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

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" »

Baroque Music Characteristics

Basso Continuo

The prominence of a superior melody implied the appearance of a new low voice. It served as a harmonic support and was called basso continuo.

Basso continuo, sometimes just called continuo, was played by a keyboard and another bass instrument such as:

• Cello
• Violone (an old form of double bass)
• Bassoon

Basso continuo would accompany solo instruments and singers as well as instrumental groups.

Types of Opera

Opera Seria

It makes use of plots based on mythological and heroic topics written in Italian. It was the favorite genre of the aristocracy; the first operas belong to this type, which evolved significantly in Italy.

Main composers include Scarlatti and Handel. Opera Seria made use of castrati; a famous castrato... Continue reading "Evolution of Baroque and Classical Music Styles" »

The Life of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born on January 27, 1756, in Salzburg, Austria. When he was three years old, his musical skills were already observed by his father—composer, violinist, and musical educator Leopold Mozart—who decided to educate him in the music scene.

It is said that at this time, the child prodigy already invented some small melodies with the harpsichord. Due to the high infant mortality in 18th-century Europe, Mozart and his sister Maria Anna (who was called Nannerl) were the only survivors of seven children. Nannerl also possessed musical skills, and little Wolfgang played duets with her.

Early Success and European Tours

At age six, Mozart was already an advanced interpreter of keyboard instruments... Continue reading "Master Composers: The Lives of Mozart and Bach" »

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

The Etymology of Literary Vocabulary

Literature

The etymology of this word comes from Latin: Littera (letter of the alphabet) and the suffix -ure (the process of letters). However, neither the Greeks nor the Romans had a word for what we nowadays understand as literature.

Poetic and Metric Terminology

Poetry

Poetry is defined as: “a poem, ancient literature, poetical works, fables, or tales.” The etymology of this word has several origins:

• From Greek: Poieo, which means ‘to create’.
• From Old French: poetrie.
• Perhaps directly from Medieval Latin: poetria.
• Also from Latin: poeta.

Verse

The term Verse comes from Late Old English (replacing Old English fers, an early West Germanic borrowing directly from Latin), meaning “line or section of a psalm... Continue reading "Etymology of Literature, Poetry, and Drama Terms" »

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. Common intervals include:

• Unison
• Second
• Third
• Fourth
• Fifth
• Sixth
• Seventh
• Octave

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... Continue reading "Essential Elements of Music and Percussion Instruments" »