MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000y General Characteristics of Medieval Music

• Liturgical

• Notated music is mostly vocal

• Smooth, conjuct melodic contours

• Folk, dance, instrumental Secular song

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000y General Characteristics of Medieval Music

• Syllabic

• Neumatic

• Mellismatic

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yAnon., Kyrie (plainchant)

• Monophonic

• Roman Catholic Mass

• Latin vs. Greek

•Three levels of organization

• Neumatic

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yBeatriz de Dia (late twelfth century)

Song, A chantar

• Troubadour

• Strophic

• Unrequieted love

• ABABAB structure

• Secular

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yPerotinus (c. 1170-c. 1236)

Viderunt Omnes (four-voic polyphony for the Cathedral of Notre Dame)

• Organum

• Monophony vs. polyphony

• Rich harmonies

• Rhythmic drive

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yGuillaume de Machaut (c. 1300-1377)

Secular song (roundeau) Douz Viaire Gracieus

• Roundeau

• Two contrasting sections

• Alternating meters

• Chromatic

• Instrumental accompaniment

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000y General Characteristics of Renaissance Music

• Overall sound is much smoother and more homogeneous

• Strict and free imitation

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yVerantius Fortunatus (c. 530-609)

Plainchant hymn, Pange Lingua

• Strophic

• Tonic ‘E’ delayed until end

• Almost entirely syllabic

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yJosquin Desprez (c. 1440-1521)

Kyrie from the Pange Lingua Mass

• Point of imitation technique

• Overlapping cadences

• Paired imitaiton

• Mass ordinary

• Cantus firmus mass

• Three sections

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yPalestrina (c. 1525-1594)

Motet from the Song of Songs, Vineam Meam Non Custodivi

• 5 voices, 2 independent tenors

• Songs of Solomon

• Text/music rhythms match

• Word painting

• variety of textures

• exceptional blending of imitation and homophony

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yThomas Morley (1557-1602)

Two English Madrigals

• Highly imitative

• Word painting

• Secular

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yGiovanni Gabrieli (c. 1555-1612)

Canzona Duodecimi Toni

• Purely instrumental

• Brass choirs

• Antiphonal

• Overlapping cadences

• Dynamic contrasts

• Canzona rhythm

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000y General Characteristics of Baroque Music

• Designed to be emotional

• More rigid formal design

• Modern tonality

• organization and control replace experimentaiton

• Rhythm vitality

• Strong bass line

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yJohann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

Prelude and Fugue in E minor

• Subject

• Counter-subject (Answer)

• Tonic vs. dominant

• Episode

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yJohann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

First Movement from Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major

• Set of six

• Three movt’s (fast-slow-fast)

• Solo vs. ripieno (full ensemble)

• Mottos fragmented, re-organized

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yGeorge Frederich Handel (1685-1759)

Serse, Act I, Sc. 1

• Operas and oratorios

• da capo aria

• Improvisation on A’

• Recitative accompagnato

• action vs. reflection

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yGeorge Frederich Handel (1685-1759)

Serse, Act I, Sc. 1

Tender, beautiful leaves

Of my beloved plane-tree,

May Fate prove kind to you.

May your cherished peace never be disturbed by thunder, lightning and storms,

Nor rapacious south wind profane you.

Frondi tenere e belle

Del mio platano amato,

Per voi risplenda il Fato.

Tuoni, lampi e procelle

Non v’oltraggino mai la cara pace

Ne giunga a profanarvi austro rapace.

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yGeorge Frederich Handel (1685-1759)

Serse, Act I, Sc. 1

Never was the shade

Of vegetation

More dear and friendly,

More sweet!

Ombra mai fu

Di vegetabile

Cara ed amabile

Soave più!

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000y General Characteristics of Classical Music

• Balance and proportion

• Clarity and accessibility

• Simple, logical and clear harmonies

• Shorter phrases

• “Simpler” walking bass lines

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000y General Characteristics of Romantic Music

• Dynamics extended, changes more frequently, less predictable

• Range of tempos extended, more frequent, more adjectives

• Melodies are longer, “yearning” quality, rubato

• Harmony explores further, modulations, chromatic

• Forms blur

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yRichard Wagner

Prelude and Liebestod from Tristan und Isolde

•LeitmotifLeitmotif

•Dynamic arch Dynamic arch formform

•NazismNazism

•Music dramaMusic drama

•ChromaticismChromaticism

•““yearning”yearning”

•BayreuthBayreuth

•Cadential Cadential blurringblurring

•TranscendentaTranscendental l

blissbliss

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yBedrich Smetana (1824-1884)

Symphonic Poem, The Moldau

• Tone poem

• Descriptive, programmatic music

• Nature

• Cyclic

• Orchestral colour expanded

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yPyotr Illyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

First Movement from Symphony No. 4 in F Minor

• Highly lyrical

• Prominent Brass fanfare

• Reinterpretation of sonata allegro form

• Fate motive

• Unconventional key scheme

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yClaude Debussy (1862-1918)

Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune

• Impressionism

• Symbolist poet Mallarmé

• Large orchestra

• Orchestral colouring

• Opening melody is sensuous, chromatic and vague

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000y General Characteristics of 20th Century Music

• Tonality dissolves

• Melodies erratic, wide leaps, irregular rhythms and unexpected notes

• Rhythmic freedom

•Length is unpredictable

• Tone and colour experimentation

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yIgor Stravinsky (1882-1971)

Le Sacre du Printemps (The Rite of Spring), Opening Section

• Ballet

•Expressionism

• Pounding rhythms

• Clashing dissonances

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yAlban Berg (1885-1935)

Wozzeck, Act III, Scenes 3, 4, and 5

• Atonal

• borrows structures from the past

• Symmetrical

• Leitmotiv

• Music of extremes

MUSI 1000yMUSI 1000yBéla Bartók (1881-1945)

Fifth Movement from String Quartet No. 4

• Arch form

• Five movements

• Clashing chords, whirling melodies, asymmetrical rhythms

• Extreme dissonances