Midterm Definitions Flashcards
(116 cards)
1
Q
Texture
A
refers to the interweaving of the melodic lines with harmony.
2
Q
Monophony
A
A single voice or line without accompaniment
3
Q
Polyphony
A
a many-voiced texture with different melodic lines, based on counterpoint
4
Q
Counterpoint
A
One line set against another
5
Q
Homophony
A
when one melodic voice is prominent over the accompanying lines or voices
6
Q
Imitation
A
when a melodic idea is presented in one voice, then restated in another ( a common unifying technique in polyphony)
7
Q
Heterophony
A
when several musicians play or sing the same line of music, but some element is varied so they are out of sync
8
Q
Homorhythmic
A
A type of homophonic texture in which all the voices move together with the same words.
9
Q
Patronage
A
Sponsorship of the arts
10
Q
Monasteries
A
Religious communities devoted to seclusion, study, and worship
11
Q
Vernacular
A
The common language of the people
12
Q
Humanism
A
The confidence of people in their own ability to solve problems and understand the world, inspired by the writers of Greece and Rome.
13
Q
Plaintchant/chant
A
An early church style featuring a monophonic, nonmetirc (no harmony or counterpoint) melodies set an a church mode, set in a single line
14
Q
Liturgy
A
The order of church services and the structure of each service.
15
Q
Gregorian Chant
A
The early chant melodies the codification of which is attributed to Gregory the Great
16
Q
Syllabic
A
One note sung to each syllable
17
Q
Neumatic
A
2-5/6 notes to a syllable
18
Q
Melismatic
A
Many notes to a syllable
19
Q
Modes
A
The scale patterns that preceded the modern major and minor scales. Lacked the attraction to a tonic note.
20
Q
Offices
A
A series of services celebrated in religious communities at various hours of the day
21
Q
Mass
A
A reenactment of Christ’s Last Supper, and the primary ritual of the Roman Catholic Church
22
Q
Proper of the Mass
A
The texts of the mass that vary from day to day
23
Q
Ordinary of the Mass
A
The texts of the Mass that remain the same every day.
24
Q
A cappella
A
Only voices
25
Antiphonal
Alternating between two groups of singers.
26
Responsorial
Similar to call and response, but with respondents are expected to repeat the words and melody precisely.
27
Organum
The earliest form of polyphony music, developing out of the improvisational aspects of Gregorian chant
28
Parallel Motion
Voices moving in the same direction
29
Oblique motion
One voice static while the other voice movies
30
Contrary motion
One voice static while the other moves.
31
Rhythmic mode
A fixed pattern of long and short notes that is repeated or varied, over a sustained bottom voice taken from the chant of the same name.
32
Troubadours (f. torbairitz)
Southern French courtly poet-musicians
33
Trouvères
Northern French courtly poet-musicians
34
Minnesingers
German singers of courtly love
35
Estampie
A sung dance form common in late medieval France
36
Strophic
The same melody is repeated with every stanza of the poem
37
Ars nova
A more refined and complex style of music which appeared in France in the 1300s.
38
rebec and vielle
Medieval bowed instruments
39
Shawm
proto-oboe
40
Sackbut
proto-trombone
41
Cantus firmus
Lit. "fixed melody." A song used as the basis on which to build another work (via ornamentation), most famously a Mass.``
42
Sections of the Ordinary
Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Angus Dei
43
Motet
A sacred work with a Latin text, for use in the mass and other religious services. In the medieval period, with secular works layered on top.
44
Congregational singing
The kind of worship, distinct from the Catholic choir-based method, that Martin Luther advocated.
45
Counter-Reformation
The Catholic response to Luther and the other reformers, centered in the Council of Trent.
46
Word-painting
Making music directly reflect the meaning of the words. E.g., a harsh dissonance coinciding with the word "death."
47
Madrigal
An Italian Renaissance musical piece known for it's expression and use of word painting.
48
Chanson
A French genre, usually in three or four voices, set to the courtly love poetry of the French poets.
49
Phrygian Mode
A old church mode, the white piano keys from E to E.
50
Types of Renaissance Dances:
Pavane, saltarello, galliard, allemande, ronde
51
Embellishments
Melodic decorations added by the performers
52
Monody
A solo song with instrumental accompaniment, established in the Baroque era.
53
Figured bass
A shorthand which allowed the performer to improvise the chords.
54
Basso continuo
The bass part, often played by two instruments (often the harpsichord and the cello)
55
Major-minor tonality
The new tonal system that replaced the modal system of the Renaissance/Middle Ages
56
Equal Temperament
A system of tuning designed to achieve the best output of all notes, rather than preferring some to the detriment of others. Bach was an advocate.
57
Virtuosity
Great skill among singers and musicians.
58
Camerata
A group of aristocratic humanists in Florence who, through wanted to resurrect Greek drama, pushed the madrigal; to become the opera.
