition 8. The earliest polyphonic music is called: Organum 9. Who was the driving force behind the collection and standardization of chants in the Medieval era? - Pope Gregory 10. Which answers apply to troubadours? - They generally sing a cappella or accompanied by a stringed instrument - They often sing songs on the topic of courtly love - They were high-ranking musicians - The DID NOT travel and perform for many courts 11. MONOPHONY is a type of musical texture that consists of a single melody lone with no harmony or accompaniment. 12. POLYPHONY is a type of musical texture that consist of two or more melodic lines occurring simultaneously. 13. HOMOPHONY occurs when one melodic voice is prominent over the accompanying harmony. 14. The School of Notre Dame was known for: Rhythmic notation 15. Describe the concept of courtly love that was often used in troubadour songs. Who were the main characters and what was their standing in society? - The concept of courtly love that was often used in troubadour songs are usually about sexual desire of a man for a woman but not the desire of sex itself. The main character would be the person singing which would be the troubadour who would be of lower status and works for a higher status person and a wife or a women of the person they worked for who is a higher status, and he sings about their love or his love for her. 16. A homorhythmic texture is one in which all of the lines move in the same rhythm. 17. A texture in which all words are clearly sung together in the same rhythm is called: Homorhythm 18. In Western music, an octave is divided into twelve half steps. 19. The distance between the first and last note of a scale is called an octave, Most Western music is based on major or minor scales., 20. Melody is the horizontal dimension in music, while harmony adds vertical perspective. 21. TONIC is the first and central note of a scale.Each note of a scale has a special name, called a scale degree. The first (and last) note is called the tonic. The fifth note is called the dominant. The fourth note is called the subdominant. 22. . The principle of organization around a central note is called TONALITY. 23. SCALE describes a collection of pitches arranged in ascending and descending order. 24. CHORD is produced by three or more tones sounded together. 25. DISSONANT describes a combination of tones that sounds discordant or in need of resolution. 26. THE TRIAD consists of THREE pitches built on ALTERNATE notes of the scale and is the most common type CHORD in Western music. 27. Composers use the WORD-PAINTING technique to emphasize the meaning of the text through music. 28. Secular music is often sung in the language of the people singing it. 29. VERNACULAR refers to the language of the people. 30. SYLLABIC is a sing in which each syllable of text receives one note. Week 4: 1. Handel found great success living and working in: - London, England 2. How is the oratorio similar to opera? - They both feature arias, recitatives, and choruses Fugue; contrapuntal composition in which a single theme pervades the entire fabric, entering in one voice (or instrumental line) and then in another. - Countersubject- a different theme heard against the subject or new material Organ and harpsichord were the main keyboard instrument of the Baroque era Genre Examples from Class Plainchant (“Gregorian” chant) Hildegard von Bingen: Alleluia, O virga mediatrix Troubadour song Bernart de Ventadorn: “Can vei la lauzeta” Instrumentation voices Texture and/or Form Country of Origin Sacred Historical Context / Secular sacred Medieval Early known composer Monophony (melismatic) Germany Monophony/ homophonic France secular Medieval Courtly love The composers from Notre Dame were at the forefront of musical composition, earliest polyphonic music is called organum, known for their rhythmic notation, rhythmic modes Renaissance, reformation, protestant church Voice (instrument) Organum Notre Dame School: Gaude Maria virgo voices Polyphony with some monophony Paris, France sacred Chorale Luther: “A Mighty Fortress is our God” voices Homophony; Homo-rhythmic Germany sacred Motet- Josquin: Ave Voices Polyphony Franco- Sacred Renaissance sacred vocal piece Maria A cappella (imitative points) with homophony Flemish (work in Italy) Mass (ordinary) Palestrina: “Gloria” from Pope Marcellus Mass Voices A cappella Polyphony(clearer) With some homophony Italy Sacred Renaissance CounterReformation Song Strozzi: Amor dormiglione Voice Instrument Homophony De Capo Aria (ABAB) (Monody)- a voice a compony by instrument Italy Secular French Overture Lully: Overture from Armide Orchestra No voices France secular Baroque ballet Ballet de la Nuit N/A at the court of King Louis XIV (multiple composers) - Sun King Homophony Form: French Overture 1.---slow (doubledotted rhythm) 2.--- Fast (fugue) (polyphonic) N/A Baroque Academies(male) Love Basso Continuocombo of bass line combination with string instrument Baroque Opera often paired with ballet France secular Baroque Political power of music/dance Opera seria Handel: Guilio Cesare Da Capo Aria: ABA German, writing Itallian Opera, and Worked in England Germany Secular Baroque Opera: alternates Recitative & Aria Oratorio: like opera but no stages, custumes, religious themes secular Baroque Learned vs Galant Learned- complex Galant- fugue more elegant Italy Secular Voices orchestra Second A to show off skill Fugue Concerto Bach: Contrapunctus I from The Art of Fugue Keyboard: Organ Harpsichord Vivaldi: “Spring” From the Four Seasons Solo w/ Orchestra Fugue: Polyphonic Imitative; subject answer Ritornello Form Points of imitation Baroque Opera buffa Pergolesi: La serva Padrona Homophony Vocal/ Orchestra Erlking, Franx Schubert romantic era 4 character; narrator, dad, boy, erl king Genre: Lied or an art song Beethoven S symphony Romantic era Sonata form; exposition form Short short short long into cyclical all four movement of recurring theme The rite of spring, Igor Stravinsky Primitivism Riot and things thorn on the stage Modern era Palestrina , allegri Misserere Renaissance era Accapella Polyphonic Counter Reformation Amor dominglion Barbara strozzi Baroque era De capo aria, Would perform at the male academy Basso Continuum Debussy, afternoon of a Faun Symbolism Programatic Romanticism- Modern era Gotterdammerung final, Wagner Romantic era Genre: Leitmotifs, Focused on alliteration, used Gesamtkenstwerk- all medium are equal Eliminates: aria and recitative structures Brahms; symphony no.1 fourth movement Romantic era Absolute music Combined development and recapitulation Italy Secular Baroque Comedic opera Intermezzi/o