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

Johann Sebastian Bach represents the culmination of the Baroque period, and his death marks a turning point in music history. He was the main proponent of the cantata, a musical form performed and sung in Lutheran worship before the sermon. Bach's innovation was to create characters, recitatives, and arias for liturgical music, as seen in his early cantatas, effectively adding a narrative to a drama. The late 17th-century reforms of the Lutheran church allowed for the use of madrigal poetry in liturgical music. Bach never called his works "cantatas," but rather "spiritual harmony," "motets," or "church music," intended to encourage the faithful.

Bach's Cantata Development Across Cities

There are several periods in Bach's life regarding the development... Continue reading "Johann Sebastian Bach: Master of the Sacred Cantata" »

Machiavelli and *The Prince*

Niccolò Machiavelli was born in Florence. In his youth, he received training in the humanities and then carried out political functions. His most important work was *The Prince*. The book constitutes an exclusive relationship for the measures to hold the reins of government that the ruling must follow. Machiavelli reserves the right to use force and will if the state requires it.

*Arcadia*: Renaissance Pastoral Novel

*Arcadia*, a Renaissance pastoral novel, was published in Valencia. It accounts for the life of young Sincere who, after a disappointment in love, left Naples and moved to the nation's Arcadia, where peace is called Peloponnese. However, a terrible dream leads him back to Naples, where he learns of the... Continue reading "Renaissance Literature and Philosophy: Key Concepts" »

The Classical Period in Poetry: 16th-18th Centuries

Defining the Classical Series in Poetry

The Classical Series refers to a significant three-century period (16th, 17th, and the first half of the 18th century) during which poetry waged a fierce battle to break free from the restrictions imposed by more dogmatic poetic rules. This long period marked a transformation, after which poetry became a subject of literary study and criticism.

Poetic Revival in the 16th Century

The 16th century focused on the resurrection of a poetic culture that had been diluted by moral and religious influences during the later centuries of the Middle Ages.

Humanism: A Bridge to Modern Poetics

Humanism, as a movement that opened up man's unforeseen possibilities, combined... Continue reading "Classical Poetry's Evolution: From Humanism to Aristotelianism (16th-18th Centuries)" »

Renaissance (15th-16th Centuries)

History

Civil society flourishes during the Renaissance, with a focus on nature, humans, and discovery. Power resides with influential bourgeois families. The Catholic and Protestant churches separate.

Art

Inspired by ancient Greece and Rome, Renaissance art emphasizes balance, beauty, and proportion. Painting, sculpture, and architecture thrive. Advanced mathematics contributes to sophisticated architecture. Owning instruments and employing skilled musicians becomes a status symbol among the ruling class.

Music

Polyphony and expressive music triumph. Vocal and instrumental music flourish. Songbooks compile songs and dances. Musicians hold esteemed positions in church chapels and courts, traveling and exchanging... Continue reading "Renaissance and Baroque Music, Art, and History" »

Opera Styles and Music Forms

German Opera

Usually revolves around medieval matters or legends, often with a personal treatment of mythological themes. Wagner loved these fantastic issues, developing them in the form of musical drama (moving away from the traditional division of scenes into arias). In Wagner, each character or historical event has a leitmotif, and the works often lasted three hours.

Leitmotif

A musical piece that is played every time a character, action, feeling, or place appears.

Italian Opera

The 19th century was a period of splendor for this genre in Italy. Composers include Rossini, Verdi, and Puccini. Features:

• Less emphasis on vocal virtuosity.
• Greater importance of the chorus.
• Shift towards realism in opera, moving away from fantasy.

Music in Ancient Greece

In Greece, music became an art form, integral to various aspects of life such as poetry, dramatic performances, sporting events, and the Olympic Games. The first figures of musical notation emerged, and dedicated performers showcased their works.

Music in the Roman Empire

As the Roman Empire expanded its reign from the 2nd century BC to the 5th century AD, it inherited Greek culture, including music. Many Greek musicians became enslaved after battles. Music played a significant role in large public events like gladiatorial games and circus performances.

Gregorian Chant

To foster unity within Christianity, Pope Gregory I compiled early Christian songs. This musical form, collected over two centuries, became the sole music... Continue reading "Music History: From Ancient Greece to the Baroque Era" »

Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a German composer and organist, and an important member of a family of musicians. He began his musical training with the help of his father and his brother. At 18, he began his professional life. At 38, he was appointed music director of a Leipzig church and remained there until his death.

Secular Vocal Music

The secular vocal music component still includes madrigals. Opera was born, which has sung parts in theatrical productions. At the end of the Baroque period, operas buffa appeared, with comic arguments, and were very popular in France. The opéra-ballet also appeared.

Claudio Monteverdi

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) was a composer from Cremona, Italy, chronologically located in the... Continue reading "Baroque Composers and Musical Forms: 17th-18th Centuries" »

The Power of Music

There's a song that seems made expressly for us.

Human Responses to Music

People cannot stay indifferent while listening to music. Before the sound stimulus, we always react in one way or another.

Types of Responses:

• Emotional Response: An emotion is an intense mental state that arises spontaneously in the nervous system, causing a positive or negative reaction. It is involuntary.
• The Body's Response: Often, while listening to music, we make small movements without being conscious of them, and we follow the beats. But what makes us dance is the rhythm, which also marks the style of dancing.
• Intellectual Response: Many times when we hear a song, we look at any aspect that draws our attention: the timbre of a singer's voice, the

Fundamentals of Sound Art

Fundamentals of Music

The fundamentals of music are:

• Rhythm: The combination of sounds and silences. It serves as the skeleton of a melody.
• Melody: The most visible element of a musical piece, i.e., that of which we are most aware when listening. It is usually the starting point of a composition consisting of a free combination of musical notes.
• Harmony: The musical part that regulates the relationship between melody and the instruments that accompany it.

Towards the end of the 19th century, composers became interested in the traditional music of their countries and cultures, which enriched their music through the use of new rhythms and instruments.

Musical Forms

The starting point of a composition is usually one or more melodies,... Continue reading "Sound Art Fundamentals: Rhythm, Melody, Harmony" »

Melody: Expressive and Emotional

The melody is the predominant element in Romantic music. Composers explore all expressive possibilities, conveying personal feelings and emotions to the listener.

Rhythm: Tempo Rubato

Tempo rubato consists of momentarily changing the speed of the heartbeat for expressive purposes.

Texture: Melody Accompanied

The most commonly used texture is melody accompanied, which can be more or less complex depending on the instrumentation.

Genres of Romantic Music

Religious Vocal Music

Composers used similar methods as before but with a more operatic approach.

Secular Vocal Music

Triumph and growth in operatic realism. Wagner introduced a new concept of opera, integrating all arts and engaging the spectator. The lied, where music... Continue reading "Romantic Music: Melody, Rhythm, Texture, and Genres" »