Terms and Definitions Flashcards
(135 cards)
1
Q
Absolute music
A
Pure instrumental music without any extra-musical associations
2
Q
Anacrusis
A
A pickup beat
3
Q
Answer
A
Second statement of main theme in a fugue (usually in the dominant key)
4
Q
Antique cymbals
A
finger cymbals (small brass discs)
5
Q
Aria
A
-Solo song with accompaniment in opera, oratorio, or cantata
-Very dramatic
6
Q
Art song
A
solo musical setting of a poem
7
Q
Atonality
A
Absence of a tonal centre
8
Q
Augmentation
A
thematic materials in longer time values
9
Q
Ballet
A
dance that interprets a story, 17th century
10
Q
Baroque
A
music and art of the 17-18th centuries
11
Q
Basso continuo
A
one playing notated bass line, one playing harmonies from figured bass
12
Q
Binary form
A
A||B||
13
Q
Cadence
A
punctuation at the end of phrases
14
Q
Cha-cha
A
Cuban dance from the ’50s inspired by the mambo
15
Q
Chamber music
A
2-10 players, one player part, no conductor
16
Q
Changing meter
A
shift of metrical groupings from change in time signature
17
Q
Chord
A
3+ notes that create harmony
18
Q
Choreography
A
designing dance steps and movements in a ballet
19
Q
Chromatic
A
melodies/harmonies outside the key, greek for colour
20
Q
Chromatic harmony
A
lots of notes outside the key signature
21
Q
Classicism
A
symmetry, balance, proportion, timeless
22
Q
Clavier
A
Keyboard instruments other than organ
23
Q
Codetta
A
extends final cadence, repeat sign
24
Q
Col legno
A
players tap strings with wooden part of their bow
25
Compound time
time signature with each beat containing 3 subdivisions
26
Concert overture
overture style but for an independent performance
27
Concerto
fast-slow-fast form, usually ritornello
28
Conjunct
melody in a stepwise direction
29
Consonance
tones that invoke relaxation
30
counterpoint
polyphonic texture with 2+ melodic lines
31
Countersubject
accompanies subject and answer
32
Cyclical structure
material in one movement occurs in another movement, creates unity
33
Da capo aria
Aria with ABA
A2 is usually ornamented
34
Development
Second section in sonata, manipulates exposition
35
Diatonic
melodies built from the notes of a scale
36
Disjunct
melodies with leaps and direction changes
37
Dissonance
tones that invoke restlessness and instability
38
Dynamics
Italian terms or symbols for volume
39
Episode
passage in a fugue with no subject or answer
40
Equal temperament
octave of keyboard instruments is split into 12 equal semitones
41
Exoticism
fascination with foreign lands and cultures
42
expanded tonality
very chromatic harmony while still remaining faithful to tonal centre
43
exposition
first theme in sonata, two contrasting themes are presented (1-tonic key, 2-dominant/relative major)
44
fanfare
loud ceremonial tune with brass, for important person, event, or commemoration
45
figured bass
Baroque musical shorthand performed by basso continuo
46
French overture
first part - slow tempo, homophonic, texture, features dotted figures
second part – fast tempo, imitative texture
47
fugue
highly structured, imitative contrapuntal, single theme or subject
48
genre
classification of music type,
ex. sonata, symphony, opera
49
harmonic rhythm
frequency of chord changes
50
hemiola
temporary shift of metric accents (ex. America)
51
homophonic texture
single line of melody with harmonic accompaniment
52
homorhythmic texture
all voices play the same rhythm
53
Idee fixe
recurring theme (symphony fantastique)
54
idiomatic writing
highlights unique capabilities of instrument, opposite of generic
55
impressionism
suggest images rather than depicts them, whole-tone, modal, pentatonic scales
parallel chords, innovative orchestra
56
interval
distance between two pitches
57
Jazz
african, popular, and European music, a lot of improvisation
58
libretto
text of an opera, oratorio, or cantata, not usually written by composer
59
major-minor tonal system
music based on major and minor scales
ionian and aeolian
60
Mambo
dance of afro-cubans in 40s and 50s (rhythmic ostinatos and rift passages)
61
measure
unit contains a fixed number of beats
62
menuet and trio
menuet: stylized French dance in triple meter
trio: ABA
63
meter
pattern of strong and weak beats
64
minimalism
little variation
Steve Reich, john Adams, Philip glass
65
modal scales
scales with unconventional whole steps and half steps patterns
66
modified strophic
song structure that allows for some repetition in music, some changes to reflect the text
67
modulation
changing from one tonal centre to another
68
monophonic texture
single line of unaccompanied melody
69
motive
short fragment used to build a melody
70
musical
unique genre in USA: spoken dialogue, musical numbers, costumes, lighting
71
nationalism
patriotism: folk song and dance, myths and legends, landscapes, historical events
72
opera
sung drama with recitatives, arias, ensembles and choruses (1600s)
73
opus
"work"
74
oratorio
large-scale work for orchestras, chorus and soloists, usually biblical and baroque (similar to an opera)
75
ornamentation
musical embellishment to decorate melody, improvised or shown with symbols
76
ostinato
extended rhythmic or melodic pattern
77
pedal point
1+ notes sustained through harmony changes in other parts
78
overture
orchestral piece at the beginning of opera, suite, play, oratorio, or other extended composition
79
pentatonic scale
scale with 5 pitches, European and Asian
80
phrase
sentence, complete musical thought
81
Period
two complementary musical phrases (question and answer)
