MUAR 211 - Midterm notes PDF

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MUAR 211 – MIDTERM 2 TERMS TO KNOW - Vienna, Austria: city associated with 3 of the most influential musicians from 18th and 19th century o Haydn: born In Austria ▪ Entered choir in Vienna ▪ Had no patron at first ▪ Enterred service of Esterhazy family ● ADVANTAGES OF HIS SITUATION: Financial security, free access to an ensemble, composing, frequent contact with good musicians ▪ Responsible for codifying the structure of the string quartet as that genre o Mozart o Beethoven ▪ Keyboard virtuoso ▪ Known for improvisation ▪ No single patron ▪ Money income came from subscription concerts ▪ Classical traits = composed in style and genre of classical era ▪ Most symphonies and string quarts have 4 movements ▪ Romantic traits = chromatic harmony, motivic development, prioritize individual expression - Esterhazy Family: wealthiest and most powerful of Hungarian royal families, close relatives of imperial family in Vienna - Patron/patronage/Patrongage system: inherited wealth and power among the aristocracy. - Patron: person who gives financial support to a person in exchange for music/entertainment. - Kapellmeister: In charge of a substantial musical establishment in palace of Esterhaza, which included an orchestra of 30 players, 2 opera theatres, academics twice weekly etc… - Invention of the piano: o Invented in 1700 o Piano is capable of playing louder and softer sounds o Became the dominant keyboard instrument of the Classical era - Bowed strings of the classical orchestra o Violin o Viola o Cello/violoncello o Double bass (contrabass) - Single-reed woodwinds of classical orchestra o 2 Flute o 2 Clarinet - Double- reed woodwinds of classical orchestra o 2 Oboe

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o 2 Bassoon Brass instruments of classical orchestra o 2 French horn o 2 Trumpet and trombone (rarely used) Percussion: 2 timpani Chamber music o Social/domestic music making o String quartets could range broadly in difficulty and many of Haydn’s string quartets were intended for amateur performance Tonality/ Functional tonality/ Tonal Music: o System of major and minor keys that was the foundation of music theory and practice in the western world from 1600 to 1900. Key/Key area: a limited collection of seven pitches organized around a central pitch. o Hierarchical network of interval relationships in which certain pitches and chords are emphasized more than others in order to create a sense of motion in music. Major Key/ major scale: A group of 7 different pitches that features the following interval pattern arranged in ascending order, starting on the tonic. o C major scale = C D E F G A B C Minor key/ minor scale: Group of 7 different pithces that features the following interval pattern if arranged in ascending order, starting on the tonic. o C minor scale = C D Eb F G Ab Bb C Chromatic scale: A series of pitches moving exclusively in half steps, thereby including all twelve pitches in the octave. Equal-temperament tuning o 12 half steps in an octave Tonic: Central pitch. Functions in a manner analogous to the pitch known as the final in earlier modal music. o Tonic pitch: most important pitch in any key – pitch that is the most stable and consonant ▪ Gives its name to a key and its related scale ▪ Root of the tonic chord (three-note chord that contains the tonic, the 3rd and the 5th (dominant) pitches of any major or minor scale. ● KNOWN AS I CHORD Dominant: fifth note of a major or minor scale. o Second most important pitch in a key, since dominant often precedes tonic in music o Aurally defines where the tonic is o Strongest cadence in music = dominant is followed by tonic and this is what very often happens at the end of a piece of classical music o Dominant chord = known as V chord Modulation: Change of key within a piece of music when a piece of music begins in one key and then changes into another key. Consonant/Dissonant: sounds that are more stable versus unstable. o Dissonance = results from pitches that are not in the key Staccato/Legato:

