Music Appreciation - Lecture 9 Notes
 

NEW MATERIAL: WESTERN CLASSICAL MUSIC
MEDIEVAL AND RENAISSANCE

Be able to define the characteristics of works:

Instrumentation

  • Instrumental (and what instruments)

  • Vocal (and how many voices)

  • Combination

Texture

  • monophonic - single line, any number of voices

  • polyphonic - multiple lines of equal importance

  • homophonic - clearly defined melody/harmony relations

  • vocal textures: syllabic = one syllable for each note, neumatic = 2-3 syllables for each note, melismatic = many syllabes for each note (ala Mariah Carey =).

Genres

  • Motet – Polyphonic vocal work, usually sacred (liturgical).
  • Mass – The central service of the traditional Christian liturgy, a ritual celebration of Christ’s last supper with his disciples. The liturgy of the Mass consists of the Ordinary (fixed texts said or sung at every Mass) and the Propers (texts that vary according to the date within the liturgical year, such as a particular feast date or season).
  • Anthem – Designation given to many motet-like works on English texts from the 16th century onward. The full anthem is for chorus throughout. The verse anthem alternates choral passages with passages for solo voice and instrumental accompaniment.
  • Cantata – Vocal work, usually sacred, for performance forces of varying size, from soloist and basso continuo to soloists, chrus, and orchestra.
  • Chanson (French) – Secular song
  • Frottola (Italian) – Lighthearted, sometimes sarcastic/ironic poetry with chordal textures, lively dancelike rhythms, frequent use of syncopation and hemiola.
  • Chorale – A hymn, either in its harmonized form or as a melody alone. Congregational music of the Protestant Reformation (Germany).

Special techniques

  • Word Painting – the use of musical elements to imitate the meaning of a specific passage of text (see Byrd, William - Sing Joyfully in listening excerpts)