82
pitch
highness or lowness of sound
83
polonaise
polish dance in triple meter (Chopin)
84
polyphonic texture
combination of 2+ melodic lines
85
polyrhythm
2+ conflicting rhythms at same time
86
portamento
sliding smoothly from one note to the next (Berlioz), originally vocal
87
polytonality
2+ tonal centres
88
prelude
short, improvisatory keyboard work, paired with a fugue
89
primitivism
use of strong accents, heavy syncopation, polyrhythms, expanded percussion section (rite of spring)
90
program music
extramusical associations (literary, poetic, visual), descriptive title, sometimes includes text
91
program symphony
multi-movement orchestral work, programmatic elements, title, text
92
programmatic writing
music with a descriptive element, inspired by extramusical associations, like a story or a painting (1800s)
93
range
distance between highest and lowest notes in a melody
94
real answer
the exact transposition of the subject
95
recapitulation
the third main section in sonata form, first and second themes are both restated in the tonic
96
recitative
a speech-like style of singing used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas, follows text, flexible rhythm
97
recitative accompagnato
speech like style of singing, supported by instruments
98
recitative secco
speech like style of singing, supported only by continuo
99
ripieno
full orchestra
100
ritornello form
a structure employed in the first and third movements of the Baroque concerto, the opening passage (ritornello) is restated throughout the movement
101
rocket theme
rapidly ascending melody outlining an arpeggio (classical)
102
romanticism
reaction against classicism, emphasis on creative imagination and expression of emotions (1700s)
103
rondo form
ABACA or ABACABA
104
rounded binary form
two-part form: A||B+A1||
104
rubato
rhythmic flexibility
105
scherzo and trio
third movement in the sonata cycle, also in triple meter, but generally more dramatic than the elegant menuet, ABA
106
Sequence
repetition of a short musical phrase at another pitch
107
serenade
a multi-movement orchestral genre
for small orchestra or chamber ensemble (classical)
108
simple time
time signatures in which each beat contains two subdivisions
109
sonata cycle
multi-movement structure (classical) demonstrated in the symphony, sonata or concerto
110
sonata form/sonata-allegro form
consists of exposition (statement of two or more contrasting themes), development (departure), and recapitulation (return)
111
sonata-rondo form
ABACABA
ABA functions as the expositions
C functions as the development
second ABA functions as the recapitulation
112
song cycle
collection of art songs with a central theme performed together
113
string quartet
-performing forces: first violin, second violin, viola, and cello
-usually in four movements: fast – slow – moderately fast – fast
-first movement is usually in sonata form
114
strophic
a song structure in which the same music is performed for each verse of the poem
as a result, little connection can be achieved between the words and music
115
subject
the initial statement of the main theme of a fugue in the tonic key
116
symbolism
symbolist writers include Paul Verlaine and Stéphane Mallarmé, authors sought to suggest subject matter rather than depict it specifically (1800s)
117
symphonic poem
a single-movement work, generally free in form, with literary or pictorial associations
invented by Franz Liszt
118
symphony
usually in four movements: fast – slow – moderate – fast, at least one movement is in sonata form (1700s)
119
syncopation
a deliberate shifting of the musical accent to a weak beat
120
tempo
the speed at which music is performed
121
ternary form
A||B||A||
-section A generally ends with a closed cadence in the tonic key
-section B generally creates contrast in key and/or material (menuet and trios)
122
terraced dynamics
Baroque practice of changing volume levels abruptly that results in stark contrast rather than gradual change
123
The affections
refers to the emotional states of the soul (baroque)
124
theme and variations
a work featuring a statement of a melody (theme) followed by a series of transformations (variations), often in sonata cycle
125
Through-composed (durchkomponiert)
a song structure that does not repeat entire sections of the music
as a result, melody, harmony, and piano accompaniment are able to reflect the meaning of the text as the story unfolds
126
timbre
the quality of sound specific to a voice or instrument, tone colour
127
tonal answer
a statement of the subject in which one or more intervals is adjusted to accommodate the harmony
128
tonal answer
a three-note chord that consists of a root, third and fifth
129
tritone
the name used to describe the interval of an augmented fourth or diminished fifth, three whole steps
130
twelve-tone method
atonal music based on an arrangement of all twelve chromatic pitches (tone row)
developed by composer Arnold Schoenberg
131
verse-chorus structure
verses develop the character/storyline, while the “chorus” acts as a tuneful refrain
132
viennese school
-refers to the musical style forged by Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven and their contemporaries
-in late 18th century Vienna, Austria flourished as a musical centre
133
whole-tone scale
consists of six different pitches, all spaced a whole tone (whole step) apart
134
word painting
the music mirrors the literal meaning of the words achieved through melody, harmony or rhythm