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o Staccato: each not sharply separated from the other. o Legato: smooth, flowing manner without breaks between. Trill: Common and easily recognizable type of ornament; the rapid oscillation between two pithces, usually 2 pitches that are very close to one another (a step or half-step apart). o Often occur right before a cadence and serve to build tension of cadence. Lyrical: melody, melodic lines with lyrics. Minuet/minuet and trio: simple dance in triple time ina. Moderato tempo. Elegant dance movement in triple meter of enormous popularity. The only baroque dance that remained important in classical instrumental music. Common movement type in all Classical instrumental genres Second or third movement of a four-mvoement symphony or string quartet that follows the classical model as practice by Mozart and Beethoven o Scherzo: A short composition, sometimes a movement from a larger work such as a symphony or sonata. Fast, rushing movement in triple meter inherited from minuet. Minuet and trio form: o In a trio form each section is a dance movement in binary form (two sub-sections which are each repeated) and a contrasting trio movement also in binary form with repeats. o A musical form having 2 different sections: AB form. Rondo form: o The first melody in the piece comes back again and again (A-theme) and it is always in the tonic key Bb) Theme and variations form Sonata form / First movement form: o Genre of chamber music in 1 of 2 formats: ▪ 1) Multi-movement genre for one piano alone ▪ 2) Multi-mvoement genre for an instrumental soloist with piano accompaniment ▪ NO BASSO CONTINUO o Exposition: binary form ▪ Primary theme: tonic key ▪ Secondary theme: secondary key (other than tonic) o Development: modulatory – no stable key o Recapitulation (rounding of binary form). Repeat primary and secondary theme but now both in tonic key. Development section: Second-large scale section of a sonata form succeeds the exposition’s second part Sequence: a short musical motive that is repeated over and over at different pitch levels. Sequences may appear anywhere in music, but they are often featured in sections that are modulatory. Cadenza: o Section of music near end of concerto movement – usually in first movement but sometimes in the third as well

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o Instrumental soloist plays completelt alone (w no accompaniment from orchestra) o Usually improvised in live performance Motive/motivic development: a short fragment of melody or rhythm used in constructing a long section of music Theme / thematic development: subject matter of a piece of music. Theme can be a phrase or short tune. Opus/Opus number: opus number is the "work number" that is assigned to a musical composition, or to a set of compositions, to indicate the chronological order of the composer's production.

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Virtuoso / Virtuosity: performance ability of musician in question Venetian ospedale : o Institutional patronage for the poor and indigent o Took in various abandoned infants o Children were taught music here and the place became so renowned that both the Pieta and Mendicanti began to accept fee-paying students from wealthy families who studied with the ospedali’s famous teachers.

Classical-era genres studied: - Concerto: Genre of large-ensembel music in multiple movements for a featured instrumental soloist with an orchestra - Duet - Double Concerto: 2 soloists plus orchestra - Opera seria/ grand opera: Italian opera in 3 acts o Uses recitative and arias o Plots were drawn from classical history or from a legend o Arias had long melisma and were very virtuostic o Oldest and most serious genre of opera - Opera buffa/ opera comique: o Comic opera in 2 acts o Plot has contemporary situations and characters o Wider appeal for middle-class - Overture: piece that opens an opera - Sinfonia: symphony o A large orchestral piece in 4 movements - Singspiel: light and/or comedic German Opera o Uses spoken dialogue (no recitative), plus arias, duets, choral numbers o Plots are fantastic or exotic o Associated with German middle class - Sonata: Genre of chamber music o Has three movements: ▪ 1st Fast, tonic key of overall work, sonata form, often longest movement of work ▪ 2nd slow, contrasting key, minor if tonic key is major and vice versia, various binary 2 part forms, usually contains a melody

3rd Fast, tonic key of overall work, often a rondo or sonata form, light end to the work o Multi movement genre for piano alone o OR instrumental soloist with piano accompaniment (No basso continuo) String quartet: o Four movement musical genre for 1st violin, 2nd violin, viola and cello. Symphony: o Multi-movement instrumental genre for orchestra alone ▪ Predecessor of opera overture Trio ▪

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Wolfgang Mozart: - Born in Austria - Employed at court of Prince-Archbishop of Salzburg - Trained as a keyboard virtuoso at an early age - Young musician who played keyboard - Legendary for his ability to quickly compose works of extremely high quality, a trait often exaggerated by romantic historians and other commentators - Composed with quick fluency - Most known in his own day as a great pianist and as composer of opera - Mozart supported himself through arranging subscription concerts

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o Took place in the form of a variety show His works are catalaged as “K” numbers instead of opus numbers.

