Music 2

Front 1

• Gregorian Chant

Back 1

also known as plainchant or plainsong; consists of a single line melody—monophonic; has no harmony, counterpoint or rhythm; named after Pope Gregory the Great
o Syllabic- 1 note per syllable of text
o Neuimatic- a few notes set to one syllable
o Melismatic- many notes set to one syllable

Front 2

• Secular music

Back 2

non religious music

Front 3

• Sacred Music-

Back 3

religious music

Front 4

• A Cappella-

Back 4

vocal music without instrumental accompaniment

Front 5

• Organum

Back 5

the earliest polyphonic music; started at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris

Front 6

• Motet-

Back 6

polyphonic vocal music that sometimes featured two different texts

Front 7

• Word Painting-

Back 7

an expressive device used by composers and performers to make the music reflect the meaning of the words or text

Front 8

• Cantus Firmus-

Back 8

(fixed song) music based on a fixed, pre-existing melody

Front 9

• The Council of Trent

Back 9

a meeting of Catholic Church leaders to regulate all aspects of religious discipline, including church music. They objected to the use of certain instruments in the church and claimed the sacred text was too hard to hear because of the extravagant embellishments to the Gregorian melodies. They recommended a pure vocal style that would respect the integrity of the sacred text.

Front 10

• The Chanson-

Back 10

secular music favored in French courts—usually written for 3 to 4 voices and set to courtly love verses of French Renaissance poets

Front 11

the italian madrigal

Back 11

an aristocratic form of poetry and music that flourished at the Italian Courts—most important secular genre of the era

Front 12

• The English madrigal

Back 12

often simpler and lighter in character and style than its Italian counterpart

Front 13

• Baroque Period-

Back 13

a period of music history that is characterized by the dualism of extravagance and extreme emotion on one and calculation on the other; unity of mood, rhythmic continuity, long elaborate melody’s—broken into three periods
o Early- Monterverdi, stress on emotions, melody imitates speech
• Monody- a solo song with instrumental accompaniment (homophonic)
o Middle- Vivaldi
• Major and Minor tonality system- becomes popular along with instrumental compositions; one of the most significant changes in music—all harmony functioned around the tonic or key center
o Late- Bach, Handel
• Polophony- is the most popular texture, tonic/dominant relationship is established

Front 14

Monody

Back 14

a solo song with instrumental accompaniment (homophonic)

Front 15

• Major and Minor tonality system-

Back 15

becomes popular along with instrumental compositions; one of the most significant changes in music—all harmony functioned around the tonic or key center

Front 16

• Affection

Back 16

powerful emotions displayed in music through text painting—unity of mood in Baroque period

Front 17

• Basso Continuo-

Back 17

a bass line played by the left hand of the keyboard player and doubled by a law melodic instrument (cello/bassoon)—2 player accompaniment

Front 18

• Figured Bass

Back 18

a musical shorthand consisting of numbers used by composers to give performers directions on what notes to play above a bass line and improvised (make up on the spot) the melody and chords

Front 19

• Terraced dynamics

Back 19

abrupt alternation between loud and soft

Front 20

• Camerata

Back 20

a group of writers, artists, and musicians who aimed to resurrect the musical-dramatic art of ancient Greece- through the use of monody, they realized that emotions in written words could be heightened by using music to illustrate the text. This gave rise to the invention of opera.

Front 21

• Opera

Back 21

a large scale musical drama that combines poetry, acting, scenery, and costumes with singing and instrumental music-- *** 1607 first opera by Monteverdi

Front 22

• Opus

Back 22

Latin word for “work”, singular form of opera

Front 23

• Libretto

Back 23

“little book” the text of an opera

Front 24

• Librettist

Back 24

the person who writes the libretto, or text of an opera

Front 25

• Overture

Back 25

music that happens before opera, play or ballet—used to set the mood

Front 26

• Aria

Back 26

in an opera, cantata or oratorio, a melody vocal solo that is used to reflect on the action

Front 27

da capo aria

Back 27

literally ‘the head’ a sung composition in ABA form, where the beginning section is repeated

Front 28

• Recitative

Back 28

in an opera, cantata or orchestra, a solo with minimal accompaniment. It follows the inflection of text, resulting in a disjunct vocal style. It is used to advance the action of the plot.