59
Castrato
A male singer castrated during boyhood to maintain his youthful register.
60
Opera
A large-scale musical drama that combines poetry, acting, scenery, and costumes with singing and instrumental music.
61
Components of the opera
Overture, arias, recitatives, choruses
62
Libretto
The text of an opera
63
De capo form
A-B-A, ternary form
64
Secco
Without much instrumental accompaniment
65
Accompagnato
Accompanied by the orchestra
66
Sinfonia
An orchestral interlude between scenes
67
Librettist
One who writes the story of an opera
68
Courtesan
An educated, refined woman who entertained men intellectually as well as sexually.
69
Ground bass
A short phrase repeated over and over in the lower voice as the upper voices pursue their independent lines
70
Opera seria
Serious Italian opera that dealt with heroic or tragic subjects
71
Magnificat
The Canticle of Mary, the concluding and climatic part of the evening office of Vespers.
72
Chorales
Weekly hymns sung by the congregation
73
Cantata
The elaboration of the chorale, in the same way that a sermon is an elaboration on a Bible passage.
74
Collegium musicum
A group of musically inclined university students who Bach taught.
75
Bar form
A-A-B
76
Ritornello
An instrumental refrain that brings back certain passages, adding unity.
77
Devotional music
Allows for more flexible spiritual expression than liturgical music
78
Oratorio
A large-scale dramatic genre with a sacred text performed by solo voices, chorus, and orchestra. Similar to opera.
79
Lining-out
A call-and-response practice used by the New England Puritans. The leader sang a line of the Psalm, the congregation repeated it back. This made up for the lack of psalm books.
80
Heterophony
Many people singling slight variants of the same melody simultaneously
81
Solfège
The system of memorizing notes using syllables to represent the scale (do-re-mi-etc)
82
Shape-note notation
Changing the shape of the note head depending on the syllable. Still practiced in some congregations.
83
Harpsichord
Similar to a modern piano, but the strings are plucked by quills rather than struck by hammers.
84
Sonata da camera/chamber sonata
A group of stylized dances
85
Sonata da chiesa/church sonata
A more serious sonata with a more contrapuntal texture, with a slow-fast-slow-fast movement arrangement.
86
Trio sonata
Popular chamber ensemble composed of two melody instruments and two basso continuo instruments
87
Binary form
A-A-B-B
88
Rounded binary form
A sonata in binary form where the second section is longer and repeats ideas from the opening. Forerunner of sonata-allegro from
89
Grace notes
Small ornamental notes played quickly
90
Passacaglia
A harmony keyboard form with a repeating base line (ground base) over which continuous variations are played
91
Chaconne
Built on a series of harmony progressions repeated over and over
92
Prelude
A improvisatory form a short study based on the continuous expansion of a melodic or rhythmic figure. Often preceded a dance or fugue.
93
Toccata
Similar to the prelude, a highly virtuosic and free former than often preceded a fugue.
94
Chorale preludes and chorale variations
Organ pieces of church origin which displayed the virtuosity of organ players.
95
Fugue
A contrapuntal composition in which a single theme pervades the entire fabric, entering in one voice and then in another. Dr Tanner: "A round on steroids"
96
Subject (Fugue)
The main idea, or unifying point, of the fugue.
97
Answer (fugue)
The imitation of the theme in the fifth note of the scale
98
Countersubject (fugue)
A new theme taken up after the subject/theme is played through.
99
Exposition (fugue)
A section of a fugue, where the theme is presented once by each voice.
100
Episode (fugue)
Interludes between presentations of the subject
101
Augmentation (fugue)
The presentation of the subject in longer time values, making it slower.
102
Diminution (fugue)
The presentation of the subject in shorter time values, making it faster.
103
Retrograde (fugue)
The subject being presented in it's mirror image; that is, upside down.
104
Inversion (fugue)
The subject being presented in the same intervals, but in reverse/
105
Stretto (fugue)
The overlapping of statements of the subject.
106
Baroque suite
A group of dances, usually in the same key, in either binary or ternary form. Standard dances are the allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue .
107
Allemande
German
108
Courante
French
109
Sarabande
Spanish
110
Gigue (jig)
English
111
Concerto
A genre based on simultaneous opposition and collaboration between two dissimilar bodies of sound. (from the Latin concertare "to contend with)
112
Solo concerto
A concerto for a solo instrument and an accompanying instrumental group.
113
Concerto grosso
Ensemble concerto. Opposition between a small group of instruments, the concertino, and a larger group, the tutti or ripeno.
114
Program music
Music that mirrors graphically mirrors the action described.
115
Rococo Era
The last bit of the Baroque era, a reaction to the grandiose of the baroque, where complex polyphony gave way to more direct and natural style.
116
Empfindsamkeit
The sensitive or sentimental style observed in simpler Rococo music.