Chromatic harmony/ Chromaticism: Use of chords and pitches that do not function normally within the diatonic tonal system of major and minor keys. The use of chromatic harmony creates a heightened emotional or evocative effect while also loosening the listeners sense of key and tonic. Ternary form: A B A Nationalism: desire among composers and other artists to recreate, represent and/or celebrate their own ethnic or national identity in their art Exoticism: desire among composers and other artists to recreate, represent and/or celebrate a foreign ethnic or national identity within their artistic creations. - Exotic works provide reductive and voyeuristic fictions based more on the expectations of the audience than on real knowledge of the foreign peoples fictionalized. - Exoticism has long been and remains very compelling and popular in all genres of instrumental music and opera (and film). Program music: Instrumental music associated with a story, poem, idea, scene or something that is extra-musical. The non-or extra-musical association is usually identified more or less specifically by a descriptive title and more rarely by explanatory notes given to the audience as part of concert program. - Romantic orchestral genres like the concert overture and the symphonic poem are always programmatic and always have descriptive titles like Overture 1812/ Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture: - Romantic program music: instrumental music associated with a story, poem, concept, scene or any extra-musical phenomenon, usually with a descriptive title - Often nationalistic and/or exotic - NOT A GENRE - Broad category encompassing nearly all instrumental chamber and orchestral genres - Any instrumental genre has potential to be program music, if the composer creates music that is suggestive of extra-musical phenomena and provides a title to guide the listeners’ imagination in desired diection. - Composers who were progressive (like Wagner and Liszt) championed the cause of porgam music. - SONGS AND OPERA ARE NOT PROGRAM MUSIC Absolute music: Title that suggests the content of a piece, not programmatic. Instrumental music that is not intended to portray a more or less specific message or imagery, usually with a generic title not suggestive of an extra-musical association. - Not a genre but a very broad category that potentially encompasses any purely instrumental genre with a generic title. The cyclic principle: Many pieces under a main title. Multi-movement work where each movement may have a different genre. Form in art songs: - Strophic: each poetic verse (aka strophe or stanza) is set to the same, repeating music.

o Ex: Robert Schumman’s “ Im wundershonen monat Mai” Modified strophic: some of the poem’s verses are set to the same music but other parts of music differ, mostly near the end of the song. o Ex: Clara Schummanns “ Der Mond kommt still gegangen” ▪ Her art song has 3 stanzas corresponding to the 3 stanzas of poem. The composer set the first 2 stanzas to the same music and the last to a very similar yet slightly different music, perhaps bc the final verse changes to a much more personal and sad perspective. - Through-composed: Music of the song is composed all the way through the piece and therefore contains no repeated sections; no 2 stanzas are set exactly alike. o Ex: Franz Schubert’s art song “Der Erlkonig” is widely known example of through composed form, a form that best reflects the poem’s narrative in nature. Postlude/ Piano postlude: Substantial portion of piano music occurring at the end of an art song after vocalist has presented all of the test Rubato/ Tempo Rubato: To vary the “time” of music by slowing down or speeding up in an expressive manner. Often used before strong cadences or before some other dissonance is resolved, thereby tempoerarily clinging to the most dissonant points of music. - Element of correct performance practice -

Chopin: - A polish child prodigy - Most associated with musical scene of Paris; by performing salons of Parisian high society - Most famous composer of character pieces Felix Mendelssohn’s performance of St. Matthew Passion: Mendelssohn arranged and conducted a Berlin performance of Bach’s St Matthew Passion. Mendelssohn’s revival of this work importantly contributed to bringing Bach’s music, particularly the large scale works, to public and scholarly attention. This event is also indicative of the retrospective and historic focus of concert programs beginning in 1830. Importance of William Shakespeare: translated into all european languages and many music was inspired by Shakespeare's plays Giuseppe Verdi: - Dominant opera composer in Italy - Preferred librettos based on successful plays or novels (ie from Shakespeare, Schillar, Hugo, Dumas etc..) - Most famous and important Italian opera composer of the 19th century before puccini Prima Donna: Italian. Singer of the principal female role in an opera, or the leading female singer in an opera company. Male equivalent = primo uomo. Nature/ Subject matter of librettos in 19th century opera (Italian and German): often based on historical topics, larger than life characters and events of large scope usually in 4-5 acts. Madama Butterfly: Opera written by Puccini. - Post-colonial opera - Tragic opera composed of 3 acts - Libretto was made by Giuseppe Giacosa and Luigi Illica

