Music Midterm 2.1

Britten, Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra

Form: theme and variations

4 orchestra families

strings, percussion, brass, woodwinds

Hildegard of Bingen, Alleluia virga mediatrix

Liturgy, Mass and Divine Office, Melisma

LITURGY

Set readings for the church year

MASS AND DIVINE OFFICE

Main divisions of Catholic liturgy

MELISMA

Many notes sung to a single text syllable

Notre Dame School, Gaude Maria

Texture: 1) Cantus Firmus

2) Organum

Josquin, Ave Maria; Farmer, Fair Phyllis

Renaissance, Point of Imitation, A cappella, Madrigal, Text-painting

RENAISSANCE

A movement during the 15th and 16th centuries that aimed at the rebirth of ancient Greek and Roman culture

POINT OF IMITATION

The standard technique of Renaissance polyphony, in which each voice takes turns stating a motive

A CAPPELLA

Voices without instruments

MADRIGAL

A secular piece for solo voices

TEXT-PAINTING

Music that depicts images in a text

Purcell, Dido and Aeneas

Libretto, Recitative, Aria, Dramatic function of recitative, Dramatic function of aria, Basso continuo, Ground bass

LIBRETTO

the text (lyrics) of an opera

RECITATIVE

speech-like song, which advances the plot

ARIA

an elaborate musical piece, which expresses the character's emotions

DRAMATIC FUNCTION OF RECITATIVE

to move the plot forward

DRAMATIC FUNCTION OF ARIA

to express emotion and reflect on the plot

BASSO CONTINUO

a continuous bass line with improvised chords

GROUND BASS

a bass line that keeps repeating throughout an aria (famously in "When I am laid in earth" from Dido and Aeneas)

Vivaldi, Spring Concerto

Tonic, Dominant, Triad, I, V, Key, Modulation, Movement, Concerto, Ritornello, Ritornello Form

TONIC

the first note of the scale (1)

DOMINANT

the fifth note of the scale (5)

TRIAD

a chord with three notes, the basic unit of tonal harmony

I , V

triads built on the tonic (1) and dominant (5)

KEY

the pitch of the tonic

MODULATION

moving between keys

MOVEMENT

a section of a larger work with a clear beginning and end

CONCERTO

a work for solo instrument(s) and orchestra, usually in three movements

RITORNELLO

an orchestral section that frames the solo sections

RITORNELLO FORM

alternation of the orchestral ritornello with solo sections, in which the solo sections modulate to different keys

Bach, Wachet auf!

The Cantata in Lutheran Liturgy, Cantata, Chorale, Bar form (AAB), Chorale Cantata

4 formal schemes in the opening movement:

1) Ritornello

2) Cantus firmus

3) Points of imitation

4) Bar form

THE CANTATA IN LUTHERAN LITURGY

came before the sermon, like a musical sermon

CANTATA

a work for voices and orchestra, usually religious

CHORALE

a Lutheran hymn

BAR FORM (AAB)

the typical form of the Lutheran chorale

CHORALE CANTATA

a cantata built around a single chorale

Ritornello

ensemble-solo alternation, with modulations

Cantus firmus

chorale in slow notes in soprano

Points of imitation

alto, tenor, and bass take turns stating a motive underneath the cantus firmus

Bar form

AAB form of the chorale

Handel, Messiah

Opera seria, Coloratura, Castrato, Da capo aria, Oratorio

OPERA SERIA

serious heroic opera of the 18th century

COLORATURA

ornamental melismas to show off the voice

CASTRATO

a male singer with a female voice, the hero in opera seria

DA CAPO ARIA

the standard form in opera seria, ABA

ORATORIO

a (usually) sacred work for orchestra, chorus, and soloists

Mozart, Eine kleine Nachtmusik; Haydn, "Surprise" Symphony; Haydn, "Joke" Quartet

Enlightenment, Galant style, Minuet, Binary form, Sonata form, Medial Caesura, Symphony, String quartet, Sonata, Rondo

ENLIGHTENMENT

an 18th-century movement that aimed to extend science and reason to every aspect of human life and culture

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE GALANT STYLE

*Homophony

*Pleasure

*Periodicity (balanced phrases)

*Tonal drama between I and V

MINUET

most noble dance of 18th century, in triple meter

BINARY FORM

two halves, first half modulates from I to V, second half stays in I

SONATA FORM

expanded binary form with two key areas

1) EXPOSITION: first theme in I, second theme in V.

2) DEVELOPMENT: free section, develops ideas from the exposition.

3) RECAPITULATION: a repeat of the exposition, except both themes stay in I.

MEDIAL CAESURA

the break in the middle of the exposition that signals the arrival of the new theme/key

SYMPHONY

an orchestral work in four movements—fast (sonata form), slow, minuet and trio, fast

STRING QUARTET

work for two violins, viola, and cello, with same order of movements as symphony

SONATA

work for a solo instrument with three or four movements

RONDO

form with a returning theme and contrasting episodes (ABACA)

Mozart, Don Giovanni

Opera seria, Opera buffa, Dramatic role of recitative, Mozart's reform of opera, Dramatic expression in "La ci darem la mano"

OPERA BUFFA

comic opera with everyday characters and social mobility

MOZART'S REFORM OF OPERA

broke down distinction between recitative and aria, bringing the action into the "static" musical numbers

DRAMATIC EXPRESSION IN "LÀ CI DAREM LA MANO"

know at least two techniques Mozart uses to portray the seduction of Zerlina

recitative ends with indecision, flows into duet

start with theme, 8 bar to 8 bar

then starts answering quicker

zerlinas melody is like a wave form to reflect her wavering

Beethoven, Fifth Symphony

Symphonic cycle, Cyclic elements in Beethoven's fifth, French revolution

SYMPHONIC CYCLE

a symphony whose four movements form a single narrative arc

CYCLIC ELEMENTS IN BEETHOVEN'S FIFTH

1) Common motive (short-short-short-long!)

2) C minor vs. C major

3) No break between the last two movements

4) Third movement returns in the last movement

FRENCH REVOLUTION

1789 event that influenced Beethoven

Schubert, Elfking; Schumann, A Poet's Love

Concerns of the romantics, Lied, Text expression in "The Elfking"

CONCERNS OF THE ROMANTICS

*Nature

*The Folk

*Emotion

*Religion

*Middle Ages

*The individual

LIED

German art song for solo voice and piano

TEXT EXPRESSION IN "THE ELFKING"

galloping triplets on piano - horse

sung in changing registers - different characters

loud chord at the end - death of the child

Berlioz, Symphonie fantastique

Absolute music, Program music, Orchestration

ABSOLUTE MUSIC

pure instrumental music, like symphonies, sonatas, concertos

PROGRAM MUSIC

instrumental music with an accompanying verbal description (the program)

ORCHESTRATION

the art of choosing and combining instruments

Chopin, "Revolutionary" Etude; Hensel, September

Character piece, Character set, Mazurka, Rubato

CHARACTER PIECE

a short piano piece with a defined character

CHARACTER SET

a collection of piano character pieces with a common theme or plot

MAZURKA

common Polish national dance

RUBATO

slowing or speeding up the tempo expressively

Cantus Firmus

a chant melody sung very slowly in the lowest voice

Organum

faster new melody added above the cantus firmus