Music Terms 8-14

Belief that people are something more than a mere condit for gifts descending from heaven, that they have the capacity to create many things good and beautiful.

compostition for a choir, intended to be sung either in a church or chapel

literally "in the chapel", performed by voices alone without any instrumental accompaniment

procedure whereby one or more voices duplicate in turn the notes of a melody

reform movement that promoted more conservative, austere approach to art, Ex. Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina

the Popes private chapel within his Vatican apartments

two decade long confernce at which leading cardinals and bishops undertook a reform of the Roman Catholic Church

most popular type of dance in 16th century, slow gliding dance in duple meter

a fast, leaping dance in triple meter

piece of several solo voices (4-5) that sets a vernacular poem, most often about love, to music.

depicting the text by means of a descriptive musical gesture, whether subtly or jokingly

musical cliches such as a falling melody for "swoon" and a dissonance for "pain"

assign all parts of choir to adult males who sang in "head voice"

literally "castrated male", could produce as much volume as two falsettists

describes the arts from that time period, held a negative connotation until twentieth century when works of Vivaldi and Bach became appreciated

different musical moods could and should be used to influence emotions, or affections, of listener

new kind of solo singing, singer stepped forward and was accompanied by few supporting instruments

bass-driven, chordal support in Baroque music, usually the harpsichord and low string instruments

numerical shorthand placed below the bass line

practice of shifting the volume of sound suddenly from one level to another

requires union of music, drama, scenery, costumes, and often dance.

literally "little book", text of an opera, written by a poet working with the composer

simplest type of monody, musically heightened speech through which plot is communicated to audience

more lyrical type of monody, more passionate, expansive, and tuneful than recitative. Tends to have clear meter and more regular rhythms 

manner of singing halfway between aria and recitative, more declamatory than an aria but has a less rapid fire delivery than recitative

instrumental piece requiring great technical dexterity of performers, instrumental showpiece

music for soloists performed in the home or small auditorium

emphasized accompanied solo singing, and the subject matter usually concerned  unrequited love or the heroes/heroines of ancient history and mythology

melody, harmony, or rhythm that repeats continually throughout a musical composition

When the repetition occurs in the bass

What English composers called basso ostinato, because it provided solid foundation for entire composition

exploits the strengths and avoids the weaknesses of particular voices and instruments

ensemble of musicians, organized around a core of strings, with added woodwinds and brasses, playing under a leader

instrumental piece that precedes and "opens" some larger composition such as an opera

consisted of two parts, the first was set in a slow duple meter, while second was in a fast triple meter

music for the home with just one player per part

Baroque sonata with dance movements, consisted of four movements with alternating tempo, slow-fast-slow-fast

written either for  solo keyboard instrument ex. harpsichord, or solo melody instrument ex. violin, 3 musicians needed violoinist and 2 basso continuo performers

consists of 3 musical lines, two melody instruments plus bass

Latin word meaning work

bass that moves at moderate, steady pace, mostly in equal note values and often stepwise up or down the scale

musical composition marked by friendly contest or competition between a soloist and an orchestra

when only one soloist confronts the orchestra

when a small group of soloistsworks together against an orchestra

2-4 soloists literally means little concert

literally means "all" or "everybody" when both groups are playing together and make up the whole orchestra

all or part of the main theme, the ritornello, returns again and again, played by the tutti/ full orchestra

repetition of a musical motive at successively higher or lower degrees of the scale

The theme in a FUGUE

at the outset, each voise presents the subject in turn, and this successive presentation is exposition

composition for 2-5 parts played or sung by voices/instruments, which begins with a presentation of a subject in imitation (expostion), continues with modulating passages (episodes), and ends with strong affirmation of tonic key

freer sections, where the subject is not heard in its entirety

note, usually in the bass, that is sustained (repeated) for a time while harmonies change around it

showy passage for a soloist alone toward the end of a movement in a concerto

multimovement sacred work including aria, ariosos, and recitatives, performed by vocal soloists, a chorus, and small orchestra

spiritual melody or religious folksong of the the Lutheran church, what other denominations would call a hymn

form is ternary (ABA) which for an aria is da capo because performers, when reaching end of B, "take it from the head" and repeat A.

short preparatory piece that sets a mood and serves as a technical warm up for the player before the fugue

Bachs last project, an encylcopedic treatment of all known contrapuntal procedures set forth in 19 canons and fugues.

genre that was a collection of dances, usually from 2-7 people, all in one key and for one group of instruments

type of Italian opera created by Handel, literally "serious" instead of comic

suggests the movement of simple shepherds attending the Christ Child

literally "something sung in an oratory", an oratory being a hall or chapel used specifically for prayer