Shrock - Classical Music Practices

Question 1

Overview

Answer 1

Timbre = model of human voice, sweet

Volume = subtlety and nuance

Instrumentalists play like singers

Seamlessly meld fasetto with middle range

Vibrato - narrow in pitch fluctuation

Practice of doubling or tripling wind and brass instruments in orchestras

Placement of choirs in front of orchestras

Question 2

Vocal Model

Answer 2

Ideals = human voice

Singing tone

All sounds as similar as possible

Chest voice was full, natural voice, still sweet

Sweet, similar, higher register

Question 3

Soft & Sweet Ideas

Answer 3

Soft and gentle

Quality more than quantity of tone

Higher register be sung or played soft

Dynamic levels based on nature of performance venues

Life was generally quieter

Consistency between registers

Tone is still not harsh when forte

Dynamics described in emotion

Question 4

Falsetto

Answer 4

Light, soft vocal production above the range of the natural or full voice

No more than one octave and 2-4 note beyond

Question 5

Castrotos

Answer 5

Appeared in significant numbers throughout Europe

Sang leading soprano and alto roles

Against the law but was tolerated and acceted

Question 6

Vibrato

Answer 6

”tremolo”

Slight and regular fluctuation o pitch

Limited

Ornamental in nature

Used occasionally - decorate long held note

Question 7

Pitch

Answer 7

No standardization of pitc

Levels varied from community to community

Half step lower

Based on space

Based on comfort of singers

Question 8

Instrumentation

Answer 8

Keyboard instruments as part of all vocal ensembles

Pianoforte

Choral ensembles 8-32 singers

Typical orchestra: strings, flutes, oboes, bassoons, keyboard

Trombones added colla parte

First and second violins positioned across from each other

Question 9

Conducting

Answer 9

principal violinist - leader, movement of violin

Keyboard player

Early decades - designated person to beat time

Question 10

Tempo - overvies

Answer 10

Refinement, restraint

Restrained in score

Associated with expressive characteristics

Considerable attention to minute gradations of tempo

Small, detailed expression

Portrayed a mood

Question 11

Meter & tempo

Answer 11

info about organization, stress, emphasis

Lower denominators = slower

4/4,3/4 medium

Used Italian to indicated qualities of expression

Tempo = Italian terms to show character

Note values showed tempo (longer note values - take at a faster tempo)

Capture mood in tempo

Question 12

Messa di voce

Answer 12

Crescendo - de crescendo most pervasive characteristic of articulation throughout era

Range from pp - ff (thought this range was smaller)

Sustained notes must have a swell

Question 13

Instrumental articulation

Answer 13

Depended on mood or character

Two categories: fast or slow

Allegro = attack, separated

Slow - smooth, canticle in style, no seperation

Legato - string of pearls

Question 14

Vocal Articulation

Answer 14

Smooth connection of notes

Cantible - singing style

Pervasive messa di voce

String of pearls

Slurs for syllabic purposes

Question 15

Metric Accentuation

Answer 15

stressing notes and de-emphasizing others

Meter signs direct beats of emphasis

Accomplished through volume or duration

Factors: melodic structure, harmonic function, text declamation

Question 16

Quantitas intrinsica

Answer 16

Rhythmic durational aspect of metric accentuation

Volume and rhythmic duration

Long-short-short

Almost dotted

Question 17

Rhythmic alteration

Answer 17

Altering rhythms was commonplace

Conform rhythms to natural speech patterns

Dots of dotted notes treated as silences so as to achieve clarity

Question 18

overdotting

Answer 18

the practice of extending the value of dotted notes and reducing the value of corresponding short notes

Question 19

Triplet conformity

Answer 19

Practice of aligning the note of a dotted rhythms to the short or final note of a triplet rhythm

Question 20

Ornamentation

Answer 20

Significant

Appoggiaturas - most frequent, a leaning