RCM Level 10 Terms

monophonic texture

music consisting of a single line of melody, no harmony or accompaniment

polyphonic texture

two or more independent melodic lines heard simultaneously, referred to as contrapuntal texture

modes

scale patterns distinguished by their unique order of half steps and whole steps, served as the source for melodies in the Middle Ages and Renaissance

neumes

the earliest form of notation in Western art music, small notational symbols - originally indicating the direction of the melodic line, later in the shape of squares or diamonds positioned on a staff and representing specific pitches

a cappella

vocal music without instrumental accompaniment

ballade

The structure was typically A-A-B. The first section is repeated and is then followed by a contrasting section.

rondeau

The structure of the came in several complex forms, but the simplest was AB-aAab-AB. A and B are the repeated refrain parts using the same refrain text. a and b use the music of the refrain with new text.

virelai

The structure was A-B-B-A.

Ionian

mode starting on 1st note

Dorian

mode starting on 2nd note

Phrygian

mode starting on 3rd note

Lydian

mode starting on 4th note

Mixolydian

mode starting on 5th note

Aeolian

mode starting on 6th note

Locrian

mode starting on 7th note

Gradual

fourth section of the Mass Proper, characterized by the presence of melismatic text settings and a responsorial style, based on Psalms

Mass Ordinary

unchanging prayers of mass

Mass Proper

changing variable prayers of the mass

plainchant

monophonic texture, modal melodies, relatively narrow melodic range, unmeasured prose rhythm

Gregorian chant

a form of plainchant, sacred, liturgical music of the Roman Catholic church, generally with Latin text

syllabic text setting

one note for a single syllable of text

neumatic text setting

several notes (two to four) for a single syllable of text

responsorial singing

a method of performance where solo voice alternates with chorus

melismatic text setting

many notes for a single syllable of text

Mass

the most important service in the liturgy of the Roman Catholic Church, includes prayers, Bible readings, and the Eucharist

organum

polyphony based on plainchant; from the 9th to 13th centuries, vocal music in which one or more melodic lines are added to an existing Gregorian chant (cantus firmus), early styles featured perfect intervals often with parallel motion between the voices, later styles featured more independent melodic parts and a greater variety of intervals

cantus firmus

borrowed material, often from a Gregorian chant, serves as structural framework for a new polyphonic composition, originally found in the lowest voice

tenor

in a polyphonic composition from the Middle Ages, it refers to the voice that contains the cantus firmus

organal style

a style of free organum in which the notes from the original chant are sung by the lower voice in long note values

discant style

a style of organum in which there is more rhythmic movement of the cantus firmus, sometimes features “note-against-note“ movement between the voices

clausula

self-contained, polyphonic sections within discant-style organum, often based on a single word or syllable; highly melismatic, serves as a link to the development of the motet

rhythmic modes

an early step in the evolution of rhythmic notation; developed by Notre Dame composers in the late-12th to early-13th century, six basic rhythmic patterns, related to poetic meters used in Latin grammar, were used to provide rhythmic structure, served to keep two or more voices in rhythmic alignment when they were not moving note-against-note

motet

a sacred or secular vocal composition with or without instrumental accompaniment

polytextuality

two or more texts heard simultaneously

chanson

a secular song with French text, monophonic chansons were composed in the 12th and 13th centuries and often performed with improvised accompaniment, from the 14th century on, polyphonic settings were generally preferred

trouvère

aristocratic poet-musicians, composed and performed original poems and songs, often on the subject of courtly love, lived and worked in northern France

troubadour

aristocratic poet-musicians, composed and performed original poems and songs, often on the subject of courtly love, lived and worked in southern France

strophic form

a song structure in which the same music is performed for each verse of the poem, little connection can be achieved between the words and music

bas

French for “low“, indicating a low level of volume (soft), a Medieval designation for indoor instruments, includes dulcimer, lute, psaltery, rebec, recorder, vielle

