Muar 211 Midterm 1 Study Notes
Muar 211 Midterm 1 Study Notes
Muar 211 Midterm 1 Study Notes
Columba aspexit by Hildegard von Bingen Medieval period, plainchant, sacred, latin,
monophonic, responsorial performance. A cappella (ensemble) AABB form: soloist sings
first (A), choir responds with next sentence (but same melody). Same for BB. Piece
becomes more and more melismatic. Contains drone.
Dame, de qui toute ma joie vient by Guillaume de Machaut Medieval Period, chanson
(genre), French (vernacular language), secular (about courtly love), non-imitative
polyphony, a cappella (ensemble) (as notated, though performance practice probs
differed sometimes).
Ave maris stella by Guillaume Dufay Renaissance Period, fauxbourdon style (a form of
harmonization in three parts (voices), in which the second line (from top) follows the top
line a perfect fourth below. The bottom line is a sixth below the top line (usually) but
reaches cadences an octave below. Thus, the voices are often moving in parallel thirds.
This results in works that are homophonic, multiple parts that move mostly in
homorhythm, therefore creating chords). Harmonized hymn (genre), because (1) it has a
sacred text and (2) the same music is repeated over and over for changing verses (works
meant for congregational singing often use this simple form). Top line is a cantus firmus
(elaborated form of a chant melody).
Kyrie (from Pange lingua Mass) by Josquin Desprez Renaissance Period. Kyrie (genre)
from a late Renaissance Mass. 4-part imitative polyphony (texture). A cappella; four-part
choir; SATB (ensemble). Ancient, sacred Greek prayer (only part of Mass in Greek). First
part of Mass Ordinary.
Thy hand Belinda from Dido and Aeneas, Act III final scene by Henry Purcell Baroque
Period. Opera (genre).
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Begins as a recitative (subgenre), turns into lament aria. Genre (opera), texture
(homophony), secular English (text), vocalist with accompaniment (ensemble)
based this cantata on the words and music of a chorale composed by Martin
Luther, which was based on Easter hymn. Bach used Luthers chorale in every mov.
as cantus firmus.
4th mov: tenor aria (subgenre). Tenor voice and the busy violin part both move
rather independently over the accompaniment provided by the basso continuo. So
La giustizia from Julius Caesar by George Frideric Handel Baroque Period. Genre,
opera. Subgenre, aria. Italian, secular text. Soloist w/ instrumental accompaniment
(ensemble). Mostly homophonic. Ritornello form.
There were Shepherds and Glory to God from Messiah by George Frideric Handel
Baroque Period. Genre: oratorio. English, secular. Homophonic. Vocal soloist, orchestra,
basso continuo, chorus (ensemble).
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TERMS!
Medieval Period: period between 450-1450. From collapse of Roman Empire to invention
of printing press.
Chants are performed during Mass and Divine office (of RCC Liturgy)
Characteristics: Latin, sacred, nonmetrical, based on church modes of Medieval
Theoretical System, monophonic texture, a cappella ensemble.
The named Offices (Matins, Lauds, Vespers, and Compline) are the Greater Hours,
and their music is more extensive/complicated/important to music history than
Mass: composed of two parts. Foremass (also known as teaching service, all the way up
till end of sermon and credo) and Eucharist (communion, reserved for those baptized).
Division of material though...
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Mass Proper: where the text changes according to the particular day in the
Church Modes (medieval modes): a limited collection of pitches that are organized within
a piece of music to emphasize one particular pitch, called the FINAL. So the harmonic
system (some sounds seem dissonant to us because their harmonic system is pretty
different from the one we use today). Kinda like diff scales. Church modes are defined by
the Medieval Theoretical System.
advice
Also known for writings on science/medicine
Very well educated and unusually powerful woman for her time
Often has flames drawn over her head in paintings means shes receiving a
vision.
Cantus firmus composition: polyphonic piece of music in which one of the melody
Notre Dame School (12th-14th Century): group of composers working at/near Notre
Dame Cathedral in Paris. Lonin, Protin, and other anonymous composers (they are
representatives of the era of European music history known as the Ars Antiqua (late 12th13th Centuries)
Ars antiqua/ars nova : Ars antiqua (antique art) is the older Notre Dame polyphony of
13th Century. Ars nova is the new style of complicated, polyphonic music in 14th century
(Machaut is the foremost composer of this new style)
Guillaume de Machaut :
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Both cleric and courtier, widely known/celebrated during his time + long after
death
Foremost composer-poet of ars nova style.
