Western Tonal Final

Articulation

The way a note is approached and departed from. Staccato is short sounding notes vs legato which is long sounding notes. Each note is approached in a different way, each sounding unique.

Dynamics

Levels of loudness, softness, or intensity. Forte vs piano. Each has a different level of sound intensity. Forte sounding loud and piano softer.

Texture

The way voices in a piece relate or interact with each other. Ex. Antiphony where two or more groups of voices alternate back and forth.

Form

The shape or structure of a composition or movement. Ex. binary, ABAB. Alternating between an A section and a B section, which is how the piece is organized.

Meter

The organization of beats within a measure. Simple quadruple meter has four beats per measure.

Tempo

The speed or pace of a piece. Allegro vs Largo. Allegro is fast paced while largo is slow.

Rhythm

The organization of different note lengths withing a measure. Quarter notes vs eighth notes. Each note lasts a different amount of time, and when organized in different ways creates different rhythms

Harmony

Organization of pitches in a piece. Dissonance and consonance. A dissonant harmony is one that creates tension or seems to clash while a consonant one flows smoothly and sounds nice

Range

The distance from the lowest and highest note on an instrument, voice, or piece. Soprano alto tenor and bass each have different ranges. Soprano having a high range and bass having a low range.

Style

Different characteristics a composer uses in their piece that give it a specific feel. Ex. Haydns music sounds the way it does because style characteristics like use of silence, humor, and rhythmic motives.

Genre

Type or category of a musical composition based on performing forces. An orchestral genre which is determined by the instrumentation being an orchestra

Performing Forces

Instruments or voices being used in a piece. Symphony performing forces include strings winds and percussion

Function

The purpose of a piece of music. Church chamber and theater. Each of these is a different purpose for music.

Baroque Years

1600-1750

Classical Years

1730-1815ish

Romantic Years

1800-1900ish

Baroque Philosophy

Doctrine of affections

Classical Philosophy

The enlightenment

Romantic Philosophy

Many, nationalism, existentialism, nihilism, idealism.

Baroque philosophy description

Music could evoke different emotions in listeners. Emotional health tied to physical health, art could address issues of health.

Classical philosophy description

Central ideas include reason, logic, practical morality, independent thinking, and pursuit of knowledge.

Romantic philosophy description

Emphasized emotional expression and individuality. Contrasting with the enlightenment ideas.

How did the baroque philosophy influence music

Composers began to express emotions through music. Composers used different elements like key signatures to portray a different emotion. Each piece represented a single emotion.

How did the classical philosophy influence music

The enlightenment made music more accessible. They shifted from ornamentation to expression. Secular music began rising. Classical music was very clear structured and melodic clarity, focusing on balance and symmetry.

How did the romantic philosophy influence music

Romantic music began using multiple affections. They had more individualism. Everything was more extreme like dynamics. Personal emotion and storytelling became common, with programmatic music

Style characteristics of baroque

Equal temperament, ornamentation, idiomatic writing, affections, stile antico, stile moderno, treble-bass polarity

Style characteristics of classical

Periodicity, galant, empfindsam, learned, sturm und drang, hunting, humor, brilliant style

Style characteristics of romantic

Intense emotional expression, expanded instrumentation, emphasis of individuality and storytelling.

Legacies of Monteverdi

Transition between renaissance and baroque second practice style influences the rest of baroque, first successful opera L’Orfeo, big orchestral lots of color, used greek tragedy, great storytelling, variety of ensembles, pacing of recitative and aria, text painting and emotionalism

Legacy of Bach

Goat, new levels of virtuosity, perfection of fugue, influence on late mozart, well tempered clavier, brandenburg concertos.

Legacy of Haydn

Architect of mature classical style, development of sonata, rondo, and hybrid forms, development of symphony and string quartet genres, teacher to beethoven, influence on mozart.

Legacy of Mozart

Inspiration for beethoven, most groundbreaking opera, piano concerto, one of the most popular composers of all time

Legacy of Beethoven

Composer as artist, composition becomes self-expression, influenced every subsequent generation, he pushed boundaries, shaping both classical and romantic periods of music

Monteverdi Era

Transition of renaissance to baroque

Schutz Era

baroque

Lully Era

baroque

Corelli Era

baroque

Bach Era

baroque

Purcell Era

baroque

Vivaldi Era

baroque

Handel era

baroque

Gluck Era

classical

Sammartini Era

classical

Stamitz Era

classical

C.P.E. Bach Era

classical

J.C. Bach Era

classical

Haydn era

classical

Mozart era

classical

Beethoven era

classical to romantic

Schubert Era

classically trained helped usher in romantic

Brahms Era

romantic

Wagner Era

romantic

Clara Schumann Era

romantic

Homophony Definition

Musical texture in which all voices move together in essentially the same rhythm

Polyphony Definition

Each voice performs the same line but at layered or staggered intervals

Antiphony Definition

Call and response

Recitative Definition

Simple vocals that follow the speaking pattern very simple accompaniment

Figured Bass Definition

Numbers and symbols telling what chords to play

Improvisation Definition

Spontaneous invention of music

Equal Temperament Definition

Tuning system where the octave is divided into 12 equal parts

Ornamentation Definition

Addition of embellishments to a melody

Idiomatic Writing Definition

Writing to an instruments strengths

Affections Definition

Guiding philosophy of the baroque era

Stile Antico Definition

1st practice, use of renaissance style after 1600

Treble-Bass Polarity Definition

Composers starting point, create melody and add complementary bassline

Periodicity Definition

Allows for symmetry in phrases

Galant Definition

Singable melodies, alberti bass, slow harmonic rhythm

Empfindsam Definition

Emotional expressiveness, slow tempo, unpredictable melody

Learned Definition

Use of imitation

Sturm und Drang definition

minor mode, forte, faster subdivisions

Hunting definition

use of open fifths sixths often dotted rhythm

Brilliant Style definition

flashy, virtuosic, fast

Absolute music definition

music without extra musical associations

Character music definition

specific mood or emotion or non-musical idea a composition aims to evoke

Program Music definition

music written about text

Monteverdi style characteristics

second practice, emotional content, text painting, uses harmony texture rhythm and contour to describe the emotion of the poem

Bach Style Characteristics

motivic, then spun out, perpetual motion, constant subdivisions, complex harmony, fast harmonic rhythm, chords change frequently, variety of textures, synthesis of baroque style

Haydn style characteristics

rhythmic motives, use of silence, hybrid forms, clarity of structure, conversational orchestra, adventurous harmony, lyricism, humor

Mozart style characteristics

kaleidoscope, ever changing, characterization though music, virtuosity

Beethoven style characteristics

dissonance, chromaticism, dramatic, silence, emotional expression

Through composed

ABCD, each part is unique

Strophic

AAAA same melody repeats

Binary

ABAB two different sections repeated

Ternary

ABA’ first and third sections similar and second contrasting

Rondo

ABACA main theme repeated with contrasting sections inbetween

Romantic function

still church and chamber, expanded theater

romantic genre

continuation of classical genres

romantic performing forces

expanded

romantic tempo

extreme

romantic meter and rhythm

complex, changing

Romantic harmony

still tonal but beginning the breakdown of tonal music

romantic dynamics

extreme

romantic range

extreme

Opera era

baroque on

opera performing forces

solo singers, chorus, vocal ensemble, orchestra

opera function

theater

ritornello definition

recurring musical section

aria definition

solo song for voice accompanied by orchestra

da capo definition

from the beginning

recitative era

baroque