Transcript Music: An Appreciation by Roger Kamien

Time Line
Middle Ages (450-1450)
Rome sacked by Vandals
455
Beowolf
c. 700
First Crusade
1066
Black Death
1347-52
Joan of Arc executed by English
1431
Part II – The Middle Ages and Renaissance
The Middle Ages
Period of wars and mass migration
Strong class distinctions
– Nobility: castles, knights in armor, feasting
– Peasantry: lived in huts; serfs—part of land
– Clergy: ruled everyone; only monks literate
Part II – The Middle Ages and Renaissance
The Middle Ages
Architecture
– Early: Romanesque
– Late: Gothic
Visual Arts
– Stressed iconic/symbolic, not realism
Late Middle Ages saw technological progress
Part II – The Middle Ages and Renaissance
Chapter 1:
Music in the Middle Ages
Church dominates musical activity
– Most musicians were priests
– Women did not sing in mixed church settings
Music primarily vocal and sacred
– Instruments not used in church
Chapter 1
Gregorian Chant
Was official music of Roman Catholic Church
– No longer common since Second Vatican Council
Monophonic melody set to Latin text
Flexible rhythm without meter and beat
Named for Pope Gregory I (r. 590-604)
Originally no music notation system
– Notation developed over several centuries
The Church Modes
“Otherworldly” sound—basis of Gregorian Chant
Different ½ and whole steps than modern scales
Middle Ages and Renaissance used these scales
– Some Western Music uses these scale patterns
- What Do You Do With a Drunken Sailor?—Dorian mode
- When Johnny Comes Marching Home—Aeolian mode
Chapter 1
Listening
O Successores (You Successors)
Hildegard of Bingen
Listening Guide: p. 70
Brief Set, CD 1:50
Chant
Originally written without accompaniment
This recording includes a drone—long, sustained notes
Note extended range of melody
Written for nuns by a nun (to be sung in convent)
Chapter 1
Time Line
Renaissance (1450-1600)
Guttenberg Bible
1456
Columbus reaches America
1492
Leonardo da Vinci: Mona Lisa
c. 1503
Michelangelo: David
1504
Raphael: School of Athens
1505
Martin Luther’s 95 Theses
1517
Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet
1596
Part II – The Middle Ages and Renaissance
The Renaissance
Rebirth of human learning and creativity
Time of great explorers
Humanism
Fascination with ancient Greece and Rome
Part II – The Middle Ages and Renaissance
The Renaissance
Visual art becomes more realistic
– Mythology is favorite subject
– Nude body, as in ancient times, is shown
Weakening of the Catholic Church
Education and literacy now status
symbol
– Result of invention of printing press
David by Michelangelo
Part II – The Middle Ages and Renaissance
Chapter 2:
Music in the Renaissance
Church choirs grew in size (all male)
Rise of the individual patron
– Musical center shifted from church to courts
– Court composers wrote secular and sacred music
– Women did not sing in mixed church settings
Chapter 2
Musicians: higher status and pay than before
– Composers became known for their work
Many composers were Franco-Flemish
– Worked throughout Europe, especially in Italy
Italy became music capital in 16th century
– Other important centers: Germany, England, Spain
Chapter 2
Characteristics of Renaissance Music
Words and Music
Vocal music more important than instrumental
Word painting/text painting
Chapter 2
Texture
Polyphonic
Primarily vocal - a cappella
– Instruments, if present, doubled the vocal parts
Rhythm and Melody
Rhythm “flows” and overlaps
– Composers less concerned with metrical accents
Smooth, stepwise melodies predominate
– Melodies overlap rhythmically between voices
Chapter 2
Sacred Music in the Renaissance
Two main forms:
Motet
– Short polyphonic choral work
– Latin text usually overlaid with vernacular text
– Often borrows lowest voice part from a chant
Mass—the Catholic worship service
– Long work that includes five main parts of service
-
Kyrie
-
Sanctus
-
Gloria
-
Agnus Dei
-
Credo
Chapter 2
Josquin Desprez
1440-1521 (contemporary of Columbus & da Vinci)
Wrote both sacred and secular music
– Worked with the Papal Choir in Rome
– Worked for King Louis XII of France
Leading composer of his time; famous while alive
– His work influenced other composers
– Was highly praised by Martin Luther
Chapter 2
Listening
Ave Maria…Virgo Serena
Josquin Desprez
Vocal Music Guide: p. 82
Brief Set, CD 1:56
Listen for: Four voices
Polyphonic imitation
Overlapping voice parts
Chapter 2
Time Line
Shakespeare: Hamlet
1600
Cervantes: Don Quixote
1605
Jamestown founded
1607
Galileo: Earth orbits Sun
1610
King James Bible
1611
Newton: Principia Mathematica
1687
Witchcraft trials in Salem, Mass.