Composed both sacred and secular music
Composed earliest extant complete setting or Mass Ordinary (i.e. all five parts)
Notre Dame Mass (historical significance)
was the RCCs attempt to regain the loyalty of its people, as well as regain the loss of
power and wealth that had resulted from the split of the Church.
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Importance of Greek and Roman Antiquity: once the concern of medieval theologians and
scholars onlybecomes more common among the ever-larger literate classes; the
architecture, visual arts, poetry, and music of the renaissance demonstrates this
influence.
Word painting: The music itself is composed in such a manner that the sound of the
music reflects the meaning of the text. E.g. allusion to heaven in the text might be set to
a vocal line that is rising in pitch.
Point of imitation: a short passage of imitative polyphony based on a single theme, or on
two used together.
Guillaume Dufay:
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composer
Later returned to France where he served until his death.
Claudio Monteverdi: transitional composer, bridged the gap between Renaissance and
Baroque periods. Wrote and epitomized styles and genres for both periods, composed a
great deal of secular and sacred music. Published books of Madrigals, operas, etc. Ppl
criticized him for his dissonance, but this just highlights the change that was occurring in
musical styles.
Madrigal: the most important secular vocal genre of the late renaissance/early baroque.
Polyphonic, secular vocal genre invented in Italy. Settings of secular poetry in vernacular
language. Often celebrated contemporary poetry (by someone other than the composer)
that was set to madrigal music. A genre of high art (created/performed for royal
entertainment, commoners rarely exposed to this). This genre and style was imitated by
international composers as well, creating madrigals in their own languages.
Giovanni Palestrina
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Worked as organist and choirmaster at St. Peters Basilica in Rome. Was then
appointed to Sistine Chapel Choir. Dismissed later on, so he returned to St. Peters,
Typical basso continuo consists of a low bass string instrument or low wind and a
chordal instrument (something that can play more than one note at a time, like
harpsichord). But not always.
Continuo group: the instruments in the basso continuo. Never specified in the music.
Musicians and composers of the period were very practical with regard to performance
practices. Therefore, their music was designed to accommodate a wide variety of
performance situations.
To realize a figured bass: to improvise the chords which are shown
Improvisation: make stuff up as you go. Very common in Baroque period
Score (as in musical score): piece of music that shows all of the parts in a piece (together
on one page). Also called full score. Not practical for large ensembles, so generally only
used by conductors.
Part (as in printed musical part): a piece of music that shows only one portion of the
overall performing ensemble, usually just the music of a single instrument or vocalist.
Opera (time & place of its invention): originally created in the wealthy Italian courts of
Florence in approximately 1600 by a group of intellectuals, poets and musicians who
were attempting to recreate the ancient Greek dramas, which they determined had been
sung in a very declamatory (i.e., speech-like) style.
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Recitative: song that imitates rhythms and pitch patterns of normal speech.
*Note that recitatives/arias also appear in stuff other than operas in Baroque period, like
oratorios and cantatas. Also both were sometimes composed as stand-alone works.
libretto / librettist: libretto is the story/text of an opera, written by the librettist. Almost
never composer himself. Operas use secular texts in vernacular language.
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Earliest operas (esp. In Italy) drew subject matter from myths, dramas and
histories of ancient Greece and Rome.
o Also contained choruses that comment on plot and circumstances of
characters.
Castrato: Male singer castrated before puberty in order to retain the pre-adolescent high
vocal range. Most important category of vocal soloists during the Baroque. Rock stars
of their day.
Overture (as in opera): instrumental piece that introduces opera. First thing you hear.
Often contain musical themes from vocal pieces to follow, sorta foreshadowing.
Traits of the baroque orchestra
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Lament / lament aria: a poem (when set to music, song) expressing grief, regret,
mourning. Baroque lament arias often feature basso ostinatos that typically consist of a
descending, chromatic figure (often descending from tonic to dominant in the key of the
piece) in a slow triple meter.
Basso ostinato / ground bass: An ostinato is any musical figure that repeats over and
over as an accompaniment, laying a harmonic foundation over which other prominent
melodies occur.
