Music History: Gregorian Chant, Baroque, Classical, Romantic & Modern Styles

Gregorian Chant

From early Christian liturgical chant traditions in Western Europe, combining Roman and Gallican chant styles.

Significance of the name 'Gregorian'

Named after Pope Gregory I, who is traditionally credited with organizing and codifying the chant.

Characteristics of Gregorian Chant

Monophonic (single melody line), free rhythm, unaccompanied, sacred Latin text.

Musical expression in Gregorian Chant

Musical expression and vocal artistry from pre-Christian traditions.

Georg Friedrich Händel's pursuit of music

He secretly studied music and later left home to pursue a career as a musician.

Relation of Duke of Brunswick-Lüneburg/Elector of Hanover to King George I

Elector of Hanover became King George I; Handel later moved to England and gained royal patronage.

Where was Handel buried?

Westminster Abbey, London.

General mood of Handel's music

Joyful, celebratory, grand, often uplifting and dramatic.

King George II's reaction to first hearing 'Hallelujah!' chorus

He stood up, a tradition that continues today.

Musical form containing opera elements but no drama

Oratorio.

First performance of Handel's Water Music Suite

Performed on a barge on the River Thames for King George I.

First performance of Handel's Royal Fireworks Music

Performed outdoors with fireworks, for public celebration.

Bach as a product of the Protestant Reformation

His music reflects Lutheran emphasis on scripture, teaching, and chorales.

Compositions to impress Margrave of Brandenburg

Brandenburg Concertos.

How many children did Bach father?

20 children.

Years as music director at St. Thomas Lutheran Church, Leipzig

27 years.

General mood of Bach's music

Complex, contrapuntal, devout, profound.

Musical form receiving much attention from Bach

Fugues.

Characteristics of Classical music

Balanced, clear, elegant, formal, structured, with melodic simplicity.

Family Haydn worked for

The Esterházy family.

Number of symphonies and title earned by Haydn

104 symphonies; 'Father of the Symphony.'

Musical form aided by orchestra standardization

Symphony.

Surprise in Haydn's Symphony No. 94

Sudden loud chord in otherwise soft theme.

Unusual childhood of Mozart

Musical prodigy, composing and performing from age 5.

Mozart's death

Died young at 35, after intense compositional activity

Mozart's rival at Emperor Joseph's court

Antonio Salieri

General mood of Mozart's music

Elegant, expressive, balanced, often joyful or lyrical

Who kills Il Commendatore in Don Giovanni

Don Giovanni

Who learns she is only one of 2,065 seduced by Don Giovanni

Donna Elvira

Who does Don Giovanni invite to dinner

The statue of Il Commendatore

Form of Commendatore's spirit

Stone statue / supernatural apparition

How many women does Don Giovanni seduce

2,065 women (as claimed in the opera)

Relationship to Classical & Romantic styles

Bridges Classical structure and Romantic expressiveness

What kept Beethoven from suicide (Heiligenstadt Testament)

Love of music and duty to create

Who wrote greatest music while deaf

Beethoven

Why is Piano Sonata #8 "The Pathetique"

Emotional, dramatic character

Style evoking powerful feelings, subjective/autobiographical

Romantic music

Original dedication of Eroica Symphony

Napoleon Bonaparte

Greek god in 4th movement of Eroica

Prometheus (symbol of enlightenment/liberty)

Beethoven after premiering symphony

Had to be turned around to face audience applause

Berlioz called what because of massive orchestra

"Musical Colossus" / Romantic visionary

Music that moved Berlioz' professor

Beethoven's works

First program symphony to tell a complete story

Berlioz' Symphonie Fantastique

Visions of musician induced how

Opium / obsession with love

Idee fixe denotes

Beloved woman, recurring musical theme

Who appears at musician's execution (4th movement)

Beloved woman's spirit (as idee fixe)

Beloved appears as what in 5th movement

Witch or diabolical figure

Music of "Witches Sabbath" uses

Orchestral effects, dissonance, trombones, col legno strings

Founders of Modern style

Igor Stravinsky & Arnold Schoenberg

Cocteau on modern music after "silk brush"

Music with harsher, sharper, more abstract expression

Rite of Spring form

Ballet

Subject of Rite of Spring

Pagan Russian spring rituals and human sacrifice

Stravinsky work causing riot in 1913

The Rite of Spring

Movement associated with emotion over naturalism

Expressionism

Schoenberg's view on harmonic/tonal system

Believed it was exhausted and limiting

Preference over consonance, harmony, tonality

Atonality / twelve-tone technique