Music 1500: Main Terms to Focus On in Each Segment of the Class . . .

Note: This list is provided for basic study purposes only in preparation for understanding the lecture material--it is NOT the only material that you need to know for exams (you still need to do the assigned reading, listening and online assignments)--the topics are listed in the order they are presented during the semester.

You will find it helpful to print out a copy of this and bring it with you to every class lecture.

Main Musical Elements:

• Rhythm, Dynamics, Melody, Harmony, Texture, Tone Color, Form (know the elements/related subterms on pp. 5-10 and their definitions)

Instruments of the Orchestra

• Know String, Woodwind, Brass, Percussion families and their associated instruments

Non-Western:

• Africa: "Call-and-response", improvisation, polyrhythm
• Japan: Koto, Shamisen
• Indonesia: Gamelan (especially from Bali)--Bonang
• Latin America: Marachi
• Middle East: 'Ud, Darabukkah
• India: Sitar (also "tala" and "raga")--from textbook p.12

Know the six historical style eras in chronological order:

• Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classic, Romantic, Modern

Middle Ages (main terms and examples):

• Chant (Music Guide 6) --anonymous monks
• Organum (Music Guide 6)--Perotin
• Motet (Music Guide 6)
• Mass Ordinary=Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei
  (Music Guide 7)--Machaut
• Estampie (Music Guide 5)
• Main Composers: Anonymous Monks, Perotin, Machaut

Renaissance (main terms and examples):

• Imitation
• Word-painting
• Motet (Music Guide 8) --Josquin Desprez
• Madrigal (Music Guide 10 & 11)--Weelkes, Gesualdo
• Main Composers: Josquin Desprez, Palestrina, Weelkes, Gesualdo

Baroque (main terms and examples):

• Basso continuo (keyboard + bass accompaniment seen in Baroque examples)
• Ostinato (seen in Music Guides 13 and 16)
• Recitative (Music Guide 13)
• Aria (Music Guide 13)
• Counterpoint (in particular, see Bach examples)
• Canon (Music Guide 16)--this example also uses "ostinato"
• Opera (Music Guides 12, 13) --Monteverdi, Purcell
• Trio Sonata (Music Guide 14) --Corelli
• Solo Concerto (Music Guide 15) --Vivaldi
• Concerto Grosso (Music Guide 19) --Bach
• Ritornello Form (Music Guide 15)
• Binary Form (Music Guide 13)
• Suite (Music Guide 18) --Bach
• Fugue (Music Guide 17) --Bach
• Cantata (Music Guide 20) --Bach
• Oratorio (Music Guide 21) --Handel
• Main Composers: Monteverdi, Purcell, Corelli, Vivaldi, JS Bach, Handel

Classic (main terms and examples):

• At least four of Beethoven's 9 symphonies are political in nature:
  -Symphony 3 (Napoleon references)
  -Symphony 5 (Battle between aristocratic oppression and hope for the common person)
  -Symphony 6 (common German folk are the heroes of this symphony)
  -Symphony 9 (struggle to get orchestra to "speak" out against oppression and complacence--adds singers to give a 'voice" to the orchestra)
• Mozart: Major politically-driven operas are "The Marriage of Figaro" and "Don Giovanni";
  His final work was ironically a "Requiem Mass"
• 3 Major Classic composers: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven (all eventually worked in Vienna)
  
  - Haydn was the greatest instrumental composer in Europe at that time (104 symphonies)
  - Mozart was famous as a child prodigy, became a threat to the social status quo
  - Mozart is primarily known for his political OPERAS and his CONCERTOS
  - Haydn and Mozart were close friends although Mozart was MUCH younger
  - Mozart died at age 35 in 1791, but Haydn lived until 1809 (77 years old)
  - Beethoven (17 years old) came to study briefly with Mozart in 1787 (for musical/political reasons)
  - When Beethoven returned to Vienna in Jan 1792, he discovered that Mozart had died the month before,
  so Beethoven had to study with Haydn (who was much older and without the political fire of Mozart)
  - In his late 20s/early 30s, Beethoven became the greatest performing pianist of his time
  - At the height of his performing powers, Beethoven lost his hearing, and turned intensely to composition (c1802)
  - All of Beethoven's mature works including his greatest symphonies (#3,5,6,9) were all written after he was deaf

