Music 3rd Q

Musicology

A scholarly discipline characterized by the systemized study of science, history, forms, and methods of music.

Nationalism

Devotion to one’s nation, an important influence in Romantic music.

Timbre

The richer, denser sound used by Romantic composers, especially in orchestral music to achieve diversity in mood.

Tonality

The feeling of tonality that is often clouded by the use of modulations.

Modulations

Changes in key within a composition.

Texture

Essentially homophonic in Romantic music, similar to Classical music.

Melody

Utilization of a range of instruments such as piccolo and contrabassoon by Romantic composers for greater sound brilliance and depth.

Dynamics

Usage of extremes like fortississimo and pianississimo in Romantic music, with frequent crescendos and decrescendos.

Tempo and Articulation

Terms including accelerando, ritardando, and rubato used in musical expression.

Harmony

Use of dissonances to create tension, prominent in complex harmonies like chromatic harmony.

Form

More flexible and varied in Romantic music, favoring expressiveness.

Program Music

Art music associated with an idea, poem, scene, or story that depicts an extramusical narrative musically.

Absolute music

Music intended to be appreciated without association with the outside world, also known as nonprogram music.

Program symphony

An orchestral composition that relays ideas or narrates a story.

Concert overture

An independent single-movement work, usually written in sonata form.

Symphonic poem

A programmatic work with a descriptive title illustrating or evoking literary content.

Incidental music

Music intended to add atmosphere to the action.

Nocturne

A musical composition for solo piano evocative of the character of night.

Etude

A piano composition that contains technical difficulties.

Character pieces

Short, instrumental piano pieces suggesting an atmosphere or general mood.

Piano sonata

A sonata written for solo piano.

Frederic Francois Chopin

Known as the 'Poet of the Piano'.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

A Russian composer known for his ballets.

Franz Liszt

Known as the 'King of Pianists'.

Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns

Known as the 'Greatest Organist in the World'.