meter
organization of beats according to accents
simple meter
beats are not grouped into larger pulses
compound meter
beats are separated into groups of 3; each group of 3 is one pulse
consonance
harmony that is at rest; no compelling need to move on
dissonance
harmony that needs resolution
resolution
movement from dissonance to consonance
motive
distinctive fragment of a melody
phrase
shortest melodic unit that ends with a cadence
theme
basic melody for a longer piece of music
period
a pair of related phrases
cadence
a momentary or final resting point in music
texture
the blend of sounds and melodies in a piece of music
monophony
consists of only one melody and nothing else
homophony
one main melody; the other melodies accompany
polyphony
two or more melodic lines sounding together; counterpoint
tonality
there is one most important pitch
modulation
movement from one tonal center to another
4 choirs of the orchestra
string, woodwind, brass, percussion
strings
violin, viola, cello, contra bass
woodwind
flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon
brass
french horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba
percussion
timpani, mallet
Middle Ages
400-1400
chant
gregorian chant; plainchant; plainsong
features of chant
monophonic, no definite time signature, dynamics followed contour of music, phrases distinguished by pauses, Latin
troubadours
poets/composers/performers from southern France
trouveres
poets/composers/performers from northern France
music sung by troubadours/trouveres
chanson
features of chansons
monophonic, metered, rhythm dictated by French text, strophic, courtly love
organum
medieval polyphonic sacred music; old melody combined with new melody
organum composers
Leonin; Perotin
organization of organum
stretched out the chant into very long notes (bottom); new melody moved along very rhythmically (top)
motet
medieval polyphonic secular music; chant voice on bottom moving in regular rhythm, two french secular voices on top moving faster
Mauchaut
motet composer
renaissance
rebirth of classical Greek values and ideas; 1400-1600
Guillaume Dufay
established renaissance musical language
movements of the renaissance mass
kyrie, gloria, credo, sanctus, angus dei
Josquin des Prez
imitative polyphony
Palestrina
regulated music with a lot of rules
baroque
1600-1750
reasons for beginning baroque
reaction to complicated music of renaissance
opera
staged drama set to music
mythological plots
opera composers thought that ancient greek plays were sung, so they used greek subject matter in their plots
recitative
speech-like singing intended to advance the plot
aria
tuneful music intended to comment on the plot
basso continuo
bass line with accompanying harmonic notation
Monteverdi
Italian, one of the first opera composers, “The Coronation of Poppea”
Henry Purcell
British, “Dido and Aeneas”
concerto
a work for solo instrument and orchestra
concerto grosso
a work for a small group of soloists and orchestra
format of typical concerto/concerto grossos
fast; slow; fast
composer associated with concerto grossos
Vivaldi
composer associated with concertos
Bach
ritornello
ABACADA….
fugue
a work of imitative polyphony in which each voice enters separately at the beginning with the main melody
church cantata
a 30-min work using choir, soloists, and orchestra that was performed on sundays in the lutheran church
chorale
an early lutheran hymn
adagio
slow
andante
on the slow side, but not too slow
moderato
moderate tempo
allegretto
on the fast side, but not too fast
allegro
fast
presto
very fast
largo
slow, very slow
larghetto
somewhat faster than largo
andantino
somewhat faster than andante
vivace
lively
molto allegro
faster than allegro
prestissimo
very fast indeed
