Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and problems for Music

Every musical instrument has its own timbre. It is very important for a composer to know about the timbres and expressive qualities of them.

Impressionism

Characteristics: Conveys moods and emotions through tone color.

Origin: France

Composer: Claude Debussy

Musical Features: Slow tempo, lack of contrast or shape, focus on tone color.

Expressionism

Characteristics: Expresses emotion through music intended to create discomfort and unease.

Origin: Austria & Germany

Composer: Arnold Schoenberg

Musical Features: Harsh, tense, uneasy, and uncomfortable melodies and harmonies; dissonant and dark.

Serialism

Characteristics: A systematic approach to composition using a row of pitches derived from the chromatic scale (12-tone technique).

Origin: Austria & Germany

Composer: Arnold Schoenberg

Musical Features: Dissonant, atonal (lack of tonality), based on a pre-ordered series of pitches.

Audience

1. Main Genres of Literature

1. Name the 3 main genres of literature in general

• Poetry, Drama, and Fiction (or Prose).

2. Defining Children's Literature

2. Define children’s literature in your own words.

• Children’s literature typically consists of short stories that are appropriate for children in terms of emotional and moral value.

3. Children's Literature Sub-Genres and Examples

• Adventure: Robinson Crusoe

• Toy: Winnie-the-Pooh

• Fantasy: The Hobbit

4. What is a Fable?

• Fables are humorous short stories featuring animals as main characters, each conveying a particular moral lesson. Aesop, who lived around the 6th century BC, is credited with writing many well-known fables.

5. The Works of James Janeway

• James Janeway wrote A Token for Children in 1671 (not 1692)

Early Life and Training in Bonn

Born on December 16, 1770, in Bonn, Germany, Ludwig van Beethoven's early life was marked by rigorous musical training under his demanding father. Driven by the ambition to mold him into "the new Mozart," Beethoven's father's methods, coupled with his struggles with alcoholism, impacted the young Beethoven's personal and academic life. Despite facing challenges, Beethoven's exceptional talent was evident from a young age. By the age of seven, he was already captivating audiences with his piano recitals, earning the admiration of renowned musicians like Christian Gottlob Neefe, who became his mentor.

A Budding Musician in Vienna

At the age of 16, Beethoven embarked on a journey to Vienna, the music capital of the... Continue reading "Ludwig van Beethoven: A Musical Prodigy's Journey" »

Song Introduction

Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh! Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!

Caught in a bad romance

Pre-Chorus

Rah rah ah-ah-ah! Ro mah ro-mah-mah

Gaga oh-la-la! Want your bad romance

Verse 1

I want your ugly, I want your disease

I want your everything, as long as it's free

I want your love, love-love-love, I want your love

I want your drama, the touch of your hand

I want your leather-studded kiss in the sand

I want your love, love-love-love, I want your love

(Love-love-love, I want your love)

You know that I want you

And you know that I need you

I want it bad, your bad romance

Chorus

I want your love and I want your revenge

You and me could write a bad romance (Oh-oh-oh-oh-oooh!)

I want your love and all your lovers' revenge

You and me could write a bad romance

Post-Chorus

Oh-oh-oh-oh-... Continue reading "Bad Romance Lyrics: Lady Gaga's Iconic Pop Anthem" »

Revenge Tragedy

Revenge tragedy is a genre of English theatre written from the mid-1580s to the early 1640s. The main themes of these plays are ghosts, incest, rape, torture, perversion, murder, betrayal, madness, strong passions, bloody violence, etc. Some of the most influential writers of this time were John Ford, Thomas Middleton, Thomas Kyd, John Marston, John Webster, George Chapman and Cyril Tourneur. We can distinguish some plays such as Kyd’s Spanish Tragedy, which initiated the dramatic archetype, inventing the basic formula.

Notable Works

Another crowd-pleasers tragedy was Thomas Middleton’s ‘The Revenger’s Tragedy’ (1606). We can distinguish Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’ even if others claim that it is not a true Revenge Tragedy.... Continue reading "Influence and Themes of English Revenge Tragedy" »

The Rise of Romanticism in Music

A New Era of Expression

From the late 19th to the early 20th century, Europe witnessed a series of socio-political revolutions that laid the groundwork for liberalism and democracy. The bourgeoisie held political and economic power, and industrialization, machinery, and the railway were transforming society. This period also saw the rise of Romanticism in music, characterized by:

Key Characteristics of Romantic Music

• Emphasis on individuality, rebellion against rules, and exaltation of feelings.
• Rich, passionate, and intense melodies with irregular phrasing.
• Complex and fluctuating rhythms, incorporating techniques like tenuto and ritardando.
• Rich and varied harmonies with modulations and key changes.
• Expanded symphony

Baroque Definition

Musical Characteristics

• Striking, colorful, vital, full of movement and dramatic effects
• Tendency to ornamentation and complexity
• Importance of contrasts in movement, dynamics, character, and timbre
• Great rhythmic energy with the use of repetitive rhythmic patterns
• Long and ornate melodies
• Establishment of the tonal system of tones and semitones
• Use of continuous bass (basso

Renaissance Music: 1400 to 1600

The Renaissance is a French term meaning rebirth. This period, spanning from 1400 to 1600, saw a revival of interest in ancient culture, specifically ancient Greece and Rome. Humanism emerged, giving humanity a central place in the universe.

The invention of the printing press by Gutenberg helped spread musical scores. The Protestant Reformation, led by Martin Luther, created the choral, which is a homophonic religious song in German accompanied by an organ. Anglicanism featured the Simple Song, a polyphonic work for religious services. The Counter-Reformation was the reaction of the Catholic Church against the Protestants.

Religious and Secular Vocal Forms

• Mass: A polyphonic work performed a cappella.
• Motet: A short

Melody:

A melody is a succession of sounds that are perceived as a whole. Throughout history, many musical pieces have been composed, and each musical work has a different melody.

Intervals:

The varying pitches of the sounds in a melody give it a distinct identity that makes the melody recognizable.

Second, sixth, third, seventh, fourth, octave, fifth, unison

Scales:

A scale is a series of ascending or descending notes that starts on one note and ends with a repetition of that same note one octave above or one octave below.

Chords:

A chord is a composition of various sounds playing at once. (It is a combination of three or more notes playing at the same time)

Meter:

When we hear a melody, we find that certain accents are repeated regularly, this regularity... Continue reading "Understanding Melody, Intervals, Scales, Chords, and Percussion Instruments" »