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31 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Characteristics of Brahms |
- Rooted in the Classical styles of Mozart and Beethoven - He was a master of the theme and variation form. - His music had a great variety of moods. - He had lyrical warmth, even in polyphony. - Could make polyphonic texture sound natural. - His pieces are rythmically exciting (many times using 2 against 3 rythms) - He enjoyed rich and dark tones and grouped them together in the orchestra (like viola, clarinet and French horn). The rich sound came from doubling the melody in the third or 6th interval. |
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Brahms Symphony no.4 in E minor: Form and indications. |
- Fourth movement: Allegro energico e passionate. - The 4th movement is the climax of the symphony. - It is a theme and variation form over ground bass. (Passacaglia) - The use of the Baroque form shows his attachment to the past.
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Brahms 4th movement details |
- Consists of a theme 30 variations and an extended coda in the woodwinds and brass . - The woodwinds and brass introduce the theme; a solemn 8 note melody that ascends. - This melody was borrowed from Bach's Cantata no. 150 but was harmonically and dramatically enhanced with a chromatic note.
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Brahms 4th movement variations: |
- Some are full of passion while others are playful. - Brahms focuses the listener's attention on the ever changing melodic and rythmic ideas rather than the theme. - The 8 bar form and triple meter is constant. - Variations 1 to 11 are minor - Variations 12 to 15 are major - Variations 16 to 30 are minor - Number 1 to 3 is middle to high registers - Number 4 to 11 is in the bass - Number 12 to 30 is in all registers. - Coda: theme in Brass and Woodwind |
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Romantic Opera: Italy |
- Italy was less susceptible to romanticism - Three main types: Opera Seria, Opera Buffa and Opera Semiseria. - Grand operas were geared towards popular flavour. Used themes like love and politics along with a natonalistic and popular tone. - Made use of expanded orchestral colours; adding more woodwinds and horns. - Great composers: Donizetti and Verdi. Both from Southern/ Neopolitan school. Puccini = orientalism |
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Romantic Opera: Germany |
- Wagener completely changed German opera. - Singspiel continued as domestic entertainment until 1800 where the plots gravitated towards the supernatural. - Romantic Opera in Germany was heavily influenced by German literature by Heine, Goethe and Schiller. - The literature was many times based on mythology and the supernatural. - Rural, pastoral life was a common setting so the melodic material is folk-like. - Harmony is more important - Important composers: Wagener, Weber. |
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Guiseppe Verdi characteristics: |
- Verdi sought out Librettos that were interesting and controversial for the masses. - His mature works are Opera Seria but he broke away by letting the characters sing in a musical language that everyone can identify with. - The operas have fast moving actions with rapid changes of emotions - He was a master at melodic constructin, therefore, his melodies and accompaniment could perfectly depict the emotions in the story. - Choruses are very important: he developed the "choral big tune" which allowed him to communicate directly with the public. - His music developed less of a distinction between aria and recitative. - He used the orchestra in new ways to provide continuity. - Verdi involved himself in staging casting and design. - Reduced unnecessary repetition and long melismas for more natural singing. |
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Verismo: |
A movement in Italian literature that is chracterised by the true-to-life portrayal of rural and urban poverty and often displays a strong regional character introducing songs and dances typical to that area. |
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Characteristics of Puccini: |
- Each of his mature opera's acts has its own structure and atmosphere. - Each new episode in the drqma is defined by recurring motifs. - Puccini's interest in modern music, especially Debussy, influenced his mature style. Orientalism thrpugh Madame Butterfly and Turandot. - The intense sadness of his operas reflect his own temperament as a lonely, sensitive man. - Librettos were important to him. He often made the Librettist make changes. - He used the orchestra to suggest the landscape, mood and atmosphere. - Minimised the distinction between aria and recit.
