Form and the Common Practice Period
Music before 1600.
Middle Ages 450-1450. Religious. Churches and monasteries. Written down.
Vocal music primarily (instrumental music not as important, or written down, but it DID occur)
Sacred (religious) and Secular (non religious).
"cant-" or "chant-" refers to singing or the voice in some way
Gregorian Chant - type of singing done in the church from about 400 to present day in some churches. Monophonic texture, unaccompanied voices singing in unison, narrow range, no clear beat, no extremes in dynamics - in short, easily singable and not distracting. Track 13.
Renaissance (1450-1600) - Invention of the printing press that enabled non-religious interests to continue learning. The Renaissance was a more secular age, and this is where the Madrigal comes from. Complex polyphonic a cappella music [classic]
The beginning stage in the evolution of music toward polyphonic texture (found in the Palestrina example (track 14) as well as the Secular Madrigal (track 17)
A cappella (as in the chapel - unaccompanied voices)
Renaissance 1450-1600.
Common Practice Period 1600-1900
Baroque (1600-1750) - birth of opera. Very dramatic period. Extreme contrasts. [romantic]
Vocal Music
Cant- or Chant- having to do with singing
Aria - the singing style in operatic works that is a "song". Action stops and characters reflect on emotion that has just occurred.
Recitative - the singing style in operatic works that is the dialog/action. This type of singing is not usually very tuneful.
Opera - a large-scale, multi-movement work for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra. It is secular (not religious), acted out on stage with scenery and costumes, performed in a theater, and sung in Italian. G.F. Handel started his very successful career writing operas.
Cantata - a small-scale, multi-movement work for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra. It is sacred (religious), NOT acted out on stage with NO scenery and costumes, performed in a church during a service, and sung in German. J.S. Bach wrote many of these types of works.
Oratorio - a large-scale, multi-movement work for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra. It is sacred (religious), NOT acted out on stage with NO scenery and costumes, performed in a theater, and sung in English. Handel began to compose this type of work when the London theatres were closed during Lent. Messiah is an example of an oratorio.
Libretto - the words of an opera exactly as they are set to music. The libretto is NOT a plot summary, but the lyrics of the opera (like a script to a play or movie). Literally, it means "Little book".
Movement - a part of a work, sounds complete in itself with a beginning middle and end. Think of it like a chapter in a book
Sona- having to do with instruments
Solo Concerto - multi-movement work for orchestra and a soloist - features cadenza
Cadenza - the part in a concerto where the orchestra stops playing and the soloist is featured.
Prelude - a short musical work which "sets up" a larger work
Fugue - 1. a method of composition using polyphonic texture and based on a single melody called a subject. 2. a work that is written using the fugue method (think of it in the same way that rap has two meanings - to rhyme, and a type of song that features the rap method)
Suite - a group of dances, usually all are in binary form (AABB)
Passacaglia - a work that is built on an unchanging bass line that is repeated throughout
Canon - a rule, or a work that is built on a rule.
Program music - music that has an extra-musical idea to go along with it. It might be a story, an idea, a picture, or a text.
6 Features of Baroque Music
1. terraced dynamics - dynamics change suddenly
2. unity of mood - a movement will stay in one mood only
3. continuous melody - the melody continues to unfold and keep going. Hard to find a cadence (resting place)
4. continuous and driving rhythm - a rhythm pattern is usually repeated throughout, and builds momentum
5. chords and the basso continuo - strong bass line played by two players (harpsichord/organ and cello). Chord progression, a set of tones that all belong to the same key
6. polyphonic texture - more than one melody is usually going on at the same time
Names:
Antonio Vivaldi
G.F. Handel
J.S. Bach
Musical examples:
Handel Messiah
Bach Toccata and Fugue
Vivaldi "Spring" Concerto