Chapter 11: Musical Ensembles+

Choral Groups

  • for religious purposes (sacred) or non spiritual (secular)

  • includes: soprano, alto, tenor, bass

  • in early times = often preformed without accompaniment

    • features a cappella singing = with no accompaniment

    • a cappella = meaning “in the chapel”

Chorus

  • large group of singers, preform together

  • usually sing with diff voice parts

  • had both men and women, but can also be restricted for just one group

Choir

  • smaller group, preform together

  • often connected with a church (sacred music)

  • other small ensembles include madrigal choir, and chamber choir

Chamber Ensembles

  • Chamber music

    • ensemble music for group of 2-12 players

    • one player per part

    • essential trait = its intimacy

The different parts and types in Chamber Music

  • standard chamber music include string players

    • string quartets (most well known, two violins, violin and cello)

    • string quintet (two violins, two violas, cello)

    • duo sonata (soloist with piano)

    • piano trios (piano, violin, cello)

    • piano quintet (piano, two violins, viola, cello)

    • piano quartet (piano, violin, viola, cello)

    • brass quintets (two trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba)

    • larger groups —

      • sextet (6 instruments/voices)

      • septet (7 instruments/voices)

      • octet (8 instruments/voices)

The Orchestra

  • any preforming body of diverse instruments

  • includes gamelan orchestras — musical ensemble of java or bali, drums and gongs

  • now synonymous in the west, with the term symphony orchestras

    • can vary in size and makeup

    • always has featured string instruments at its core

  • Modern Orchestra can feature over 100 players (2/3 is string players)

Wind, Jazz and Rock Bands

  • most bands feature a core of winds and percussion

  • much love American institution (ex: John Phillip Sousa)

  • Wind band — from 40-80 players

  • Marching bands — remnants in military origins (ex: “Stars and Stripes Forever by John Phillip Sousa)

  • Jazz bands — usually includes a reed section

  • Rock bands — use amplified guitars and percussion with synthesizers

The Role of the Conductor

  • large ensembles are generally led by one (led by the groups leader)

  • conductor = one who beats time patterns with a baton (thin white stick) to help performers keep the same tempo (decide on tempo of song)

  • Beat 1 = the strongest in any meter, always given a downbeat

  • the last beat = weak beat, always a upbeat

  • conductor has a role of interpreting music for the group (since composers markings are relative)

  • string players depend on the conductor or concert master (first chair violinist) to standardize bowing strokes

Orchestras in Action

  • Fugue = polyphonic form popular in Baroque era, themes developed by imitative counterpoint

  • can have two types of ensembles or performance groups

    • heterogenous = orchestra

    • homogenous = choral group