1692
Defoe: Robinson Crusoe
1719
Swift: Gulliver’s Travels
1726
PART III—THE BAROQUE PERIOD
The Baroque Style
Time of flamboyant lifestyle
Baroque style “fills the space”
Visual Art
– Implies motion
- Note pictures p. 93
– Busy
- Note pictures p. 94
PART III—THE BAROQUE PERIOD
The Baroque Style
Architecture
– Elaborate
- Note picture p. 95
Change in approach to science
– Experiment-based, not just observation
– Inventions and improvements result
PART III—THE BAROQUE PERIOD
Chapter 2:
Music in Baroque Society
Music written to order
– New music, not old-fashioned, was desired
Courts:
– Music and musical resources indicated affluence
Court Music Director
– Good prestige, pay, and other benefits
- Still considered a skilled servant
Chapter 2
Some aristocrats were musicians
Church music was very elaborate
– Most people heard music only in church
Some, though few, public opera houses
Music careers taught by apprenticeship
– Orphanages taught music as a trade
Chapter 2
Characteristics of Baroque Music
Unity of Mood
– Expresses one mood per piece
Rhythm
– Rhythmic patterns are repeated throughout
Melody
– Opening melody heard again and again
Dynamics
– Volumes constant with abrupt changes
Texture
– Late baroque mostly polyphonic
– Extensive use of imitation
Chapter 1
Chords and the Basso Continuo
– Emphasis on way chords follow each other
- Bass part considered foundation of the harmony
– Basso Continuo: bass part with numbers to represent
chord tones
- Similar to modern jazz and pop “fake book” notation
Words and Music
– Text painting/word painting continues
– Words frequently emphasized by extension through
many rapid notes
Chapter 1
The Baroque Orchestra
Based on violin family of instruments
Small by modern standards
Varying instrumentation
– Combinations of strings, woodwinds, brass, &
percussion (tympani)
Nucleus was basso continuo unit
Composers specified instrumentation
– Timbre was subordinate to melody, rhythm, and
harmony
Chapter 1
Baroque Forms
Instrumental music frequently made up of
contrasting movements
– Movement: a piece complete in itself, also part of a
larger whole
– Performed with pause between movements
– Unity of mood within individual movements
– Movements often contrast with each other
Chapter 1
Chapter 3: The Concerto Grosso and
Ritornello Form
Concerto Grosso
– For small group of soloists and orchestra
– Multi-movement work
– Usually 3 movements
- Fast
- Slow (usually quieter)
- Fast (sometimes dance-like)
Chapter 3
Ritornello
– Frequently used in first and last movements of
concerto grosso
– Theme repeatedly presented in fragments
– Contrast between solo sections and tutti
Chapter 3
Listening
Brandenberg Concerto No. 5 in D major
First movement
Johann Sebastian Bach
Listening Outline p. 105
Brief Set, CD 1:63
For string orchestra and group of soloists
Soloists: flute, violin, and harpsichord
Ritornello form
Chapter 3
Time Line
Seven Years’ War
1756-1763
Louis XVI in France
1774-1792
American Declaration of Independence 1776
French Revolution
1789
Napoleon: first French consul
1799
Napoleonic Wars
1803-1815
Goethe: Faust
1808
Austin: Pride and Prejudice
1813
PART IV—THE CLASSICAL PERIOD
The Classical Era
Scientific advances changed world view
– Faith in the power of reason
– Undermining of traditional authority
- Social organization
- Religious establishment
– Age of Enlightenment
– Rise of the middle class worker
Visual Art
– Moved away from ornate
Baroque style
Fragonard: The Lover Crowned
PART IV—THE CLASSICAL PERIOD
Chapter 1: The Classical Style
Transition to Period: ~1730-1770
C.P.E. and J.C. Bach were early pioneers
Music and visual arts stress balance and structure
Three main composers:
