Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Arts and Humanities

Essential English-Spanish Music Vocabulary

Musical Terms

• Beat: ritmo
• Tone deaf: no tener oído musical / desafinado
• Jingle: canción publicitaria / melodía pegadiza
• Musical score: partitura (sheet music) / banda sonora (soundtrack)
• Syllabus: programa de estudios / temario
• Chords: acordes
• Musical masterpiece: obra maestra musical
• Lyrics: letra (de canción)
• Recall: recordar
• Tunes: melodías / canciones
• Background music: música de fondo
• Airplay: emisión en radio / difusión radial
• In tune: afinado
• Rhythm: ritmo
• Out of tune: desafinado / fuera de tono
• Catchy tune: melodía pegadiza
• Bass: bajo
• Live performance: actuación en vivo / directo
• Choir: coro
• Recorded: grabado
• Deafening: ensordecedor
• Playable: interpretable / tocable
• Gig: concierto / bolo
• Vocals: voz / parte

The Importance of Images in Multimodal Texts

The image that appears in multimodal texts is a very important element. A photograph, for instance of a [specific subject, e.g., woman], is often used to bring a sense of immediacy and reality to the text, fostering interaction with the reader. This image might be very large and highlighted prominently, perhaps on the left side. The subject depicted often provides or reflects [specific meaning or emotion].

Information Value and Reading Path

We typically read information value from left to right and from top to bottom.

Salience: Attracting the Reader's Attention

Regarding salience, different elements of a composition try to catch the reader’s attention. Examples include:

• The subject's face
• A message on

Architectural History: Renaissance, Gothic, and Romanesque Periods

26. Notre Dame Church Exhibits the Following Gothic Characteristics:

a. All of the above

b. Rose windows

27. The Renaissance Period of Architecture Began in What Country?

a. Italy

28. What Invention Was Important to the Renaissance?

a. Printing

29. Pisa Campanile:

a. Has a 13ft inclination

30. The Inclination in Pisa Campanile is Caused by:

a. Differential settlement (subsidence) in the foundation

31. Externally, Hagia Sophia Can Be Described by:

a. Bearing walls

32. The Renaissance in Architecture is Expressed by:

a. A renewed interest in the classical Roman and Greek forms and proportion

33. The Portico at the West “Portico de la Gloria” in the Spanish Romanesque Church Santiago de Compostela

Genres

Musical, Action, Romantic Comedy, Western, Science Fiction, Drama, Animation, Horror, Futuristic, Humorous

Adjectives

Others

Based on a novel: basada en una novela.

Based on a true story: basada en una historia real.

A hit: éxito de taquilla.

Cast: reparto  (de actores).

Costumes: vestuario.

Direct: dirigir.

Get rave reviews: conseguir críticas muy favorables.

Last: durar.

Main character: protagonista, personaje principal.

Nominate for an Oscar: nominar a un Óscar.... Continue reading "Film Terminology: Genres, Adjectives, and More" »

Camera Work

Camera work involves various techniques to convey meaning and emotions. These include:

• High/Low Angles: Used to show dominance or inferiority.
• Point of View/Over the Shoulder Shots: Encourage audience identification with the character.
• Camera Movement: Suggests character's state, such as fast-paced or anxious.
• Two Shots: Emphasize the relationship between characters.
• Zoom: For emphasis.
• Close-Ups: Capture emotions and reactions.
• Long/Establishing Shots: Show setting and costumes.

Common camera shots include establishing shot, master shot, close-up, mid-shot, long shot, wide shot, two-shot, aerial shot, point of view shot, over the shoulder shot, high angle, low angle, canted angle.

Camera movements include pan, tilt, track, crane, Steadicam,... Continue reading "Film Techniques Glossary" »

*Barbie* Movie Review: Margot Robbie Shines in a Feminist Take

A Deep Dive into Barbieland and Beyond

Barbie, directed by Greta Gerwig, brings the iconic doll to life in a refreshing cinematic experience. The film stars Margot Robbie as the titular Barbie, alongside Ryan Gosling as Ken, and, naturally, all the types of Barbie you can imagine. Barbie lives an ideal life in Barbieland. Everything is perfect there, with parties full of music and color, and every day is the best day.

Of course, Barbie asks herself some uncomfortable questions that don't fit with the idyllic world in which she and the other Barbies live. When Barbie realizes that she is able to place her heels on the ground and have flat feet, she decides to put on some shoes and travel... Continue reading "Barbie Movie Review: Margot Robbie Shines in a Feminist Take" »

Impressionism

A group of artists renowned for their innovative painting techniques and approach to using colour in art and light in nature. They abandoned the conventional idea that the shadow of an object was made up from its colour with brown or black added. The Impressionists capture the atmosphere of a particular time of day or the effects of different weather conditions on the landscape.

Dadaism

A form of artistic anarchy born out of disgust for the social, political, and cultural values of the time. It embraced elements of art, music, poetry, theatre, dance, and politics.

Surrealism

Was the 20th-century art movement that sought to liberate creativity from the limitations of rational thought by exploring the hidden depths of the 'unconscious... Continue reading "Key Art Movements of the 19th & 20th Centuries" »

The Naturalists' View on Meaning

Ancient Greek philosophers who advocated this position viewed naming as a natural relationship between the signs and what these signs signified. They thought that the form of words was thus related to their meaning. This relationship was said to emanate from rigidly fixed inviolable principles on which man had no control.

The existence of a number of onomatopoeic words in natural languages, that is, words whose phonetic form is an imitation of the original sound they refer to such as cuckoo, splash, crush, and hoot in English, backed up the view held by the naturalist school.

The Conventionalists' View on Meaning

Greek philosophers who argued for the conventionalist explanation viewed the relationship of naming... Continue reading "Semantic Theory: Naturalists vs. Conventionalists" »

Eddie Carbone: A Tragic Protagonist

Eddie Carbone, the protagonist of Arthur Miller's The View from the Bridge, is a complex and tragic figure. A longshoreman living in Red Hook, Brooklyn, Eddie is a man of limited intelligence and self-awareness, whose tragic flaw is his inability to escape the bubble of his own constructed world.

Eddie's Secret Lust for Catherine

Eddie harbors a secret lust for his orphaned niece, Catherine, which ultimately leads to his downfall. This lust is hinted at throughout the play, but it is not until the end that Eddie fully comprehends his feelings. Beatrice, Eddie's wife, is the first to express this possibility, and Alfieri, the play's narrator, also realizes Eddie's feelings during his first conversation with him.... Continue reading "The View from the Bridge: A Tragic Tale of Love, Betrayal, and Redemption" »