Introduction To Western Music Final Exam

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Chorale

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German for hymn, also used for a four-part harmonization of a Lutheran hymn, such as Bach composed in his Cantata No. 4 and other works, Baroque period, Lutheran cantatas.

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Chorale prelude

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Baroque period, an organ composition incorporating a hymn tune. German, significance: tune would bring to mind the lesson of the hyms that people already knew by heart.

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Church cantata

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Second most important to oratorio in Baroque music. Piece of moderate length for vocals and instruments. German cantatas for Lutheran services.

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Opera seria

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Principle type of Italian Baroque opera (Serious opera). Plots designed to stir up powerful emotions. Frequent solo singing, often by castrati.

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Opera buffa

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Italian comic opera, never featured castrati, famous performers rarely took the "joke" parts. First genre that included the lower class and the upper class.

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Oratorio

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Long semidramatic piece on a religious subject for soloists, chorus, and orchestra. Baroque era

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Recitative

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Techique of declaiming words musically in a heightened, theatrical manner. Used for plot action and dialogue. ITaly, late Baroque period.

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Aria

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Extended piece for a solo singer, much more elaborate. Emotion is controlled and frozen.

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Claudio Monteverdi

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Early Baroque (1567-1643) Composer, "last great madrigalist, first great opera composer." Mantua, Italy. Choirmaster of St. Marks Cathedral. Helped inaugurate public opera.

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Symphony

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A large orchestral piece in several movements. Classical Era, gave a more substantial focus on concerts as they became more popular.

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lied

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German for song; also a special genre of romantic songs with piano. Classical period

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chamber music

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Music played by small groups, such as a string quartet or piano trio. Classical period.

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Franz Schubert

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Classical period, professional composer based in Vienna, mutual financial support among middle class friends. Schubertiad: gathering at a home, included music and
dancing

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Robert Schumann

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Classical era, music critic and composer, wrote only piano music. Founded the magazine "The New Jersey Music Journal".

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Clara Schumann

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Known as a prodigy pianist by age 15. Tension in her marriage with Robert because she was much better of a pianist.

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Program music

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[Instrumental] music that “tells a
story” or “paints a picture”; while structure/form is
present, it is subsidiary to a narrative or series of images
that the composer wants to evoke

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Giuseppe Verdi and the "Risorgmento"

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Classical Era, born in Italy. An ardent supporter of the Risorgmento, or Italian liberation movement many of his operas had patriotic themes. Chief works: 24 operas.

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Program music and nationalism

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“Cultivated” tradition in 19th-century USA follows European models. Smattering of American composers study in Europe . Edward MacDowell, student of Liszt; wrote symphonic poems (program music) as well as
symphonies / quartets / sonatas.

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Aaron Copland

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Son of Jewish immigrants, Studies in Paris with Nadia Boulanger, incorporates folk into orchestral sound, Copland’s music was quickly accepted as representative of “American sound”

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Ragtime and two-step

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Most popular stage (and dance hall) dance in late 1800s: the two-step, a
couples dance using syncopated (“ragtime”) rhythms from the African-
american tradition and criticized by “polite society” as imitating sex on
stage.

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jazz and blues

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The syncopated music as a result of ragtime and twostep became known as jazz. A strong influence on this was also blues, African-American singing, probably partly derived from working songs (“field hollers”) improvised by 19th century slaves

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George Gershwin and "symphonic jazz"

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Commissioned for a concert in New York, which was intended to
“elevate” the jazz tradition to the status of concert music and to
claim it as a keystone of “American Music”. Initially written for piano and “big band” ensemble; eventually
orchestrated for piano and symphony orchestra (most popular version today).

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"Absolute Music" vs "Program Music"

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While “program music” connects to a visual or narrative image,
“absolute music” draws meaning from sound alone. Program music spreads through Europe, others reject it. Robert Schumann, becomes one of the most passionate
advocates of absolute music

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Gioacchino Rossini

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Born in Italy, studied at the Bologna Conservatory, Director of Teatro San Carlo in Naples and Théâtre Italien in Paris.

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Diegetic

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Diegetic music has a place and a source in the unfolding of the
story: a character sings a song, plays an instrument, etc. This is
music that “is happening on stage”.

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Non-diegetic

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Non-diegetic music does not have a place/source in the action -
for example, orchestral accompaniment to dialogue or other
action, or even musical accompaniment to a character if there is no musical ensemble in the action.

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Binary form

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Baroque dance form, section ending with cadence then repeated. (a a b b)

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Process music

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process music is music that highlights its formation / process rather than its status as a completed work - music as an activity rather than an object

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minimalism

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Simplicity is purposeful, so the listener can hear the slow changes in texture, pitch, etc.; the process of change is evident

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New Sound Palettes

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sound complexes where melody harmony and counterpoint are no longer central. micropolyphony: massively polyphonic music in which each player has a unique part. late 1900s

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Order and chaos in post war experiments

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Order: emphasis on structure, composer has greater control
Chaos: spontaneity, composer gives up control, such as aleatoric music by John Cage