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Provides an example of exoticism Uses pentatonic (5-pitch) scales, percussion instruments (cymbals and other metallic instruments) and orchestration help to evoke an eastern ambience. - First performance was a failure. One of the world’s most often performed and beloved operas, particularly in the US - In un bel di vedremo: Singing about the fantasy of his return Richard Wagner: - Most important and influential figure in German Opera. A source of nationalistic fervor in his homeland, who influenced several generations of European and American composers of opera. - Wagner and his followers were called the New German School and adopted “the music of the feature” as their slogan. - Defended programmatic music as the next evolutionary step in musical development by the program symphony (instrumental but tells a story) and symphonic poem (instrumental but aspires to level of poetry, not in sonata form). - Works of Wagner and Liszt were marked for increase in chromatic harmony and novel formal structures (ie forms). - Anti-Semitic - Taste-maker Hector Berlioz: - A progressive French composer and advocate for program music, uses orchestration. - Influential music critic and taste-maker - Wrote the important orchestration manual “Treatise on Orchestration” which was widely studied by subsequent Romantic composers, many of whom are now considered great orchestrators. o Orchestration – taking music you’ve already made and make parts for manyinstruments - Well-known for his advocacy and development of program music - Berlioz befriended Liszt who transcribed the entire Symphonie fantastique for piano. Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Most famous and popular Russian composer of the 19th century - Studied music at the new St. Petersburg Conservatory and later served as a Prof of music at the Moscow Conservatory. - Tchaikovsy was less dedicated to promoting a nationalistic music but his music often sounds Russian due to his exotic scales and subject matter. - Swan lake: ballet - Nutcracker: Ballet. wasn’t as successful at its premier in St. Peterbsurg but has become a holiday favorite near Xmas. Russian Five/ Mighty Handful: Russian nationalist composers Antonin Dvorak, Czech Composer - One of greatest Czech nationlist composers - Dvorak’s homeland had long been poltically dominated by the vast, multi-ethnic dominion of the Austr-Hungarian Empire. The region is called Bohemia so we may call him a Bohemian composer.

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8 of his nine operas had librettos in Czech language and were intended to convey the Czech national spirit Studied folk melodies and used them to inspire his work

Symphony #9 in E Minor, From the New World also called New world symphony by Dvorak - Inspired in part by African-American melodies that had been introduced to him by his student Burleigh (black student) at the National Conservatory sang him spirituals and songs from the south. Amy Beach - First American woman to succeed as a composer of large-scale art music and was the foremost woman composer in the US - Pianist and became soloist with Boston symphony orchestra - Beach is part of Second New England School: group of composers working in boston primarily. - Early works – inspired by Wagner and Brahms - Later works – work was more chromatic and dissonant - Symphony in E Minor, Gaelic Symphony o Inspired by Irish folk songs Ministrel music/ blac-face ministrelsy: music written by white people in which they put black stuff on their face and wore clothes from music coming from plantations to imitate African Americans. In order to appeal to a white audience.

Genres studied in 18th and 19th century Lied/ Art song: genre of monody (song- melody + accompaniment) composed for solo voice + piano accompaniment. - A musical setting of high-quality poem, often a poem that is already well known to the intended audience. - Popularity of art song was largely due to the ubiquity of piano in the homes of all wealthy families. Domestic music was common. - Piano in art song is more than just accompaniment; its crucial to expression and interpretation of the poem. Ballet: genre including both the dance and music. Genre of ballet results form the collaboration of a composer and a choreographer. Ballet score: proper term for the music of ballet. Character piece (genre): one movement miniatures for solo piano, usually brief (2-7 mins), intended to be played in salons - Étude: Homophonic Technically difficult pieces exciting both to hear and play o Virtuostic - Mazurka: Genre named after a dance. - Nocturne: Vaguely suggest a mood or scene (night piece) - Polonaise: Polish processional dance

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Prelude: short musical composition generally played as an intro to another, larger musical piece. Improvisation. - Usually homophonic Solo concerto: single solo instrument + melody line, accompanied by orchestra - Usually 3 movements: fast – slow- fast sections Concert overture: a one-movement work in sonata form, scored for orchestra with a descriptive title. Genre - Almost always sonata-form movements - Always a form of program music Double concerto: 2 soloists plus orchestra Grand Opera/ French Grand opera: - Appealed to the middle-class Parisian audiences - Spectacle was as important as the music Music drama: New genre of opera pioneered by W...