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

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" »

Historical Context: Ars Nova and Musical Shifts

Philippe de Vitry and Johannes de Muris

Philippe de Vitry and Johannes de Muris, professors of music at the University of Paris, were pivotal figures in the development of music theory. Vitry's students compiled his notes into a treatise called Ars Nova, which explained his perspective on the new music and contrasted it with the older Ars Vetus, detailing the art of early music.

Innovations in Time and Harmony

Vitry considered creating a system to change from the triple time prevalent before, introducing binary time. In France, the melodic line became the basis for harmonization, with voices and instruments supporting it from above and below, leaving the melody in the middle. Until the fifteenth century,... Continue reading "Ars Nova and 15th Century Music: Vitry, Muris, and Ockeghem Innovations" »

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" »

The Voice in Musical Text: Lied, Opera, and Zarzuela

The human voice has always been central to musical expression, giving rise to diverse forms that blend poetic text with intricate compositions. This document explores three significant vocal music forms: the Lied, Opera, and Zarzuela, tracing their evolution and impact.

The Lied: Intimate Poetic Song

The Lied is a small, intimate composition based on a poetic text, usually a poem by a writer of the time, such as J.W. Goethe. It features a male or female voice, accompanied by a piano. Composers often grouped their Lieder into collections or cycles. Robert Schumann's Dichterliebe (A Poet's Love) and Frauenliebe und -leben (A Woman's Love and Life) are among the best-known cycles.

The Opera: Grand

Modernism is a literary movement of aesthetic renovation that has its origin in Latin America in the 1880s with the publication of the works of Cuban writer José Martí. Modernist writers were inspired by:

1. Some Spanish Romantic writers, primarily in Bécquer.
2. Also remarkable is the influence of French literature of the second half of the nineteenth century, particularly Parnassianism and, above all, the Symbolists.

Parnassianism features:

1. Defends the ideal of "art for art" and that art and beauty are the only comforts in life.
2. Desires perfection in form.
3. Exhibits a taste for topics such as Greek mythology, the exotic East, and ancient civilizations.

Symbolism accused Parnassianism of coldness and scholarship. It is characterized by:

1. Providing poetry

Dolce Stil Nuovo

The Dolce Stil Nuovo, christened by Dante, was a fresh new style of a poetic school of thirteenth-century Italian love, applying philosophical ideas of the time. According to the philosophy of the time, she is a recipient of the virtues that emanate from God, hence the frequent descriptions of angels or stars and spiritualized suffering. Love is no longer a sin, but a tool that brings man to God. Next to love (the single topic of the dolce stil nuovo) appears idealized nature in poems composed entirely of idyllic landscapes: spring, flower meadows... Hendecasyllables verbs are used and new stanzas, most notably the sonnet. The influence of this school was enormous: it included Dante, Petrarch, and Garcilaso de la Vega. The best... Continue reading "Dolce Stil Nuovo, Medieval Theater, and Medieval Stories" »

Electronic Instruments

Electronic instruments are those that produce or modify their sound electronically and transmit it to the listener, amplified through speakers. In the 20th century, amplification began to be used. In classical music, microphones were used. Other instruments that generate sound by electronic means are keyboards and synthesizers.

Computers offer the ability to:

• Hear music from a CD.
• Type scores.
• Record music with sequencers.
• Create music with music-creating programs.

Twentieth Century Music

It is a period of history in which political, social, cultural, and artistic music developed very quickly. Impressionism and expressionism were created. The world wars and economic crises led artists to seek new forms of expression. Features... Continue reading "Electronic Instruments and 20th Century Music History" »

Key Concepts in Literature and Culture

Understanding Core Communicative Elements

Context: This refers to the set of circumstances surrounding a communicative act.

Linguistic Registers: This describes the particular way in which speakers express themselves, influenced by their linguistic competence and especially by the situation occurring during the communicative act.

Traditional Literature: Oral Heritage and Evolution

Traditional literature represents one of the enduring activities of human societies, accompanying us throughout history. It has significantly helped us to live and shape our modern identity. Historically, the most important literary tradition has been the oral tradition. Songs or ballads, sung during games or while performing certain... Continue reading "Literary and Cultural Heritage: Key Concepts and Figures" »

Literary Devices: A Comprehensive List

Explore a variety of literary devices used to enhance writing and speech:

• Alliteration: Repetition of sounds in different words close together. Example: Aleve under the wing of the mild range.
• Anaphora: Repetition of a word or words at the beginning of successive sentences or verses. Example: Was longer... fattest...
• Anadiplosis: Repetition of the last part of a verse at the beginning of the following verse. Example: To get dressed in yellow... yellow...
• Antithesis: Juxtaposition of two words or ideas with opposite meanings. Example: Went out... I went on.
• Pun: A play on words using syllables that resemble each other. Example: Diamonds are a lover's best friend.
• Comparison (Simile): Union of two concepts through

Renaissance Instruments: A Detailed Look

The instruments described are as follows:

Wind Instruments

• Bugler: A curved wind instrument made of wood, with a cup-shaped mouthpiece.
• Crumhorn: A rod-shaped instrument consisting of a capsule timber in which is inserted a double reed. It produces a soft and sharp sound.
• Sackbut: A metal instrument that produces a rounded and less bright sound than current trombones.
• Trumpet: A blowing tool with metal coils, whose sounds are produced by the position of the lips.

String Instruments

• Viola: A bowed instrument with six and seven strings, of great importance in the Renaissance. Their sound was soft and veiled. It was held in front of the body and not under the chin. It had three sizes: soprano, alto, and tenor.