| . What is the difference between monophonic, homophonic and polyphonic? |
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Mono- unison melody. homo- harmonization. poly – multiple equal
melodies
Example: monophonic ‘Kyrie eleison’ Anonymous
Example: homophonic ‘Flow My Tears’ Dowland
Example: polyphonic ‘Agnus Dei’ Byrd |
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| Who was Hildegard von Bingen? |
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Plainchant composer of middle ages
Example: ‘Kyrie eleison’ |
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| What is a chromatic scale. |
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| A scale where all of the half steps in an octave are used. |
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| Why are Mozart’s operas so important? |
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| Combined opera seria w/ opera buffa (serious yet funny), some in German instead of Italian, address pressing social issues (class distinction) instead of mythology and heroism |
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When the music tries to imitate the emotion, action, or natural sounds as described in the text
Example: ‘Flow my Tears’ Dowland |
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| What are the two main types of song in opera? |
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Aria and recitative
Example: ‘Dido’s Lament’ from Dido and Aeneas, Purcell |
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| What musical innovation defined the Renaissance as different from the Middle Ages |
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| Use of instruments, secular song |
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Chords and sonorities embodying dissonance pull toward resolution in
consonance |
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| What is the difference between major scales and minor scales? |
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Major scales: half step from 3-4 and 7-8. Minor scales: half step between
2-3, 5-6, raised 7. |
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| Name 3 major composers of the Baroque period |
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| What are the different styles present in the medieval period? |
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Chant, motet (early form), polyphony (early form)
Example: Chant – ‘Pange lingua’ Anonymous
Example: Polyphony – ‘Sumer is icumen in’ Anonymous |
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| Name 2 new instruments from the Baroque period. |
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The overall complexity of a piece of music. Usually refers to the number of and relationship between parts or lines of music: monophony, heterophony, polyphony, homophony.
Example: Pange lingua v. Zapotec Agnus Dei |
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| How is basso continuo different from basso ostinato? |
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Continuo: begins at beginning, continues through to the end, often in more or less continuous eighth notes, driving steadily on, creating a foundation for what is put above it. (hearing the basso continuo is one of the surest ways to recognize baroque music) Ostinato: obstinate or repeating bass, aka a passacaglia.
Example: continuo – ‘Double Concerto in D Minor’ Bach
Example: ostinato – Dido’s Lament |
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| What three things make the Classical period different from other stylistic periods? |
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Very short (1750 – 1830), focused on a single place (Vienna), largely the
creation of two men (Haydn and Mozart |
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| What distinguished mid-Baroque from high-Baroque? |
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Mid: period where principles of new music (seconda prattica) spread
throughout Europe. High: fully matured style; perfection of major/minor tonality, use of chords, harmonic progression, sharp focus on outer voices instead of contrapuntal equality, purely instrumental music, opera. |
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| What’s the difference between motet and madrigal |
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Motet: Renaissance, unaccompanied vocal work, usually in Latin, to a sacred-ish text. One line borrowed from plainchant with texted lines above it.
Madrigal: Renaissance, vocal, secular, often pastoral, sometimes bawdy.
Example: Motet – ‘Delporation sur la Mort de Johannes Ockeghem’
(chanson-motet b/c it is in French, not Latin)
Example: Madrigal – ‘Io mi son giovinetta’ Monteverdi |
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A section that introduces a movement, then comes back over the course of
the piece to serve as a point of structural reference. Used most
prominently in the rondo (R-A-R-B-R) |
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| What’s the difference between melismatic and syllabic? |
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Melismatic: multiple notes per syllable. Syllabic: one note per syllable.
Example: Melismatic – plainchant
Example: Syllabic – recitative |
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| What are the three parts of sonata form? |
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| Exposition, development, recapitulation |
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The relationship between two or more voices that are independent in contour and rhythm but are harmonically interdependent (polyphony).
Example: ‘Fugue in c minor’ Bach |
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| How many movements are in a symphony, and what are they? |
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1 – sonata
2 – slow
3 – minuet and trio
4 – sonata
Example: ‘Sonata in G Minor’ Mozart |
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| Compare cantata w/ chorale? |
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Cantata: Baroque, accompanied vocal work, many possible languages, to a sacred text. Features solos, duets, and ensemble pieces. Chorale: Baroque, congregational work, mostly German, to a sacred text. Simple tune meant to be sung by entire congregation, in accordance with Protestant ideal of direct participation in worship
Example: Cantata – ‘Ein feste burg’ Bach
Example: Chorale – |
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A major tonic triad at the end of a minor phrase (raise the 3rd).
Example – final cadence of ‘Agnus Dei’ from Zapotec |
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| Who wrote the first English opera, and what was it called? |
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Dido and Aeneas, Henry Purcell
Example – ‘Dido’s Lament’ Purcell |
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