Humanities music mid-term

Dynamics

How loud or soft the music is.

rhythm

organization of music through time

Beat

study pace

meter 

how beats are grouped

Art Song (German Lied)

A song for voice and piano, often set to a poem

Melody

main tune of a song

Opera

A staged drama set to music with singers and orchestra.

Program Music

Instrumental music that tells a story or paints a picture.

Harmony (tonic)

The combination of DIFFERENT notes played together; the tonic is the "home" note or chord.

Aria

A solo song in an opera that expresses emotion.

Absolute Music

Music with no story or extra meaning—just music for its own sake.

Color/Timbre (bright/dark)

characteristics/quality of a sound

Symphony

A large work for orchestra

Program Symphony

A symphony that tells a story or describes a scene.

Texture

how the melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic layers of a piece of music are combined to create its overall sound quality

Monophony: One melody

no accompaniment.

Polyphony: Two or more melodies at once.

Imitative: Melodies echo each other.

Homophony

One main melody with choral accompaniment.

Music Drama (Wagner)

Wagner’s type of opera where music and drama are fully blended without breaks.