– Joseph Haydn
– Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
– Ludwig van Beethoven
Chapter 1
Characteristics of The Classical Style
Contrast of Mood
– Contrast both between and within movements
Flexibility of rhythm
– Multiple rhythmic patterns in a piece
Texture
– Mostly homophonic, but with frequent shifts
Chapter 1
Melody
– Tuneful, easy to sing, folk/popular-based
Dynamics
– Emotions expressed in shades of dynamics
- Use of gradual dynamic changes
- Related to development of the piano
End of the Basso Continuo
Chapter 1
The Classical Orchestra
Standardization of instrumentation
Increase in size of orchestra
– Still smaller than that of today
Composers made use of various timbres available
– Instruments not treated as all equal, as in the Baroque
– Melodies move around between instruments
Chapter 1
Chapter 10: Joseph Haydn
1732-1809—early and mid-classical period Austrian
composer (long life)
Talent recognized early
– At age eight was sent to Vienna to be a choir boy
– Dismissed from school—voice changed
– Worked in Vienna and continued studies
Esterhazy family’s composer for 30 years
– Employment status as skilled servant
– Became famous in Europe at this time
– Moved to Vienna at Prince’s death
Made concert trips to London
Prolific composer
Chapter 10
Haydn’s Music
Pioneer in development of classical forms
– Both Mozart and Beethoven were influenced by Haydn
Made use of folk music in serious compositions
104 symphonies, 68 string quartets
– Possibly invented the string quartet form
Extensive output in other forms:
– Piano sonatas
– Divertimentos
– Operas
– Piano trios
– Concertos
– Masses
Chapter 10
Classical Forms
Instrumental works usually in multi-movement form
Frequently four movements
– First—Fast
– Third—Dance-related
– Second—Slow
– Fourth—Fast
Multi-movement works for instrumental groups:
– Symphony—for orchestra
– String quartet—two violins, viola, and cello
– Sonata—usually for one or two instruments
Chapter 1
Chapter 4: Theme and Variations
Single part form—no large contrasting “B” section
– ( A A’ A” A”’…)
Basic idea presented, then repeated over and over
– Each repeat alters (varies) the musical idea
– Each variation is about the same length as the original
idea
– Variations may alter melody, harmony, rhythm, dynamics,
timbre, or all of these
Chapter 4
Listening
Symphony No. 94 in G Major, 1791
(Surprise Symphony)
Franz Joseph Haydn
Second Movement
Listening Outline: p. 166
Brief Set, CD 2:32
Listen for: Theme and variations form
“Surprise” chord near beginning
Chapter 4
Time Line
Monroe Doctrine
1823
Hugo: Hunchback of Notre Dame
1831
Dickens: Oliver Twist
1837
Dumas: The Three Musketeers
1844
Poe: The Raven
1845
Darwin: Origin of Species
1859
American Civil War
1861-1865
Twain: Huckleberry Finn
1884
Bell invents telephone
1876
PART V—THE ROMANTIC PERIOD
Romanticism (1820-1900)
Stressed emotion, imagination, and individualism
Emotional subjectivity basis of arts
Favorite artistic topics:
– Fantasy and the supernatural
– Middle Ages/concept of chivalry and romance
- Architecture revived Gothic elements
– Nature as mirror of the human heart
Period of the Industrial Revolution
– Resulted in social and economic changes
PART V—THE ROMANTIC PERIOD
Chapter 1: Romanticism in Music
Many important Romantic composers
Franz Schubert
Bedrich Smetana
Robert Schumann
Antonin Dvořák
Clara Schumann
Peter Tchaikovsky
Frederic Chopin
Johannes Brahms
Franz Liszt
Giuseppe Verdi
Felix Mendelssohn
Giacomo Puccini
Hector Berlioz
Richard Wagner
Chapter 1
Continued use of classical period forms
– Much individual alteration and adjustment
Greater range of tone color, dynamics, and pitch
than in classical period
