History of Western Music Terms Chp. 1-3

Chant

Unison unaccompanied song

Ethos

Moral and ethical character

Lyre

A plucked string instrument

Notation

The system for writing down music

Polyphony

Music containing two voices of independent melodies

Scholasticism

System of teaching during the Middle Ages based on Aristotle and Church authority

Heterophony

A melody of two voices simultaneously performed differently, like simple and embellished

Improvisation

Spontaneous creation of performed music

Rhythm

The arrangement of short and long durations in music

Aulos

Ancient Greek reed instrument

Kithara

Ancient Greek string instrument

Tetrachord

In Greek and Medieval theory, a scale of four notes spanning a fourth

Imitation

Repeating an altered melody in a different voice or part in music

Harmonia

The union of parts in an orderly whole

Chromatic

A melody that uses two or more successive semitones in one direction

Pythagorean intonation

A Medieval system of tuning notes in a scale

Musica mundana; humana; instrumentalis

Boethius’ concept of music in relation to the universe, the human, and the instrumental

Chant dialect

Repertories of chant including, Gregorian, Byzantine, Ambrosian, and Old Roman Chant

Liturgy

The sung texts and rituals of a religous service

Mass

An important church service including the ordinary chants

Psaltery

A plucked string instrument

Ambrosian chant

Ecclesiastical chant from Milan

Old Roman chant

Ecclesiastical chant of the 11th and 12th century from Rome

Monody

An accompanied solo song by one or more instruments

Plainchant/plainsong

A unison unaccompanied song, particularly liturgical

Monophonic

A single unaccompanied melody line

Art song

A song intended for artistic appreciation instead of entertainment

Church calendar

The schedule for special days and events following Christian tradition

Divine Office

A set of 8 prayers in the Roman Catholic Church celebrated every day at specific times

Psalm

A poem of praise to God

Antiphon

A liturgical chant that precedes a psalm or canticle

Canticle

Hymn or Psalm-like Bible passages that do not come from Psalms

Communion

5th prayer in the mass proper sung during communion

Gloria

second of five prayers in mass ordinary

Introit

First prayer in mass proper

Kyrie

first of five prayers in mass ordinary

Responsory

Responsorial chant

Byzantine chant

Ecclesiastical chant used in modern Greek Orthodox Church

Agnus Dei

The fifth prayer in the mass ordinary

Alleluia

Melismatic and responsorial style prayer; 3rd prayer of the mass proper

Credo

Third of the five prayers in the mass ordinary

Gradual

A melismatic and responsorial style prayer; Second prayer of the mass proper

Offertory

4th prayer in the mass proper

Mass Proper

Texts that are assigned to certain days of the church calendar

Sanctus

4th prayer from the mass ordinary

Mass Ordinary

Prayers of mass that remain the same

Gregorian chant

Ecclesiastical chant used in the Roman Catholic Church

Liturgical drama

Musical performance of a sacred topic

Recitation formula

The outline of a melody used for various texts

Responsorial

A chant where a soloist alternates with a group

Melismatic

A chant with multiple melismas

Neumatic

One to six notes sung per syllable in chant

Melisma

A long melodic passage sung to one syllable of text

Performance practice

Conventions of performance to different musical styles

Syllabic

One note sung to each syllable

Intonation

Melodic formula for singing psalms

Psalmody

The singing of Psalms

Reciting tone

Also called tenor, the second most important note in a mode

Strophic

An AAA form

Doxology

Praise to the Trinity in Gregorian Chant

Jubilus

An ellaborate melisma

Respond

The first part of a responsorial chant

Coloratura

Florid vocal ornamentation

Ornamentation

Adding embellishments to a melody

Sequence

Latin chant that follows the alleluia in mass

Trope

Melody and words added to an existing chant

Authentic mode

A mode where the range extends from a step below the finalis to an octave above

Finalis

The closing note of a chant in that mode

Plagal mode

A mode where the range extends from a fourth below the finalis to a fifth or sixth above

Mode

A scale or melody type

Hexachord

A set of six pitches ranging from Do to La

Natural hexachord

A set of six pitches starting on C

Hard hexachord

A set of six pitches starting on G

Soft hexachord

A set of six pitches starting on F

Neume

A notation of chant used to indicate a certain number of notes

Solmization

A method of assigning syllables to steps in a scale (Solfege)

Chanson de geste

A musical Medieval French epic recounting deeds of heroes

Goliard songs

Medieval Latin songs about wandering students and clerics

Jongleur

French Medieval musician or street entertainer

Minstrel

13th century traveling musicians show/entertainment

Chansonnier

Collection of French secular songs

Courtly love/Fine Amour

An idealized, unattainable love and admiration for a woman from a distance

Refrain

A recurring line and melody of text in a song

Trobairitz

A female troubadour

Troubadour

A 12th or 13th century poet/composer from Southern France

Trouvere

A 12th and 13th century poet/composer from Northern France

Bar form

An AA’ form

Abgesang

Part of a bar form

Minneleider

German love songs for a minnesinger

Minnesinger

A Medieval German poet/composer of love songs

Cantiga

Medieval song in Spanish or Portuguese

Counterpoint

The combo of two or more simultaneous lines according to a set of rules

Hymn

A song of praise to God in Christian tradition

Notre Dame polyphony

A French style of polyphony from the late 12th and 13th century

Organum

A style of polyphony with the addition of voices to an existing chant from the 9th-13th centuries

Mixed parallel and oblique organum

Early form of organum that helps to avoid tritones

Parallel organum

Type of polyphony where added voices sing a perfect fifth below

Organal voice

Voice that is added above or below original chant melody

Discant

12th century polyphony where upper voices have three notes per note of lower voice

Drone

Note(s) sustained through entire piece/section