haut

French for “high“, indicating a high level of volume (loud), a Medieval designation for outdoor instruments, includes cornetto, crumhorn, sackbut, shawm

estampie

one of the earliest Medieval dances, stately character, involves elaborate body movements, danced by couples

heterophony

simultaneous variation involving two or more voices or instruments playing the same melody in more than one way at the same time, one part plays the original melody; the added voices are often improvised

cornetto

a conical wooden pipe (straight or curved) with finger holes and a cup mouthpiece

crumhorn

a double-reed instrument with a reed-cap and a distinctive curved shape

flute

a cylindrical bore made of wood with up to six finger holes

pipe

a simple instrument with a whistle mouthpiece and three finger holes: often played with one hand while the other strikes a drum; has a piercing tone

recorder

a type of flute with a whistle mouthpiece and finger holes

sackbut

a brass instrument with a slide; ancestor of the trombone

shawm

a reed instrument with a piercing tone; ancestor of the oboe

trumpet

a long metal tube with finger holes, a cup mouthpiece, and a flared bell

dulcimer

a stringed instrument with a wooden sound box, strings are struck with small hammers producing a delicate sound

guitarra morescha

a plucked string instrument of North American origin; ancestor of the guitar

harp

a plucked string instrument of ancient origin

lute

a plucked instrument of Middle Eastern origin having a rounded body and frets; its delicate sound served as an ideal accompaniment to the voice

psaltery

an ancient stringed instrument with a trapezoidal wooden sound box; plucked with the fingers or plectrum

rebec

a bowed string instrument of Middle Eastern origin, possessing a pear-shaped boy and three to five strings, held on the arm or under the chin

vielle

a bowed string instrument with a figure eight-shaped body, ancestor of the violin

handbells

a small bell made of iron and clad in a thin layer or bronze, played with a striker, used to punctuate the music

naker(s)

a small drum with a dome-shaped body, played in pairs with the hands or sticks

tabor

a small snare drum with a tall and narrow body, paired with a pipe and played by a single musician

tambourine

a shallow drum with metal disks fitted into the wooden frame

portative organ

a small portable keyboard instrument with high-pitched pipes, generates sound through the use of bellows

positive organ

a keyboard instrument encased in a small cabinet with small pipes

regal

a portable keyboard instrument with brass reeds instead of pipes, activated by a pair of bellows

Mass Ordinary

unchanging prayers of the Mass, the components are: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei

ars nova style

Latin for “new art“, from the title of a treatise by composer Philippe de Vitry, used in reference to French music of the 14th century, involved greater complexity in melody, harmony, and rhythm and included use of isorhythm, hocket, and musica ficta

musica ficta

performance practice applied in modal music of the late Middle Ages and Renaissance, performers raised or lowered pitches by a half step to avoid undesirable intervals, much like modern-day accidentals

isorhythm

a compositional device perfected in the Ars nova, combines melodic patterns (color) with rhythmic patterns (talea), color and talea are typically not the same length, overlapping rather than coinciding

hocket

a rhythmic and melodic technique frequently employed in ars nova style, two voices combine to create a single melody: one resting while the other sings

Renaissance

French for “rebirth“, the period spanning the years ca 1450 - 1600 in European history, a time of continued change and development in musical style

imitative counterpoint

a type of polyphony associated with Renaissance style, refers to the passing of a motive or theme from one voice to another

points of imitation

in imitative counterpoint, a series of thematic entries, a motive or theme is passed from one voice to another

homorhythmic texture

in a multi-voiced composition, all voices sing in the same rhythm, a chordal texture results, coupled with syllabic text setting, this technique delivers the text clearly, the listener’s attention is drawn to the top voice

madrigal

a popular secular vocal genre that flourished in the 16th century, based on an intimate relationship between poetry and music, featured vivid word painting

word painting

musical pictorialization, in vocal works, the music reflects the meaning of the text, employed in madrigals, operas, oratorios