Expanded harmony—complex chords
Chapter 1
Characteristics of Romantic Music
Individuality of Style
Composers wanted uniquely identifiable music
– Worked to find their own voice
In romantic music, it is far easier to identify
individual composers through listening
Chapter 1
Expressive Aims and Subjects
All approaches were explored:
– Flamboyance, intimacy, unpredictability, melancholy,
rapture, longing, …
Romantic love still the focus of songs and operas
– Lovers frequently depicted as unhappy and facing
overwhelming obstacles
Dark topics draw composers
Chapter 1
Colorful Harmony
Chords built with notes not in traditional keys
– Chromatic harmony
Harmonic instability a consciously used device
– Wide use of keys
– Frequent and rapid modulation
Chapter 1
Expanded Range of Dynamics,
Pitch, and Tempo
Dynamics ff, pp expanded to ffff and pppp
Extremely high and low pitches were added
Changes in mood frequently underlined by
(sometimes subtle) shifts in tempo
– Rubato: slight holding back or pressing forward of tempo
Chapter 1
Forms: Miniature and Monumental
Some composers went on for hours
– Required hundreds of performers
Others’ music lasted only a few minutes
– Written for a single instrument
Composers wrote symphonies, sonatas, string
quartets, concertos, operas, and many other
classically traditional works
Chapter 1
Chapter 7: Frederic Chopin
Polish-born musician (1810-1849)
Early to mid-romantic composer
Went to Paris at age 21
– Europe’s romantic period artistic capital
Wrote almost exclusively for piano
– Made extensive use of piano pedals
Composed mostly for chamber concert
– Avoided concert halls
Affair with Aurore Dudevant (a.k.a. George Sand)
Chapter 7
Chopin’s Music
Developed personal style at early age
– Not program music, but evokes an image
– Unique harmonic style influenced others
Most of his pieces are elegant miniatures
Chapter 7
Listening
Nocturne in E Flat Major, op. 9, no. 2
Frederic Chopin (1830-31)
Listening Outline: p. 232
Brief Set, CD 3:26
Nocturne (night piece)—slow, lyrical, intimate piece for piano
Listen for: Expressive, emotional presentation with
subtle shifts in tempo and dynamics
Note pedal notation on printed music (p. 233)
Chapter 7
Chapter 18: Richard Wagner
German (1813-1883)
Mid- to late-romantic composer
Studied in Germany
– Later moved to Paris—did not work out
– Returned to Germany, ran into trouble
– Finally settled and succeeded
in Munich, Bavaria
Lived large off of others—ran up
debts
Wrote in many styles, famous
for opera
Chapter 18
Wagner’s Music
His works were large, full-blown affairs
No recitatives and arias—just non-stop music
Adapted idee fixe to leitmotif approach
Huge orchestrations for operas
– Requires big voices to be heard
Chapter 18
Listening
Die Walkure (The Valkyrie, 1856)
Richard Wagner
Act I: Love scene (conclusion)
Storyline of the Ring Cycle and this scene (p. 279)
Vocal Music Guide: p. 282
Brief Set, CD 4:1
Listen for: Huge production, large orchestrations
Big, powerful voices required
Use of leitmotif for people, places, things,
and ideas
Chapter 18
Time Line
Freud: Interpretation of Dreams
1900
Einstein: special theory of relativity
1905
First World War
1914-1918
Russian Revolution begins
1917
Great Depression begins
1929
Hitler appointed chancellor of Germany 1933
Second World War
1939-1945
Atomic bomb destroys Hiroshima
1945
PART VI—THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AND BEYOND
Time Line
Korean War
1950-1953
Crick & Watson: structure of DNA
Vietnam War
1953
1955-1975
President Kennedy assassinated
1963
American astronauts land on moon
1969
Dissolution of the Soviet Union
1991
Mandela elected president of South Africa
1994
Terrorist attacks in U.S.
