Understanding Music: Exam II Review (Chapters 6-14)

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the key terms, composers, musical forms, genres, and required listening works from Chapters 6-14 of Olsson's Understanding Music (Exam II).

Doctrine of Affections

A Baroque musical concept from Chapter 6 concerning the expression of specific emotional states in music.

Monody

A solo vocal style with instrumental accompaniment introduced in Chapter 6 Baroque music.

Basso continuo

A continuous bass accompaniment practice characteristic of Baroque music, associated with figured bass in Chapter 6.

Figured bass

A Baroque system of musical notation using numbers below the bass line to guide harmonic accompaniment in basso continuo (Chapter 6).

Terraced dynamics

A dynamic practice characteristic of Baroque music featuring abrupt shifts between loud and soft volume levels (Chapter 6).

Libretto

The text or script of an opera or other large vocal work (Chapter 6).

Recitative

A speech-like vocal style in opera covered in Chapter 6, divided into simple/secco and accompangato styles.

Simple/secco

A 'dry' recitative style accompanied only by basso continuo, contrasted with recitative accompangato (Chapter 6).

Accompangato

A recitative style accompanied by the full orchestra, contrasted with simple/secco recitative (Chapter 6).

Monteverdi

The Italian Baroque composer highlighted in Chapter 6 for his landmark early opera Orfeo.

Orfeo

An early Baroque opera composed by Claudio Monteverdi, featured in Chapter 6.

Purcell

The English Baroque composer featured in Chapter 6 for his opera Dido & Aeneas and his use of ground bass.

Dido & Aeneas

A Baroque opera by Henry Purcell that incorporates a famous ground bass aria (Chapter 6).

Ground bass

A basso ostinato repeating bass line technique prominently associated with Purcell's Dido & Aeneas (Chapter 6).

Basso ostinato

A continuous repeating bass pattern or motif throughout a composition (Chapter 6).

French overture

An instrumental form consisting of contrasting sections, studied under Chapter 7 Baroque instrumental music.

Concerto grosso

A Baroque concerto type in Chapter 7 that contrasts a large group (tutti) with a small group of soloists (concertino).

Tutti

The full orchestra or ensemble in a concerto grosso, contrasted with the solo concertino (Chapter 7).

Concertino

The small group of solo instruments featured in a concerto grosso, contrasted with the tutti (Chapter 7).

Vivaldi

The Baroque composer covered in Chapter 7, famous for The Seasons and the Violin Concerto “Spring”.

The Seasons

A set of program concertos composed by Antonio Vivaldi, studied in Chapter 7.

Bach

The master Baroque composer studied in Chapter 8 for his fugues, church cantatas, chorales, and “Little” Fugue in g minor.

Fugue

A contrapuntal composition studied in Chapter 8 based on a central subject and featuring expositions, episodes, pedal points, and cadenzas.

Subject

The primary melodic theme of a fugue, stated at the beginning during the exposition (Chapter 8).

Episodes

Transitional passages in a fugue that occur between entries of the subject (Chapter 8).

Pedal point

A sustained or repeated bass note held while harmonies change above it, featured in Chapter 8 fugues.

Church cantata

A multi-movement sacred vocal work for Lutheran worship associated with J.S. Bach and incorporating chorales (Chapter 8).

Handel

The German-born Baroque composer covered in Chapter 9, associated with dance suites, oratorios, opera seria, and anthems.

Dance suite

A collection of stylized instrumental dances composed during the Baroque period, featured with Handel in Chapter 9.

Oratorio

A large-scale dramatic musical composition for chorus, soloists, and orchestra on a sacred topic, without staging or costumes (Chapter 9).

Opera seria

Serious, heroic, or tragic Italian opera of the 18th century, associated with Handel in Chapter 9.

Enlightenment

The 18th-century intellectual and cultural movement that shaped the philosophy, public concerts, and musical ideals of the Classical era (Chapter 10).

Opera buffa/comic opera

An Italian genre of comic opera featuring everyday characters and humor, introduced in Chapter 10 of the Classical period.

Viennese School

The Classical era musical circle of major composers centered in Vienna, covered in Chapter 10.

Alberti Bass

A broken-chord accompaniment figure commonly used in Classical piano music, studied under Chapter 10 melodic style.

Antecedent phrases

The opening, 'questioning' phrase in a Classical balanced phrase pair, answered by a consequent phrase (Chapter 11).

Consequent phrases

The resolving, 'answering' phrase in a Classical balanced phrase pair that completes an antecedent phrase (Chapter 11).

Sonata-Allegro form

A major multi-part musical form outlined in Chapter 11 consisting of an exposition, development, recapitulation, bridge/transition, and coda.

Exposition

The opening section of Sonata-Allegro form in Chapter 11 where the primary themes and tonal contrast are first introduced.

Development

The central section of Sonata-Allegro form in Chapter 11 where themes from the exposition are explored, modulated, and varied.

Recapitulation

The third section of Sonata-Allegro form in Chapter 11 in which the exposition themes return, resolved in the tonic key.

Coda

A concluding musical section or tail added to the end of a movement or form to bring it to a definitive close (Chapter 11).

Minuet & Trio

A moderate triple-meter dance movement in ternary form (A-B-A) standard in Classical multi-movement works (Chapter 11).

Theme & Variations

A musical form covered in Chapter 12 where an initial musical idea is stated and then altered in successive versions.

Rondo

A Classical musical form covered in Chapter 12 featuring a recurring refrain alternating with contrasting episodes (e.g., A-B-A-C-A).

Sinfonia

An Italian instrumental overture or piece that served as an essential historical precursor to the Classical symphony (Chapter 13).

Köchel

The chronological catalog numbering system (designated by 'K.') used to identify the musical works of Mozart (Chapter 13).

String quartet

A premier Classical chamber music ensemble and genre composed for two violins, viola, and cello, featured in Chapter 13.

Singspiel

A German genre of opera that incorporates spoken dialogue interspersed with musical numbers, covered in Chapter 14.

Patter song/aria

A rapid, syllabic vocal delivery style typical of comic opera used to produce humorous effects (Chapter 14).

da Ponte

The famous opera librettist who collaborated with Mozart on comic masterpieces, studied in Chapter 14.