SQA Advanced Higher Music Concepts Revision

Motet

Sung in Latin. Normally has a polyphonic texture and usually sung a cappella.

Anthem

Sung in English with a religious text. Can be performed A cappella or accompanied and contains passages of both polyphony and/or homophony.

Madrigal

Sung in English with a non-religious text. Uses elements of homophony and a polyphony, uses imitation, is through-composed and A cappella.

Ballett

Sung in English with a non-religious text. A cappella and in strophic form.

Ayre/Air

Normally in strophic form. English with a non-religious text and usually accompanied.

Pavane

Instrumental and slow with two beats in the bar. Usually played on Harpsichord, lute or viols.

Galliard

Fairly quick and lively with three beats in the bar. Usually played on Harpsichord, lute or viols.

Consort

A group of similar instruments in the Renaissance period.

Viols

The early version of the modern day string family.

Recorder

The early version of the flute.

Lute

A renaissance instrument similar to the guitar

Hemiola

A rhythmic device giving the impression of a piece of music changing from duple (2) to triple (3) time, or vice versa.

Antiphonal

Dialogue between voices or instruments - one group of voices or instruments answers the other.

Counter Tenor

A very high male voice above Tenor. Similar in pitch to a female alto.

Chorale

A Hymn tune sung in German, mainly syllabic and homophonic. Performed a cappella or accompanied by organ or orchestra.

Fugue

A contrapuntal piece based on a theme (subject) announced in one voice part alone, then imitated by other voices in close succession.

Exposition

The opening section of a fugue, made up of 3 main ideas.

Subject

The opening and main melody of a fugue.

Answer

The same melody as the first subject but at a higher or lower pitch. The answer can be either real (an exact copy by interval) or Tonal (the intervals may change slightly to fit with the harmony).

Counter Subject

Once the subject has been played the instrument will continue by playing a continuation of the melody.

Stretto

Where voices or instruments enter very quickly one after the other. Each entry or part enters closelt after the previous part, thus adding tension and excitement.

Suspensions

One or more notes temporarily held before resolving to a chord tone.

Appogiatura

Longer version of the Acciacatura. Least obvious of the ornaments.

Turn

A short figure consisting of the note above the one indicated, the note itself again. Common in music from the classical and romantic periods.

Piano Trio

A work for piano and two other instruments, normally violin and cello.

Bridge

A section which connects two themes. Found commonly in sonata form.

Song Cycle

A group or cycle of individually complete songs designed to be performed in a sequence as a unit. Can be solo songs or songs for choir (e.g collections of Lieder)

Leitmotif

A theme occuring throughout a work which represents a person, an event or an idea etc. Common in Romantic and Film music.

Serial Music

Highly dissonant and atonal. Sometimes based on a series of notes called a tone row with unusual use of instrumentation.

Neo-Classical

Tonal music which may contain dissonance. Based on music from earlier styles eg. Baroque and Classical. May include the use of ornamentation, structures and forms.

Nationalist

Contains elements of folk music from the composer’s country. Generally tonal with the use of some dissonance.

Electronic Dance Music

Examples include, techno, house, trance, hard style and drum and bass.

Contemporary Jazz

The style of modern jazz. Will display the influences of pop and rock and generally easy listening.

Sprechgesang

Common in atonal music. A mixture of speech and singing in German language.

Polytonality/Bitonality

Two or more keys played or sung at the same time. Generally tuneful but with an unusual sound and dissonances.

Tritone

An interval known as the devil in music. Discordant and common in music which is dark, impressionist and heavy metal.

Augmented Triad

A chord based in two consecutive major third intervals. Discordant and common in music with subtle moods like impressionist.

Retrograde

To go backwards in a section of music. Can be written or performed from the end to the beginning.