music gcse- styles and vocal music key vocab

SATB

soprano/alto/tenor/bass

solo

one part takes focus

duet

two equally important parts play together

trio

three instruments/voices that are equally important

chorus

the choir singing together

aria

classical style song (usually in opera/oratorio)

oratorio

setting of biblical/sacred texts, translated to English which can be presented in concert hall/church

syllabic

vocal melody line in which each syllable is set to one note only

melismatic

vocal melody line in which many notes are used for one sustained syllable

baroque key facts

• Bach/ Handel

• about 1685-1750 (Bach’s death)

• ornate, harpsichord, small ensemble

classical key facts

• Mozart/ Haydn/ Beethoven

• about 1750-1820

• piano/symphonic development

• melody dominated homophony/clear melody, often triadic harmony

romantic key facts

• Chopin/ Brahms/ Tchaikovsky

• about 1820-1900

• dramatic, strong contrast in moods and dynamics

• large scale orchestral works + small piano miniatures

• chromatic melodies and extended chords

minimalism key facts

• 20th century

• repeated loops/ostinatos

• phase shifting/additive and subtractive melodic notes/metamorphosis

expressionism key facts

• 20th century

• extreme personal inner human experience expressed in an artistic form

jazz key features

• relaxed

• extended chords

• improvised

• swing rhythm

• can be modally based harmony/blues scale based

blues key features

similar to jazz, based on blues scale and blues chord patterns

fusion key features

combination of musical styles and production, eg folk music + studio production techniques/ two or more cultural styles

Indian key features

particular style of music from India, based on ‘ragas’ and ‘talas’

folk key features

• quite often modal (dorian, aeolian etc)

• violin and penny whistle- instruments that are accessible to communities