Recorder: Woodwind. Hot cross buns!
Harpsichord: keyboard instrument that plucks the strings,
lute (archlute): plucked string instrument was introduced to Europe by Muslim
communities. Did not typically come in different sizes, but there were larger bass lutes
called the archlute.
Often works were written for two violinists and basso continuo (the solo group)
accompanied by a larger group (the orchestra, which usually also consisted of
strings only).
During Baroque era, they were simply titled concerto though. No grosso.
Suite / dance suite / baroque dance suite : a multi-movement genre for orchestra without
any particular featured soloists (in Baroque also w/ continuo group). Usually each
movement is named after and is an example of a particular dance type (sometimes other
names too though)
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Fugue: piece or distinct subsection of music that employs imitative polyphony. Can be a
genre (if an entire piece or movement contains nothing but that fugue). Written for any
instrument capable of polyphonic solo playing, or for any combination of voices or
instruments, or instruments and voices together.
Subject: first musical theme of a fugue. After its first appearance in a single voice or part,
you will then hear that same melody again and again in the other parts.
Ritornello form: orchestra and solo performance alternating.
Theme & variations form: melody/theme heard at beginning is followed by alternations of
that same melody.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750). Must know death date!
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(organist)
Known as virtuoso organist
At 23, appointed court organist and chamber musician for the Duke of Weimar
Later worked in court of Prince Anhalt-Cthen where he wrote most famous
any
Also wrote Well-tempered Clavier and famous suites here.
Near the end of his life, created an incomplete collection of keyboard works
entitled The Art of the Fugue, perhaps in an effort to preserve the High Baroque
polyphonic musical tradition he loved.
Cantor: Bach was appointed cantor of St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. In charge of all of
the music performed in the four municipal Lutheran churches in and around Leipzig. So,
selected all of the music, rehearsed the vocal and choral ensembles, maintained the
organs and other instruments, saw that the musicians were paid and other needs met,
supervised the music library, etc.
Sacred cantata: fairly large-scale, multi-movement vocal/instrumental genre, typically
consisting of six to eight movements, used in the worship services of German Lutheran
Churches.
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Lutheran chorale: Hymn-like songs used for congregational singing in the Lutheran
Church, composed in a rather simple, four-part (SATB) texture. Sacred genre.
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STROPHIC: i.e., each verse of text is sung to the same repeated music.
German-born composer, created numerous works in every genre of his day (dance
suites, concertos, etc.). But most remembered for operas and oratorios.
Unlike most, he was not from musical family but studied with organist from young
age
Went to Italy and studied Italian opera style. Composed successful operas there.
took a well-paid position as music director for Elector Georg Ludwig of Hanover,
who became Handels patron. Allowed Handel to travel extensively and promote
there in 1712 and remained in England for the rest of his life.
Became Londons most important composer and a favorite of Queen Anne.
Oratorio: Secular genre. Like opera, large-scale music drama for vocal soloists, chorus
and orchestra. Multi-movement works that contain arias, recitatives, interludes for
orchestra, etc. Based on a libretto with plots and characters. However, no acting,
scenery, or costumes.
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Handels oratorios are usually based on stories from the Old Testament
--GENERAL TERMS
Genre: a specific category of musical composition as defined by its musical
characteristics or traits: for instance, a Gregorian chant, a string quartet, a symphony, an
art song, etc.
Monophony/monophonic texture: single, unaccompanied melody.
pitches.
Btw theres also neumatic, which is when syllables are set to small groups of
pitches, like 4-5 pitches per syllable
Ensemble/medium: the instruments, voices, or anything else that makes sound and
takes part in music making.
Range of human voices: Soprano, alto, tenor, bass.
SATB choir: choir containing that range of human voices.
A cappella: only voice, no other instruments.
dynamics
forte = f = play loudly
piano = p = play softly
mezzo forte = mf = somewhat loudly
mezzo piano = mp = somewhat softly
crescendo = <
descrescendo = >
Recap of Genres Studied
chanson
chorale (Lutheran chorale)
concerto grosso
fugue
hymn / harmonized hymn
madrigal
Mass
motet
opera
oratorio
organum
plainchant / chant / Gregorian Chant
sacred cantata
solo concerto
sonata (solo sonata)
suite / dance suite / baroque dance suite
trio sonata