Music Elements & Historical Eras: Medieval & Baroque

Vibrato

rapid fluctuation of a vocal or instrumental pitch

Crescendo

the gradual increase in the music's volume

Pitch

the highness or lowness of a pitch

Tempo

the speed or pace of the music

Decrescendo

the gradual decrease of the music's volume

Monophonic Texture

one layer or sound in the music

Dynamics

refers to the volume in the music

Timbre

the sound quality of a musical note or sound

Homophonic Texture

two or more layers or sounds in the music

Pizzicato

a technique where the strings of the instrument are plucked

Hildegard of Bingen

Catholic nun who composed Gregorian Chant yet could not sing in public

Syllabic Chant

each syllable in the music is sung to one note

Secular

term that defines music that is non-religious in theme

Dulcimer

percussion instrument played by beating the strings with tiny hammers

Charlemagne the Great

known for bringing Western Europe together since the fall of the Roman empire

Bach

composer revolutionized music for piano, harpsichord, and organ

Vivaldi

composer who wanted to become a priest but instead wrote concertos including 'The Four Seasons'

Fugue

a genre of music that begins with the introduction of a theme and then imitation by subsequent voices or other instruments

The Messiah

a work that contains the world's most famous sing along titled The Hallelujah Chorus

Opera

a musical genre that includes all singing, acting, a large symphonic orchestra, and sometimes dancers doing ballet