2001
War in Iraq began
2003
PART VI—THE TWENTIETH CENTURY AND BEYOND
Characteristics of Twentieth-Century Music
Tone Color
Unusual playing techniques were called for
– Glissando, flutter tongue, col legno, extended notes
Percussion use was greatly expanded
– New instruments were added/created
- Xylophone, celesta, woodblock, …
- Other “instruments:” typewriter, automobile brake drum, siren
Chapter 1
Music not written for choirs of instruments
– Composers wrote for timbres, or “groups of soloists”
- Unusual groupings of instruments for small ensembles
- Orchestra scoring also reflects this trend
Chapter 1
Harmony
Consonance and Dissonance
Harmony and treatment of chords changed
– Before 1900: consonant and dissonant
- Opposite sides of the coin
– After 1900: degrees of dissonance
Chapter 1
Rhythm
Rhythmic vocabulary expanded
– Emphasis upon irregularity and unpredictability
- Shifting meters
- Irregular meters
– Polyrhythm
Chapter 1
Melody
Melody no longer bound by harmony’s notes
Major and minor keys no longer dominate
Melody may be based upon a variety of scales, or
even all twelve tones
– Frequent wide leaps
– Rhythmically irregular
– Unbalanced phrases
Chapter 1
Chapter 8: Arnold Schoenberg
Born in Vienna (1874-1951)
First to completely abandon the traditional tonal
system
– Father of the twelve-tone system
Schoenberg was Jewish; when the Nazis came to
power, he was forced to leave; came to America
– Taught at UCLA until his death
Chapter 8
Schoenberg’s Music
Atonality
– Starting 1908, wrote music with no key center
The Twelve-Tone System
– Gives equal importance to all twelve pitches in
octave
– Pitches arranged in a sequence or row (tone row)
- No pitch occurs more than once in the twelve-note row
in order to equalize emphasis of pitches
Chapter 8
Chapter 10: Anton Webern
Born in Vienna, 1883-1945
Schoenberg’s other famous student
His music was ridiculed during his lifetime
Shy family man, devoted Christian
– Shot by US soldier by mistake near end of WWII
Chapter 10
Webern’s Music
Expanded Schoenberg’s idea of tone color being
part of melody
– His melodies are frequently made up of several two-tothree-note fragments that add up to a complete whole
– Tone color replaces “tunes” in his music
His music is almost always very short
Chapter 10
Listening
Five Pieces for Orchestra (1911-1913)
Third Piece
Anton Webern
Listening Outline: p. 333
Brief Set, CD 4:28
Listen for: Lack of traditional melody
Tone color washes over the listener
Dynamics never get above pp
Chapter 10
Chapter 16: Musical Styles since 1945
Many societal changes since WWII
– Instant communication has altered the world
– Constant demand for novelty
Chapter 16
Characteristics of Music Since 1945
Increased use of the twelve-tone system
Serialism—twelve-tone techniques extended
Chance music that includes the random
Minimalist music with tonality, pulse, repetition
Deliberate quotations of earlier music in work
Chapter 16
Characteristics of Music Since 1945
Return to tonality by some composers
Electronic music
“Liberation of sound”—use of noiselike sounds
Mixed media
New concepts of rhythm and form
Chapter 16
Musical Quotation
Since mid-1960s
Represents conscious break with serialism
Improves communication with audience
– Quoted material conveys symbolic meaning
Frequently juxtaposes quoted material with others,
creating an Ives-esque sound
Return to Tonality
Parallels quotation in implying other styles
Chapter 16
Listening
Concerto Grosso 1985
(To Handel’s Sonata in D Major for Violin and Continuo, First
Movement)
Ellen Taaffe Zwilich (b. 1939)
Listening Outline: p. 368
Brief Set, CD 4:51
Quotation music, each of its five movements uses material from
first movement of the Handel piece
Listen for:
Use of quoted material
Continuo part, as in baroque period
Terraced dynamics to imply baroque
Chapter 17