melody

 

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A succession of single pitches that is perceived as a whole

pitch
Highness or lowness of tone depending on frequency
phrase
Unit of meaning within a larger structure
cadence
resting place in a musical phrase; music punctuation
beat
basic unit of rhythm/music
meter
organization of rhythm in time
syncopation
deliberate upsetting of normal pattern of accentuation
polyrhythm
Use of several rhythmic patterns simultaneously
harmony
combination of notes simultaneously ensuing relationships fo intervals and chords
chord
three or more notes played at the same time
scale
series of tones in ascending or descending order
tonality
principle of organization around tonic based on scale
consonance
concordant or harmonious combination of tones
dissonance
discordant and unstable combo of tones
texture
interweaving of melodic and harmonic elements
monophonic
polyphonic
homophonic
single-line texture w/o accompaniment
two or more melodic line combined
texture with principal melody and harmony
form
structure and design in music, organizing principle
movement
complete, self-contained part within a larger musical work.
theme
melodic idea used as a basic building block in the construction of a composition
sequence
restatement of an idea or motive at a different pitch level
motive
short melodic or rhythmic idea
ostinato
short melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic pattern that is repeated throughout a work
tempo
rate of speed or pace of music
timbre
quality of sound that distinguishes one voice for instrument from another
tonic
first note of the scale or key
vibrato
small fluctuation of pitch used as an expressive device to intensify sound
dynamics
volume of sound
pizzicato
pluck a string of a bowed instrument with finger
tremolo
rapid repetition of a tone
chamber music
ensemble music for up to ten players, with one player to a part
genre
term for describing category or overall character of a work
medium
performing forces employed in a certain musical work
estampie
dance form in late medieval France w/ voice or only instruments
chanson
French monophonic or polyphonic song of Middle Ages and Renaissance set to either courtly or popular poetry
liturgy
set order of religious services and the structure of each service
motet
polyphonic vocal genre, secular in the Middle Ages but sacred or devotional thereafter.
organum
earliest kind of polyphonic music that developed from plainchant
Gregorian chant
monophonic melody with a free flowing, unmeasured vocal line; liturgical chant of Roman Catholic Church.
Proper
Sections of RCMass that vary day to day throughout year according to liturgical occasion
Ordinary
sections of RCMass that remains the same day to day.
a cappella
Unaccompanied vocal music
Renaissance
1450-1600 Era of esploration, scientific inquiry, and artistic awakening
imitation
Melodic idea presented in one voice and then restated in another
word painting
Musical pictorialization of words from the text as an expressive device.
cantus firmus
‘fixed melody’ usually of very long notes based off chant that served for polyphonic composition esp in Ren era
requiem
Mass for the Dead. sung at funerals
madrigal
secular genre of sung poetry the flourished in the Ren Era
diatonic
chromatic
Seven tones of a scale used in music
12 half steps of a scale
dominant
fifth scale step
modulation
process of changing from one key to another
modulation
process of changing from one key to another
monody
vocal style estab. in Baroque w/ solo singer and instrument accomp
overture
intro mvt that presents melodies from arias to come. also an orch work for concert perf.
libretto
text or script of an opera
recitative
solo vocal declamation that follows inflections of text that results in disjunct vocal style
chorale
congregational hymn of the German Lutheran church
cantata
vocal genre for solo singers, chorus, and instru based on lyric or dramatic poetic narrative
aria
lyric song for solo voice w/ orch accomp generally expresses intense emotion.
basso continuo
continuous bass. bass, chordal instrument and one bass melody instrument
oratorio
Large scale dramatic genre originating in Baroque, based on a text of religious or serious character
opera seria
Tragic Italian opera
opera buffa
Italian comic opera, sung throughout
ritornello
Short, recurring instrumental passage found in aria and Baroque concerto
suite
Mulitimvt work made up of a series of contrasting dance mvts, gen. in same key
concerto grosso
Baroque concerto type based on opposition between a small group of solo instruments(concertino) and orch (ripieno)
fugue
Polyphonic form pop in Baroque w/ one or more themes that dev by imitative counterpoint
cadenza
Virtuosic solo passage in the manner of an improvisation, performed near the end of an aria or a mvt of a concerto
rondo form
First sec. recurs in tonic. Classical multimvt cycle it appears as last mvt.
string quartet
Chamber music ensemble consisting of two violins, violas, and cello.
Theme and Variations
Compositional procedure in which theme is stated, then altered in other statements; independ. piece or mvt of mm cycle
sonata form
The opening mvt of mm cycle
Exposition
Development
Recapitulation
1st sec
2nd sec
3rd sec of SA form
exoticism
style where rhythms, melodies, or instrum. evoke color and atmosphere of far-off lands
rubato
borrowed time. Rom music. hesitate or hurries through music expanding written note values.
strophic form
Song structure in which the same music is repeated with every stanza of the poem
through-composed form
Song structure that is composed from beginning to end, w/o repetitions of large sections
the lied
solo art song of 19th century, usually accompanied by piano.
idee fixe
Fixed idea; Berlioz’s idea for recurring musical idea that links diff. mvts. of a work
leitmotifs
leading motive. basic recurring them repping a person, object, or idea. common in Wagner operas.
music drama
Wagner’s term for his operas
program music
Instrum. music endowed w/ literary or pictorial associations, esp popular in 19th cen.
symphonic poem
1 mvt orch form that devlops poetic idea, suggests scene or creates mood. Rom era
nationalism
pride in one’s country
verismo
Operatic ‘realism’, a style pop in Italy in 1890’s which tried to bring naturalism into the lyric theater.
ballet
dance form featuring a staged presentation of group or solo dancing w/ music, costumes, and scenery.
atonality
total abandonment of tonality.
blues
Afro-amcn form of secular folk music, related to jazz, that is based on a simple, repetitive poetic-musical structure.
prepared piano
piano whose sound is altered by the insertion of various materials between strings. John cage
ragtime
late 19th cent piano style by afro-amcns w/ syncopated melodies.
Impressionism (art)
French mvt dev by visual artists who favored vague, blurry images.
Impressionism (music)
exotic scales, unresolved dissonances, parallel chords, rich orchestral tone color and free rhythm
polytonality
simultaneous use of two or more keys. common in 20th cen music
Serialism (tone row)
Schoenberg method based on particular arr. of 12 chromatic tones
sprechstimme
vocal style in which melody is spoken at approx. pitches rather than sung on exact pitches
Klangfarbenmelodie
20th cen. technique where notes of melody are dist. among diff instrum. giving pointillistic texture
quotation music
music that parodies another work or works, presenting them in a new style or guise
Minimalism
contemp music style featuring repetition of short melodic, rhythmic, and harmonic patterns w/ little variation
Neo-Romanticism
contemp style w/ rich harmonic language and other elements of Rom. era
neoclassicism
20th cent style combining elements of Classical and Baroque music w/ modernist trends