Music History midterm

Neumes

Early notation symbols indicating pitch direction but not exact pitch.

Guidonian Hand

Created by Guido of Arezzo for teaching pitch.

Monophonic

Music consisting of a single melodic line without accompaniment.

Ordinary of the Mass

Fixed texts of the Mass, including Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei.

Polyphony

Music that combines two or more independent melodic lines.

Isorhythm

Repetition of rhythmic patterns in the tenor voice.

Humanism

Focus on human emotion and expression in music during the Renaissance.

Contrafactum

New religious texts set to existing melodies, popularized by Martin Luther.

Doctrine of Affections

The Baroque principle that music should express specific emotions.

Trio Sonata

A musical composition for two melody instruments and basso continuo.

Recitative

Speech-like singing in opera that typically conveys dialogue.

Madrigal

Expressive secular vocal music that often features text painting.

Basso Continuo

A continuous bass line that provides harmonic structure, used in Baroque music.

Art of Fugue

A masterpiece by Johann Sebastian Bach focusing on contrapuntal technique.

Imitative Counterpoint

A style where voices echo each other, characteristic of the Franco-Flemish style.