• Overview of the 4 major Classic forms (textbook, p. 55-58)
  - Sonata Form (common Classic 1^st movement design; Music Guide 25)
  - Theme & Variations (Music Guide 22)
  - Minuet and Trio (common Classic 3^rd movement design; Music Guide 24, 25)
  - Rondo (common Classic LAST movement "finale" design; Music Guide 29, 30)

• Overview of Classic genres (textbook chart, p. 51)
  - Sonata (Music Guide 29)--Beethoven
  - Symphony (Music Guides 22, 25, 32, 33)’ÄîHaydn, Mozart, Beethoven
  - Serenade (Music Guide 24)--Mozart
  - String Quartet (Music Guide 30)--Beethoven
  - Concerto (Music Guide 23)’ÄîMozart, remember that concertos have only 3 movements
  - Opera (Music Guides 26, 27)-Mozart

• 4-movement design (textbook chart p. 50)

Romantic (main terms and examples):

• Programmatic music becomes very popular, especially
  - Program Symphony (see Music Guide 35)--Berlioz
  - Symphonic Poem (see Music Guide 40)--Smetana
  - Character Piece (see Music Guides 38, 39)’ÄîChopin, Schumann
  - Ballet (see Music Guide 48)--Tchaikovsky
• Symphonies written by Brahms are "absolute music" (see Music Guide 41)
  - Dvorak used black-American spiritual tunes and native-American themes in his Symphony No. 9 "From the New World" (see Music Guide 44)
• Songs and Opera also become extremely colorful and dramatic in their story-telling
  - Lieder (German song--see Music Guide 34)
  - Romantic Comic Opera (see Music Guide 45)--Rossini
  - French Grand Opera (see Music Guide 46)--Bizet
  - Musikdrama (see Music Guides 49, 50, 51)--Wagner
  - Verismo opera (see Music Guide 52)--Puccini

 Early 20^th-century art music (main terms and examples):

• Huge contrast between Austrian/German and French styles (Schoenberg vs. Debussy)
  - Impressionism (see Music Guide 56)--Debussy
  - Expressionism (see Music Guide 58, 59, 60)--Schoenberg, Webern
  - Atonality (see Music Guide 58, 59, 60)--Schoenberg, Webern
  - Sprechstimme (see Music Guides 58 & 59) Schoenberg
  - Serialism (see Music Guides 59)--Schoenberg
  - Ballet (see Music Guides 57 and 63)--Stravinsky, Copland
  - Jazz elements also used by Still and Bernstein (see Music Guides 62 and 65)
  - Conservative movements in American art music: Copland & Barber (see Music Guides 63 and 64)

Modern music (main terms and examples):

• Highly-experimental "avant-garde" approaches seen since 1950--primarily led by composers from US and Poland
  - Tone Clusters (see Music Guide 66)--Cowell
  - Prepared Piano (see Music Guide 67)--Cage
  - Chance Music (see Music Guide 68)--Cage
  - Musique concrete and electronic music (see Music Guides 69 and 70)--Varese, Babbitt
  - Unusual uses of traditional instruments (see Music Guides 71, 73, 74)--Penderecki, Crumb, Reich
  - Minimalism (see Music Guide 72)--Glass

 Jazz/Blues (main terms and examples):

• Ragtime ("honky-tonk" piano music by Scott Joplin) was an important pre-Jazz style c.1890
  
  
• Jazz began in New Orleans--a truly "American" art form
  - Hot Jazz (see Music Guide 77)-- Armstrong
  - Classic Blues (see Music Guide 78)-- Bessie Smith
  - Swing (see Music Guide 79)-- Ellington
  - Bebop (see Music Guide 76)-- Parker
  - Cool Jazz (see Music Guide 76)-- Brubeck
  - Fusion (mixture of jazz and rock styles; see Music Guide 76)--Coltrane
  - "Free" Jazz (see Music Guide 76)--Coleman