Music History Unit 1 Test

What is history fundamentally shaped by?

Perspective, civilizations, and worldviews.

Which ancient civilizations are foundational to Western music and culture?

Ancient Greece and Rome.

What religious tradition heavily influences Western music history?

Judeo-Christian tradition.

Why is general biblical literacy important in music history?

It helps us understand the religious context of church music.

What Enlightenment and Renaissance values influenced Western music?

Humanism, books, reason.

How did American power influence music and thought globally?

The U.S. shaped how people in the West understand the world, especially during its time as the only global superpower.

How was music used in ancient Corinth for healing?

Music was used to promote healing, and people sacrificed symbolic body parts as offerings.

What did Paul’s metaphor of the body mean to the Corinthians?

It related to their belief in healing different body parts, making the metaphor spiritually and culturally meaningful.

What were the roles of musicians in antiquity?

They were record keepers and performed for worship, weddings, celebrations, and games.

What are two ways we know about ancient music?

Written accounts and physical artifacts/images.

Which philosophers believed music could shape ethos?

Plato and Socrates.

Why were Plato and Socrates concerned about changes in music?

They believed music shapes emotions and values, and changes in music could lead to changes in behavior.

How was music integrated into ancient Greek life?

Music was embedded in all areas of life: education, philosophy, medicine, and morality.

What is the Epitaph of Seikilos?

The oldest complete piece of music we have, found in Turkey from the 1st century C.E.

What is the Seikilos Stele?

A stone with poetry and musical notation showing lyrical poetry in ancient music.

What mode is the Epitaph of Seikilos written in?

Mixolydian mode.

What is prosody in music?

The natural flow of speech that aligns with musical rhythm and melody.

When was the Medieval period in music?

Between Classical Antiquity and the Renaissance.

What is Gregorian Chant also known as?

Plain Song or Chant.

List features of Gregorian Chant.

Monophonic, unison, no instruments, Latin, rhythm from text, call-and-response.

Why was Latin important in Gregorian Chant?

It created an international language for worship.

What are the two main parts of the Mass?

The Proper and the Ordinary.

What are the five parts of the Mass Ordinary?

Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei.

Who was Gregory the Great?

Pope associated with Gregorian chant; legend says the Holy Spirit gave him chants in the form of a dove.

What is an anachronism in chant history?

Attributing all chant to Gregory the Great when it likely developed over time.

What did Charlemagne do for chant?

Standardized chant to unify his empire.

What are neumes?

Early notation symbols used before modern notes.

Who was Guido of Arezzo?

A theorist who invented solfege and the Guidonian hand for sight-singing.

What is the Guidonian Hand?

A method using hand positions to teach pitches and sight-singing.

Who was Hildegard of Bingen?

A composer, mystic, and polymath from Germany known for visionary music and writings.

What is musical glossing?

Decorating or beautifying existing chants with added rhythm or notes.

Who was Leonin?

A composer known for early organum using slow chant with faster decorative lines.

What was the Notre Dame School?

A group of composers (like Leonin and Perotin) centered at Notre Dame who developed early polyphony.

Who was Perotin?

Expanded on Leonin's organum with more rhythmic and harmonic complexity.

What events impacted music in the 1300s?

Hundred Years War, two popes, Black Plague.

Who was Dante?

Florentine author of The Divine Comedy, including Inferno.

What is mensural notation?

Notation that allows for precise rhythmic values and syncopation.

What is hocketing?

A technique where two voices alternate notes in a hiccup-like, syncopated way.

What is isorhythm?

A technique using repeating rhythmic and pitch patterns separately but simultaneously.

What does "Renaissance" mean?

Rebirth – a cultural shift toward humanism and beauty.

How did Renaissance thinking differ from Medieval?

Focused on human potential and beauty rather than divine mystery.

Who were two major early Renaissance composers?

John Dunstable and Josquin Desprez.

What is imitative counterpoint?

A technique where musical lines imitate each other, creating depth and texture.

What is text painting?

When music reflects the literal meaning of the text (e.g., upward scales for “rising”).

What are features of the Italian madrigal?

Expressive chromaticism, vivid text painting, emotional intensity, few constraints.

What role did Martin Luther play in music history?

Started the Reformation, wrote strophic chorales in vernacular, promoted accessible church music.

What is a strophic chorale?

A hymn where each verse uses the same melody (like “Amazing Grace”).

What musical practice did John Calvin promote?

Metrical psalmody – simplified congregational singing of psalms.

What issues did the Council of Trent raise about music?

Secular tunes, unclear polyphony, irreverent musicians, too much instrumental use.

Who was Palestrina and what did he do?

Renaissance composer who (according to legend) saved polyphony with his clear-texted Pope Marcellus Mass.

What musical development occurred in 1598?

Printing of music began to resemble modern notation.

3 Major events in the 14th century

The Black Death (plague), the Hundred Years War, Papal Schism

Who do we attribute syncopation to?

Machaut