Front 29

• Chorus

Back 29

a large of singers

Front 30

• Castrati

Back 30

a male singer who was castrated during boyhood in order to preserve the soprano or alto register of his voice

Front 31

• Oratorio

Back 31

a large scale composition for chorus, vocal soloists and orchestra. Although usually based on biblical stories, it has no acting, scenery or costumes and is NOT intended for religious services; more dramatic than cantata, on average 2 hours, narrative text—recitative connects pieces

Front 32

• Cantata

Back 32

a work for chorus, soloists, organ and orchestra that is set to a German religious text and IS a part of the Church service; sermon music, is a part of service

Front 33

• Chorales

Back 33

the German Lutheran harmonization of a hymn tune

Front 34

• Solo Sonata-

Back 34

an instrumental composition for 1 player (1-8 in normal Sonata) in several movements

Front 35

• Sonata de camera-

Back 35

- chamber sonata- a group of stylized dances; performed in a home—non secular

Front 36

• Sonata de Chiesa

Back 36

church sonata—more dignified in nature, more contrapuntal in texture with movements arranged in a slow-fast-slow-fast sequence

Front 37

• Trio Sonata-

Back 37

the favorite ensemble combination in the Baroque—written in 3 parts; two melodic lines and a basso continuo—required at least 4 players – 2 for the melody and 2 for basso continuo

Front 38

• Movement

Back 38

self contained segments that make up larger works

Front 39

• Concerto

Back 39

an instrumental form based on the opposition between two different bodies of sound (soloist v. orchestra)

Front 40

o Solo Concerto

Back 40

an instrumental composition written for one instrumental soloist with orchestra accompaniment

Front 41

o Concerto grasso

Back 41

an instrumental composition written for a small group of soloists (concertino) with orchestral (tutti) accompaniment—only in Baroque period

Front 42

• Baroque suite-

Back 42

group of dancers, usually in the same key, but in contrasting meter and character; 1. Prelude (optional) 2. Allemande 3. Courante 4. Sara bande 5. Gigue

Front 43

• Ritornello Form

Back 43

compositional form in which the orchestral play a refran (or ritornello) alternating with the soloist playing new material—Rit sol Rit sol Rit sol – ritornello is same each time

Front 44

• Ground Bass-

Back 44

a repeating melody—usually in the bass line, that is heard throughout a vocal or instrumental composition

Front 45

• Italian Overture

Back 45

a baroque overture consisting of 3 sections; fast- slow- fast with a dance like finale

Front 46

• French overture

Back 46

a Baroque instrumental introduction to opera, ballet in 2 sections, slow, somber introduction featuring dotted rhythm s and an allegro section in a fuga style known as a fugato.

Front 47

• Choral Prelude-

Back 47

short organ works elaborating on a chorale melody

Front 48

• Fugue

Back 48

a polyphonic imitative composition based on a main theme

Front 49

o Subject

Back 49

the theme or melody on which a fugue is based

Front 50

o Answer

Back 50

the second statement of the subject; it starts on the dominant (fifth) scale degree

Front 51

o Counter subject-

Back 51

different melodic idea that accompanies the subject

Front 52

o Episodes

Back 52

music that happens between statements of the theme/subject

Front 53

o Stretto

Back 53

subject is limited in a second cove before it is completed in the first voice

Front 54

o Inversion

Back 54

upside down statement of the subject—upward intervals move down and vice versa

Front 55

o Retrograde

Back 55

backward statement of the subject- start with the last note of the theme

Front 56

o Diminution

Back 56

subject presented in shortened time values

Front 57

o Augmentation

Back 57

presentation of the subject in lengthened time values

Front 58

o Pedal point

Back 58

a single tone, usually in the bass that is held while other voices in the fugue produce a series of changing harmonies against it

Front 59

o Prelude

Back 59

a short piece based on a harmony with a strong element of improvisation and expansion of a melodic figure—most often used as an introduction to a fugue (not always)

Front 60

• Purcell

Back 60

English—credited for writing the first great English language opera

Front 61

• Vivaldi

Back 61

Italian—born in Venice, was known as the red priest, was music teacher for Wayward girls in Italy (orphanage), the four seasons was most famous work, wrote primarily instrumental work, composed his orchestra for his girls, played significant role in development of the concerto , exploiting the contrast in sonority between large and small performing groups

Front 62

• Handel

Back 62

German—born in Halle, spent most of his productive time in London, was adopted by the English people, really focused on choruses

Front 63

• Bach

Back 63

German—born in Eisenach, had 2 wives and 20 children, 9 lived and 4 boys became composers, longest most productive time spent at St. Thomas Church in Leipzip, deeply religious Lutheran (before J.J., after S.D.G.) well known organist, not composer in his time, people thought music was too complex, B.V.W. before his pieces today (ranked based on theme)