Evolution of Music

Question 1

During the Medieval period in history (450-1450), Christianity was the focal point of
culture in Europe so almost all music was about God and worship. At that time, music
was mostly made up of one melody line with no background music. These songs from
the medieval period are referred to as _ _, named after Pope Gregory,
who was the leader of the Christian church from 590-640 A.D.

Answer 1

Gregorian Chants

Question 2

During the later stages of the medieval period,
music evolved to where two melody lines heard
at the same time that were sung or played in
harmony.

Question 3

the simplest of musical textures, consisting of a
melody.

Answer 3

Monophony

Question 4

the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic,
unaccompanied sacred song in Latin of the Roman Catholic Church.

Answer 4

Gregorian Chant

Question 5

a type of musical texture consisting of
two or more simultaneous lines of independent
melody

Answer 5

Polyphony-

Question 6

years of medieval

Answer 6

450-1450

Question 7

years of renaissance

Answer 7

1450-1600

Question 8

The renaissance period (1450-1600) was a time of great change
in music. People had a renewed interest in things like art and
music and musicians had more freedom to be creative and show
individual style.

Sacred music, or church music, was still the most popular type
of music.

The famous Mona Lisa by
Leonardo da Vinci belongs
to this time period.

New musical instruments such as the clavichord and the lute
were invented and became very popular. Also new printing
technology developed during this time that allowed written
music to be available to more people.

Question 9

a stringed
rectangular keyboard instrument.

Historically, it was mostly used as a
practice instrument and as an aid to
composition, not being loud enough
for larger performances.

Answer 9

Clavichord

Question 10

In the Renaissance era, the _
was the most popular instrument
in the Western world. It became
the symbol of the magic and
power of music. The _ was the
instrument of kings and queens,
playing the sublime music of
great composers.

Answer 10

lute

Question 11

a word used to describe a style that
followed the renaissance in European music between
the years 1600 and 1750. The word means
“strange” or “excessive”.

individual style.

Answer 11

Baroque (ba-roke)

Question 12

baroque characterization

Answer 12

long flowing
melodic lines often using ornamentation (decorative
notes such as trills and turns)

contrast between loud
and soft,

solo and ensemble.

a contrapuntal texture
where two or more melodic lines are combined.

Question 13

At this time, _ music (non-church music) was
becoming popular and the orchestra and opera were invented.

Answer 13

secular

Question 14

is group (ensemble) of instruments
playing music together.

Answer 14

orchestra

Question 15

a story with drama representation that is
set to music.

Answer 15

opera

Question 16

composer of the four seasons concertos,

Answer 16

Vivaldi,

Question 17

creator of
many of today’s composing techniques,

Answer 17

J.S. Bach

Question 18

two of the most prominent composers of the time
(Baroque)

Answer 18

J.S. Bach, Vivaldi

Question 19

year of baroque

Answer 19

1600-1750

Question 20

year of classical

Answer 20

1750-1825

Question 21

important forms of classical

Answer 21

string
quartet
opera (including opera buffa and opera seria),
trio sonata,
symphony (traditionally written in sonata
form).

Question 22

which is music that has one melody and
background music, became popular.

Answer 22

Homophony,

Question 23

New instruments such as the clarinet, flute
and other instruments were

added to the orchestra and new types songs,
or musical compositions, were created to
adapt to the new sounds.

Two major composers of the classical era
you may have heard of are Haydn and
Mozart.

Question 24

wrote hundreds of
compositions even though he died
at only 35 years of age, alone and
broke.

Answer 24

W.A Mozart

Question 25

is considered as the
father of the symphony and string
quartets and, was the most influential
composer of the classical era.

Answer 25

Joseph Haydn

Question 26

reflected the political and
social changes that were taking place all around the world

Answer 26

Romantic period

Question 27

Romantic period (1850-1920) reflected the political and
social changes that were taking place all around the world.

Composers experimented with their music and showed much
more creativity.

Question 28

became the dominant feature of the music and used
melodies to express nationalism (loyalty to a country or
group of people).

Answer 28

Melody

Question 29

KEY FEATURES OF THE ROMANTIC
PERIOD

Answer 29

emotional expression

big expansion in size of orchestra and in types of instrumental

new structures/form

increasingly elaborate harmonic progressions

longer melodies than classical period

bigger range of dynamicss=

larger range in pitch

nationalism in music

Question 30

this became more important than formal structural considerations as composers
rebelled against the formal restraint of the classical period.

Answer 30

Emotional expression

Question 31

(a very skilled performer) became very popular.
Singer, pianist and violinist were the most admired _
of the period.

Answer 31

Virtuosos

Question 32

It is said that a Hungarian composer, played the
piano with so much emotion that women in the audience
would faint while listening to him play.

Answer 32

Franz Liszt

Question 33

is considered
one of the greatest
composers of all times

Answer 33

Beethoven

Question 33

composer of
the famous Nutcracker
ballet

Answer 33

Tchaikovsky

Question 34

was the first century of
recorded music. Swing jazz in the 1920s and
30s aimed for making people move. The music
was rhythmic, repetitive and danceable. Over
time, however, different sub-categories of jazz
evolved into less danceable music, such as
bebop, cool jazz, and free jazz.

Answer 34

20th century

Question 35

was a
Russian composer. He is widely
considered one of the most
important and influential
composers of the 20th century and
a pivotal figure in modernist music.

Answer 35

Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky

Question 36

was a Hungarian
composer, pianist, and ethnomusicologist.
He is considered one of the most important
composers of the 20th century

Answer 36

Béla Viktor János Bartók

Question 37

is a German film
score composer and music producer. He
has won two Oscars and four Grammys,
and has been nominated for two Emmys
and a Tony.

Answer 37

Hans Florian Zimmer

Question 38

Technology has played a very important part in the
evolution of modern music. New styles of music were
created around instruments such as the electric guitar and
keyboard.

The use of computers has also had a huge influence on
musical styles by allowing composers and musicians to
manipulate sounds.

Many styles were developed as an expression of a
particular culture. For example, hiphop and rap music came
out of inner city cultures. Country and Bluegrass music are a
reflection of people that live and work outside of big cities.