Titles	Genre and others
Claude Debussy, Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun	Symphonic poem, form: ABA’
Igor Stravinsky, The Rite of Spring, “Augurs of Spring”	ballet, form: use of block form, texture: polyrhythmic
Arnold Schoenberg, Pierrot Lunair, “Der Mondfleck”	song cycle, melodrama
Jozef Koffler, 15 variations on a 12-tone series	genre and form: theme and variations, instrumentation: solo piano
Bela Bartok, Music for strings, percussion, celesta	4 movement work for orchestra, instrumentation: strings, percussion, celesta, form: ABCBA (arch form)
John Cage, 4’33	chance music, any instrumentation
Pierre Schaffer, Etude aux chemins de fer	musique concrete, instrumentation: recorder train sounds, tape, form: one movement of a 5 movement work
William Grant Still, Darker America	symphonic poem, source: program provided by the composer about the black American experience, instrumentation: full symphony orchestra
Florence Price, Ethiopia’s Shadow in America	5-movement symphonic work, form: binary form, instrumentation: full symphony orchestra
Aaron Copland, Appalachian Spring II, Allegro	orchestral suite adapted form from ballet score
Sergei Prokofiev, Battle on the Ice	cantata adapted from film score, instrumentation: orchestra including large percussion section
Valentyn Silvestrov, Symphony No.5 Movement 1	symphony, instrumentation: large romantic symphony orchestra
Steve Reich, Hindenburg, “I couldn’t understand it”	video opera in 3 acts, instrumentation: video, recorded interviews, and 10 live musicians
Terence Blanchard, Excerpts from fire shut up in my bones	Opera (opera in jazz), source: an autobiographical novel by Charles Blow
Nina C. Young, Tread softly

Term	Musical Definition
dodecaphony	a musical composition technique that uses all 12 notes of the chromatic scale equally and gives each note equal importance.
tone row/series	a set of musical notes that are arranged in a nonrepeating order and are used as the basis for a piece of music
development	sonata form: where themes from the exposition are reworked in new ways
through-composed	continuously progressive with new melodies composed for new lyrics
motive	short, reoccurring musical idea that's a key part of a composition
rubato	musical technique that involves subtly manipulating the rhythm and tempo of a piece to create a more expressive performance
(imitative) polyphony	polyphony: multiple independent melodic lines are played simultaneously (imitative) polyphony:
monophony	one voice, no instruments
homophony	one melody dominates, the other parts may be simple cords or a more elaborate accompaniment pattern
word-painting	the song does what the word means
tonic	the first note in a diatonic scale, the most important and central note in the scale
dynamics	variations of volume
phasing	same musical pattern at different intervals of time, creating a layered effect
virtuoso	an individual with outstanding techniques and a deep understanding of music
exposition	the initial section of a composition where the main themes are introduced
total artwork	a work of art that combines multiple art forms into a cohesive whole
absolute music	instrumental music. Composed purely as music, not intended to represent or illustrate something else
thematic transformation	alternating a theme to indicate a change in a person, place, or thing
musical propaganda	using music to convey a specific message to a target audience
a Capella	only voices can be heard, voices create the melodies instead of having instrumentals
chromaticism	uses notes outside of the diatonic scale of a piece of music to create tension, emotion, and expressive potential
melisma	singing a single syllable of a text while moving between multiple motes on succession
ground bass	involves repeating s short bass passage beneath a melody and harmony that is constantly changing
meter (simple and compound)	how a best is divided into smaller parts in music Simple meter: divided into 2 parts Compound meter: divided into 3 parts
timbre	the quality sound of the instruments
Salon	a place hoisted by the rich for music of the political and socialist World
ethnomusicology	study of music of different cultures especially non-Western ones
Recapitulation	A section in sonata movement that restates the musical themes from exposition
Strophic	Repetition of a musical unit, a stanza, or a verse
Idee fixe (fixed idea)	Recurring theme or character trait that serves as the structural foundation of a work
Polyrhythm	The simultaneous combination of contrasting rhythms in musical composition
Orchestration	Process of writing music for an orchestra or other ensemble, assigning instruments to play specific parts
Retrograde	A sequence of notes is played in reverse order
Leitmotif	A short, recurring musical phrase that’s associated with a specific idea, character, place, or setting
Inversion	Rearrangement of notes in chord, melody, interval, or group of contrapuntal lines so that a note other than the root is at the bottom
Libretto	Text of an opera
Tempo	The speed or pacing of a piece of music plays an essential role in the performance and acts as the heartbeat of expression
Texture	The effect of the different layers of sound in a piece of music, and the relationship between them; the way that melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic elements are combined to create a piece’s overall sound quality
Atonality	Any composition that does not have a central tone or tonal center, deviates from traditional Western expectations of harmony, key, or mode.

