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

The Classical Period: An Era of Elegance

The Classical period (c. 1750–1800) represents the brief era between the Baroque and Romantic periods. Music during this time was defined by elegance and simplicity. The period is known as “Viennese Classical” because Vienna served as the base for its three leading representatives: Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Instrumental and secular music gained popularity, leading to the birth of the classical sonata and the symphony orchestra, alongside new instruments like the clarinet and the fortepiano.

Historical and Cultural Context

The Classical period saw significant improvements in education, agriculture, and science. The French Revolution (1789) established the principle of equality for all citizens... Continue reading "Classical Music Period: History, Characteristics and Forms" »

Musical Piece Descriptions

1. Lied: Starts with aggressive piano playing. A man singing opera comes in later, then it goes back to only piano for a brief period.
2. Lied: Soft and slow piano to start. A man singing opera in German, with elongated singing. Super slow piano playing.
3. Lied: Starts with soft piano, a girl singing opera comes in soon.
4. Parlor Song: Piano starts slow. A girl singing "Beautiful Dreamer."
5. Character Piece: Soft, high piano playing to start. Slows down then speeds up again, repeated. The piano gets a little louder. No singing.
6. Nocturne: Loud piano playing, slow playing. Gets quick 45 seconds in. Still calm sounding, but fast. No singing.
7. Etude: Super fast piano playing. Super aggressive then pause, then super aggressive again. Slamming

The Romantic Era in Music and Culture (1805–1905)

Historical Context and Key Dates

The period spanning roughly 1805 to 1905 was marked by significant historical shifts:

• Beethoven's 3rd Symphony, the Eroica, premiered.
• The French Revolution (1789) led to the decline of monarchical power.

The Social Scene: Bourgeoisie and Individualism

The bourgeoisie finally broke with established conventions. New thinkers sought to give free rein to man's wishes, often expressing a sense of nostalgia.

Shifting Cultural Venues

Artistic development moved from strictly private circles into more open cultural and artistic meetings, increasing public access to the arts.

The New Musical Economy

New concepts in music appeared as people increasingly worked in factories and... Continue reading "The Romantic Period in Music: Social Change and Piano Virtuosity (1805–1905)" »

Characteristics of Romantic Music

General Features

• Modern orchestra size and appearance.
• Development and prominence of brass instruments.
• Music independent of external function (absolute music).
• Use of non-classical forms.
• Prominence of the piano (often called the "century of the piano").
• Increased use of chromaticism.

Key Musical Forms

• Symphonic Poem: A descriptive piece for orchestra.
• Lied: Voice with piano accompaniment.

Lied: Vocal Music Form and Structure

• Definition: A consistent form involving setting a poem to music for singer and piano.
• Structure: ABA.
• Key Creator: Franz Schubert.
• Common Topics: Love, death, and nature.
• Example: La Trucha (The Trout) by Schubert.

19th Century Opera

Opera evolved significantly, occupying a prominent place in the nineteenth... Continue reading "Major Musical Forms and Movements of the Romantic Era" »

Relive the sound of Summer 2012 with the official tracklist from Flaix FM.

1. Sak Noel – Where? (I Lost My Underwear)
2. Nicki Minaj – Starships (Radio Edit)
3. DJ Antoine feat. The Beat Shakers – Ma Chérie (DJ Antoine vs. Mad Mark 2k12 Radio Edit)
4. Pitbull & Chris Brown – International Love (Album Edit)
5. Bob Sinclar feat. Gilbere Forte, Dragonfly & Fatman Scoop – Rock The Boat
6. Alexandra Stan feat. Carlprit & Jason Ray - 1.000.000
7. Havana Brown – We Run the Night
8. Deniz Koyu – Tung!
9. Victor Magan & Aritz feat. Lessus – Give (Radio Edit)
10. Ian Carey & Rosette feat. Timbaland & Brasco – Amnesia
11. Basto – Again And Again
12. Elena – Your Captain Tonight
13. Tom Hangs & Shermanology – Blessed (Avicii Radio Edit)
14. Mike T feat. Rawanne

Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer and His *Rimas*

We are confronted by Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer's *Rimas*, written during the second half of the nineteenth century. It was the era of Realism, but his rhymes belong to the Romanticism movement. They are a model of romance, and he is considered a late Romantic. The mid-century poetry is marked by the intimate melancholy of Bécquer and Rosalía de Castro. Lengthy narrative poems of the Romantics were abandoned for shorter compositions, following the style of German ballads. The legend versified prose replaces. In the *Legends* of Bécquer (*Maese Pérez, the Organist*, *The Miserere*, *El Monte de las Ánimas*, etc.), the narrator acts as a correspondent or columnist for prodigious and mysterious events,... Continue reading "Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer: Romanticism and the Rimas" »

Renaissance (15th and 16th Centuries)

Period characterized by the recovery of classical ideals (beauty, proportion, symmetry) in various art disciplines (architecture, sculpture). Works of art from ancient Greece and Rome were taken as models.

Renaissance Music

There were no ancient musical examples because we do not conserve any ancient Greek or Roman scores. The most characteristic feature is the improvement of polyphony. The music from this period adopts some of the ancient ideals:

1. Ideals of beauty, proportion, and symmetry.
2. Music must express and imitate the meaning of the lyrics.

Humanism

A new way of thinking that promotes the complete development of the human being through the studies of art and sciences. Leonardo Da Vinci is a key figure.

Printing

Romanticism: A school of thought that valued feeling and intuition over reason. It first emerged in Germany in the 18th century. Romantics believed that the imagination could apprehend truths, usually accompanied by powerful emotion and associated with natural, unspoiled beauty. To the Romantic sensibility, the imagination, spontaneity, individual feelings, and wild nature were of greater value than reason, logic, planning, and cultivation. To the Romantic mind, poetry was the highest and most sublime embodiment of the imagination. Romanticism emphasized feeling and intuition over reason, sought wisdom in natural beauty, and valued poetry above all other works of the imagination.

Essential Literary Terms and Historical Genres

Elegies: Expressing Personal Emotions

Elegies express personal emotions, often characterized by mourning or reflection. Poetic devices frequently found include alliteration and caesura.

The most important elegies are preserved in the Exeter Book of the Exeter Cathedral, notably:

• “The Wanderer”
• “The Seafarer”

These works were composed around the 9th century.

The Wanderer: Theme of Exile

“The Wanderer” specifically deals with the theme of exile. It portrays an Anglo-Saxon warrior demonstrating his loyalty to his lord or his country.

Metaphysical Poets

Key figures in the Metaphysical poetry movement include:

• John Donne
• Ben Jonson

The Epistolary Novel

The epistolary novel is a narrative form presented... Continue reading "Essential Literary Terms and Historical Genres Defined" »