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Wagner characteristics: |
- Wagner called his operas musical dramas and ennvisioned a universal artwork combining all forms of art. - He used a "unending melody" to create a continous flow of music. - Wagner introduced speech song. - The focus is shifted towards the orchestra and their emotional expression. - Wagner uses the leitmotif to introduce a character, object or thought into the musoc drama. These may evolve as the circumstances or emotional content changes. These help create unity in an extended dramatic work. - Used highly dissonant harmony for emotional tension. One of the leading composers to break down tonality. |
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Elements of romanticism in the 20th century: |
- Individuality - Experimentation - Escapism |
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Characteristics of 20th century music: |
- Tone colour is very important - Noiselike and percussive sounds are often used. Even the piano is used to give a percussive edge to the orchestra. - The whole range and strange techniques of instruments are exploited. Glissandos, use the wood of the bow, fluttery brass. - Modern orchestral and chamber works often sound transparent; individual tone colours are clearly heard. Less emphasis on a blended sound. |
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Harmony in the 20th century. |
The distinction between consonance and dissonance was abandoned. Dissonance was up to the composer's discretion. |
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New chord structures: |
- Polychord: two traditional triads placed against each other such as a major against e major - Fourth chord: chords not based on triads but 4ths. C, F, Bb, Eb. Tone cluster: a chord made up of tones whole and half steps apart. |
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New chord structures: |
- Polychord: two traditional triads placed against each other such as a major against e major - Fourth chord: chords not based on triads but 4ths. C, F, Bb, Eb. - Tone cluster: a chord made up of tones whole and half steps apart. |
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Alternative tonal system: |
- Some compositions had a central tone but where lacking other musocal elements such as tonic traid and dominant/tonic relationship. - Composers used alternative scales to the church modes. - Compositions are organised around a cenral chord other than the triad. - Dominant-tonic relationships are replaced by other chord relationships. Pieces could have non 5-1 "Perfect" cadences. - Polytonality and bitonality is used. - Atonality is used. |
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Twelve-tone system. |
Invented by Arnold Schoenberg. Gives equal importance to each of the 12 chromatic tones. Each pich is derived from the tone row, set or series. Each tone row is unique. |
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Four forms of the tone row: |
1. Original form 2. Inversion -upside down 3. Retrograde -backwards 4. Retrograde inversion -backward and upside down |
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Rhythm in 20th century music: |
- Rhythm is one of the most striking elements of this music. - Rhythmic procedures are drawn from: Jazz, Folk music around the world and European art music. - Rapidly changing metres are characteristic of this music. - Pulses may be asymmetrically grouped. - Polyrhythm is used. Different metres at the same time. |
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Melody in the 20th century: |
- Melody is no longer tied to traditional chords or major and minor keys. - May be based on a wide variety of scales. - May use any pitch and have no tonal centre. - Melody contains large leaps that are difficult to sing. - Melodies are unpredictable; irregular phrases and constant change in metre. |
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Aim of impressionism |
To give the listener the impression that nature made on the composer- his subjective impression. |
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Subjectivity and romantiscism |
The composer's own point of view, feelings, ideas, beliefs etc. must come before all else. It is individualistic. |
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General characteristics of Romantic music: |
- Individuality of style: each compooser is unique. - Expressive aims and subjects: intimacy, longing, love - Nationalism: pre-occupation with national identity. Drew inspiritaion from their own country. - Exotisism: borrow ideas from foreign countries - Expressive tone colour. - Colourful harmony: freer tonality for greater expression. - Form: monumental and miniature forms wer explored. Unity is achieved with leitmotif etc. |
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Impressionism |
Bathed and reflected light, sometimes hazy and smoky, is more important than outline or detail. Impressionistic composers wanted to leave the listener with the same impression something left on him. |
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Debussy characteristics |
- Literary and pictorial ideas inspired Debussy. Most of his compositions have descriptive titles. - Tone colour plays a large role in his music. Intense but never harsh tones. Woodwinds in strange registers, muted brass and sustaining pedal. - Uses successive unresolved dissonant chords. Parallel chords are characteristic. - Never abandons tonality but avoids it: Avoids strongly key affirming progressions, uses medieval church modes, pentatonic scales and whole-tone scales. - The rhythm avoids recurring strong accents that coincide with the bar line. |
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Neoclassisim |
- Uses musical forms and stylistic features of earlier periods - Not only a revival but uses 20th century techniques to organise harmonies and rhythms. - Neobaroque could be more appropriate (Back to Bach). - Neoclassic composers preffered absolute music. - Smaller groups were composed for due to economic reasons from WW1. - Polyphony became prevalent once again - Most music is tonal. Though their works reffered to past styles it sounded completely modern. |
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Stravinsky characteristics |
- Tone colours are dry and clear. Uses highly contrasting tone colours eg: violin+ trumpet, piano+ trombone. - Instruments play in unusual registers. -Uses percussion imaginatively. - Had one of the most fertile rhythmic imaginations. - Employs changing and irregular metres. Sometimes several metres at once. Uses ostinatos for unity. - Does not bridge between sections, he rapidly shifts from one section to another. - Had rich, novel harmonies: Petrushka chord (C major + F# major). Also makes conventional harmony soundunique through spacing and orchestration. - He uses known music to create original music. Russian folk music, madrigals and tango. |
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Expressionism |
- An artistic movement that promoted intense, personal emotion. -Used delibarate distortions to shock the audiences to comminicate the anguish of the human psyche. - Expressionism is an art concerned with social protest. It conveyed the feelings of the poor and opressed. Many times it depicted the horror and bloodshed of WW1 |
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Primitivism |
The deliberate suggestion of primitive power through insistent rhythms and percussive sounds. |
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Rite of spring background |
- Came to Stravinsky while he was completing the Firebird in 1910. - Wise Elders sitting in a circle watching a girl dance herself to death. (Solemn pagan rite) - She is sacrificed to the propitate god of Spring. Inspired by the Russian Spring. - Written for an enormous orchestra: 8 horns, 4 tubas, 5 timpani, bass drum, tambourine, tam-tam, triangle, antique symbals and a guiro. - The melodies are folk like: Have narrow ranges, made of fragments that repeat with slight changes in rhythm amd pitch. The melodic and rhythmic tepetition gives it a hypnotic, ritualistic quality. |
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Rite of spring sections: |
1. Adoration of the earth: Ritual of Abduction, Omens of spring, Adoration of the Earth. 2. The sacrifice: Mysterious circle of ypung girls, Glorification of the chosen maiden, evocation of the ancestors, Sacrificial dance. |