Term	Definition
Nationalism	Emphasizes loyalty, devotion, or allegiance to a nation or nation-state and holds that such obligations outweigh other individual or group interests
Expressionism	Seeks to express emotional experience rather than impressions of the external world
Minimalism	Tonal harmonies, process music, the aesthetic of simplicity and symmetry.
Postmodernism	A reaction to modernist music; rejection of what came before
Socialist Realism	Called for art to be used to develop social consciousness in a socialist state
Exoticism	Incorporation of foreign-style elements
Neoclassicism	Return to clarity, balance, and formality of classical music
Polystylism	Combines multiple music styles, genres, and historical references in a single work
Romanticism	Emphasis on originality and individuality, personal emotional expression, and freedom and experimentation of form; loved the idea of struggle and pain
Primitivism	Depicts scenes from other times or places or expresses ideas related to antiquity or a “primitive” culture
Impressionism	Aims to create moods, emotions, and atmosphere; classical composition
Modernism	Composers and musicians rejected traditional styles and conventions and instead explored new ways of expressing themselves and music in general
Decadence	Exaggerated feelings; extravagance, luxury, and self-indulgence with a sense of moral decline

Name	Definition
Program symphony	A symphonic composition that is written to correspond to a narrative structure, sometimes accompanied by a narrative program to go along with the music
Character piece	Short musical composition that conveys a specific mood or idea, usually for piano or small ensembles
Symphony	A lengthy form of musical composition for orchestra, normally consisting of several large sections or movements
Symphonic poem (tone poem)	A musical composition for orchestra inspired by an extra-musical idea, story, or “program” to which the title typically refers to.
Chant	Sacred, monophonic, unaccompanied chant used in the Roman Catholic Chruch
Fugue	Musical composition that uses a contrapuntal (the use of multiple independent melodies, each of which is given equal weight) technique to repeat a main theme, or subject, across multiple voices or instruments
Oratorio	A large-scale musical composition that tells a dramatic story based on a religious theme; opera but with religious themes, no costumes, sacred.
Orchestral suite	A collection of instrumental pieces that are usually performed by an orchestra
lied/art song	German art song that sets poetry to music for voice and piano
Sonata	Musical composition for a solo instrument or small group of instruments typically made up of 3 or 4 movements
String quartet	Musical composition for a group of four string instruments or a piece written for a group of 2 violins, 1 viola, and a violoncello to perform.
Ballet	Type of music that is written to accompany a ballet, a theatrical art form that combines dancing, and music. And a scenery to tell a story.
Opera	Combination of vocal and orchestral music that tells a story through dramatic presentation
Motet	A polyphonic choral composition that is typically based on a sacred Latin text and performed without accompaniment
Chance (aleatoric) music	Incorporates some level of chance or randomness into the composition or performance
Overture	Plays before the start of an opera, ballet, or musical play
Film score	Original (usually instrumental) music composed and recorded especially for a film
Musique concrete	Using recorded sounds as raw material
Cantana	A musical composition for voices and instruments that typically includes solos, duets, recitatives, and choruses, intended to be sung
Concerto	Musical composition for instruments in which a solo instrument is set off against an orchestral ensemble; features a solo instrument or group of instruments playing alongside an orchestra
Mass	A form of sacred musical composition, choral composition
Aria	A self-contained piece for solo voice, usually accompanied by an orchestra
Recitative	A rhythmically free vocal style that imitates the natural inflections of speech and that is used for dialogue and narrative in operas and oratorios; used to move the story along in an opera.

Name	Definition
Arch form (palindrome)	ABCBA
Sonata form	3 sections Exposition - beginning, introduces the theme Development - redefines the themes introduced in the exposition Recapitulation - repeats the exposition
Thorough composed	Features continuous progression of new musical ideas without repetition
Rondo form	An instrumental form characterized by the initial statement and subsequent restatement of a particular melody or section
Strophic	The same music is repeated for each verse or stanza of a song, most similar to music right now
Binary form	AB form, divides a piece of music into 2 related sections, usually of equal length, that are repeated.

MUSHL101 Final study guide

Listenings

Musical Terms

Style Terms

Genres

Forms