nonsense syllables

syllables with no meaning, a characteristic feature of the English madrigal

chromaticism

melodies and harmonies that include any of the notes available within the octave, in either tonal or modal context

ballett

16th-century Italian and English strophic song type, generally in simple dancelike style, often included “fa-la-la“ refrains, embraced by English madrigalists

variations

a work based on the statement of a melody (theme) followed by a series of transformations, changes can be made to the melody, harmony, or rhythm

harpsichord

a keyboard instrument, sound is generated by small quills inside the instrument that pluck the strings, often had two manuals (sets of keys)

virginal

a generic term used for all plucked keyboard instruments in England, generally smaller and lighter than the harpsichord, some could be placed on a tabletop or held in the player’s lap

idiomatic writing

compositional style that highlights the unique technical capabilities of an instrument, opposite of “generic“, developed in the late Renaissance and Baroque

Baroque

first used as a derogatory term in reference to the overly ornate art of the era, now applied to art, architecture, and music of the 17th and early 18th centuries

figured bass

a musical shorthand developed in the Baroque era, numbers are placed below the bass line to show harmonic progression, performed or “realized“ by the basso continuo, provides the structure for guided improvisation

basso continuo

Baroque performance practice, generally involves two performers - one playing the notated bass line, one realizing the harmonies as indicated by the figured bass, harmonies usually played on harpsichord or organ, provides harmonic framework

the “Affections“

a Baroque philosophy inspired by ancient Greek and Roman writers and orators, refers to emotional states of the soul, one single clear emotion is usually projected through an entire composition or movement, vocal music depicted the emotions of the text or dramatic situation

binary form

two-part form: A || B ||, both parts often repeat, Section A generally ends with an open cadence in the dominant or relative minor key, frequently used in Baroque dances and keyboard pieces

rounded binary form

two-part musical form: A || B + A1 ||, opening material from Section A returns after B material, key structure similar to binary form

ternary form

three-part form: A || B || A ||, Section A generally ends with a closed cadence in the tonic key, Section B generally creates contrast in key and/or material, often used in Baroque arias

terraced dynamics

Baroque practice of changing dynamics abruptly, results in start contrast rather than gradual change

opera

drama that is sung, combines vocal and instrumental music with drama (staging and acting), visual arts (costumes and scenery), and often dance, components include recitatives, arias, ensembles, and choruses, originated in Italy around 1600 and remains one of the most popular forms of musical entertainment

opera seria

sung throughout to an Italian-language libretto, generally based on a historical or mythological subject, tragic or heroic

aria

a solo song with accompaniment, highly emotional and often virtuosic, may have lyrical or dramatic qualities, often serves to reveal the character’s feelings and emotions

da capo aria

an aria employing a ternary (ABA) structure, the most common type of aria in Baroque opera and oratorio, the return of Section A is generally ornamented

ground bass

a Baroque compositional device which consists of the continuous repetition of a short melody over which free variations occur, often provided the basic structure of a Baroque aria

chorus

a vocal ensemble consisting of several voice types, adds musical variety to operatic works, may be participants in the plot or may be set apart from the staging, serving to comment or reflect on the action

monody

a new style that developed in the late 16th century, led to the development of recitative, a single vocal melody with simple instrumental accompaniment, allowed for greater expression of emotion and clarity of text

stile rappresentativo

the term used by Florentine Camerata musicians to describe the monodic style, a recitative-like melody moving freely over a foundation of simple chords, the music was meant to heighten the emotional power of the text, can refer to recitative or simply to an emotional presentation of the text

recitative

a speech-like, declamatory style of singing used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas, follows inflections of the text, resulting in rhythmic flexibility, usually used for dialogue and to advance the plot

recitativo secco

a speech-like, declamatory style of singing, supported only by basso continuo, employed in opera, oratorio, and cantata, became a prominent practice in the 17th century