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

La Celestina: A Timeless Masterpiece

Since the 16th century, *La Celestina* has been the popular name for the work initially titled *Comedy of Calisto and Melibea* and later *Tragicomedy of Calisto and Melibea*. Attributed almost entirely to the scholar Fernando de Rojas, this transitional piece bridges the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. Written during the reign of the Catholic Monarchs, its first known edition dates back to 1499. *La Celestina* laid the groundwork for the birth of the modern novel and theater.

Key Themes in La Celestina

• *The Fervor of Love*

  This theme centers on the uncontrollable desire that, while sometimes veiled in the conventions of courtly love, disregards all social and moral norms, ultimately leading to the downfall

Literary Devices

• Alliteration: Repetition of one or more phonemes.
• Anaphora: Repetition of a word at the beginning of each verse.
• Parallelism: Repeated similar grammatical structures.
• Polysyndeton: Repetition of conjunctions.
• Allegory: Transforms the overall meaning of a text to express a different idea, often using metaphor.
• Antithesis: Juxtaposition of words or sentences with opposite meanings.
• Hyperbole: Exaggeration of what is spoken.
• Metaphor: Identifying a real term with an imaginary one based on similarity.
• Metonymy: Designating one thing with the name of something closely related.
• Personification: Attributing human qualities to irrational or inanimate things.
• Simile (Comparison): Comparing two objects using a linking word (like or as).
• Synesthesia:

The Renaissance Period

The Renaissance began in Italy and then spread throughout the rest of Europe. This period has the following characteristics:

• Exaltation of earthly life. The topic carpe diem is frequently reiterated as an invitation to enjoy beauty and youth.
• Knowledge began to be perceived as a way of improving the human being. Thus emerged Humanism.
• Renaissance values rooted primarily in the bourgeoisie and spread through the press.
• The Renaissance man sought a more direct, intimate communication with the divinity. The Protestant Reformation and Spanish mystical poetry are expressions of this.

Garcilaso de la Vega: Italianate Poetry

Garcilaso de la Vega is the author of a small body of poetry (thirty-eight sonnets and three Églogas) whose... Continue reading "Renaissance Influence on Spanish Golden Age Literature" »

The Madrigal

It was typically a composition for two voices (rarely three), with the upper voices using the same text. The lower voice, the tenor, was often a free invention, and its melodic line, like the upper voices (especially the highest), was highly melodic and often featured lengthy melismas.

Texts were typically idyllic, pastoral, or amatory poems, sometimes satirical. Stanzas usually contained three verses. All stanzas (usually 2 or 3) had the same music. At the end, there were a couple of extra verses called the ritornello, set to different music.

A feature that links the madrigal to the earlier Conductus is the ornamented melismatic passage, which often appears at the end and sometimes at the beginning of a stanza. This form is characteristic... Continue reading "Trecento Italian Musical Forms" »

Evolution of Western Music

A brief overview of key periods in Western music:

• The Middle Ages: V-XV Centuries
• The Renaissance: XV-XVI Centuries
• Baroque: 1600-1780
• Classicism: 1780-1800
• Romanticism: XIX Century
• Contemporary Music: XX Century

Gregorian Chant

Gregorian chant is not primarily intended as artistic expression. Instead, it serves the specific function of enhancing the spoken word. It is a cappella vocal music without instruments, monophonic (consisting of a single melody), and its rhythm depends on the length of words and phrases. The text is typically in Latin.

Polyphonic Music

Polyphonic music features two or more melodies sounding simultaneously, often referred to as Organum.

Madrigals

Madrigals are short polyphonic works of increasing complexity,... Continue reading "Evolution of Western Music: From Gregorian Chant to Romantic Opera" »

Early Medieval Music Notation

At the beginning of the Middle Ages, texts were not written down but transmitted orally. Eventually, the volume and complexity of these texts became so great that they began to be copied, with indications of how they were to be sung.

This led to the use of chants. However, it was a very imperfect system. First, Hucbald and, later, Guido d'Arezzo, used parallel lines to place musical symbols.

Centuries later, these chants were notated with clearer, square signs. This square notation, along the lines of the musical staff, served to indicate the pitch of sounds.

Troubadours and Minstrels

The troubadours were poets, musicians, and courtiers who held great importance during the Middle Ages, especially in France and Spain.... Continue reading "Medieval Music: Chants, Notation, and Performers" »

Understanding Dialogue in Theatre

Plays are primarily written in dialogue. However, both traditional and modern performances often incorporate non-verbal elements such as gestures, body language, dance, music, and stage deployment alongside or instead of spoken words.

Types of Dramatic Dialogue

• Colloquy: A dialogue involving multiple participants, often presenting conflicting viewpoints.
• Soliloquy: A speech where a character speaks their thoughts aloud, usually when alone on stage, revealing inner feelings or intentions.
• Monologue: A long speech by one character addressed to other characters or the audience, or simply thinking aloud. Unlike a soliloquy, the character is not necessarily alone.
• Aside: A brief remark by a character delivered directly

Classicism in Music: The Classic Era (1750–1830)

After 1750, a new social, cultural, and artistic current swept across Europe: the Enlightenment.

The Influence of the Enlightenment

The French Encyclopedists approached all aspects of reality with a scientific spirit, including philosophy, economics, and music. The Encyclopédie of Diderot and d'Alembert defined the characteristics of melody, harmony, and the orchestra.

Characteristics and Context of Classical Music

• Classical music was characterized by being balanced and clear.
• The undisputed Music Capital of the era was Vienna.
• Key Personalities: Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven.

The Musician's Role in the 18th Century

In the eighteenth century, music was still considered a craft, with musicians typically... Continue reading "The Classical Era in Music: Forms, Figures, and the Vienna School" »

The Baroque era, a significant period in European culture and an influential artistic movement, flourished under the power of absolute monarchies. It is characterized by dramatic contrasts of light and shadow, dynamic movement, and rich, strong colors.

Defining the Baroque Period

Key artists include:

• Sculpture: Gian Lorenzo Bernini, Francesco Borromini.
• Painting: Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio, Peter Paul Rubens, Rembrandt van Rijn, Johannes Vermeer, Diego Velázquez, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo.

Baroque Music: An Era of Innovation

Baroque music developed between approximately 1600 and 1750, a period marked by the emergence of the first operas and concluding with the death of its most iconic representative, Johann Sebastian Bach. Originating in... Continue reading "The Baroque Era: Art, Music, and Cultural Impact" »

African Music and Its Cultural Divisions

The African continent is culturally divided into two large areas with distinct musical practices:

• The Maghreb: The northern side of the continent, including countries of Arabic culture.
• Sub-Saharan Africa: South of the Sahara Desert, further divided into:
  • West Africa: The coast of Guinea, where powerful kingdoms existed before European domination.
  • Central Africa: Occupied by countries such as Uganda, Tanzania, and Zaire, where languages share a common origin and a certain cultural identity.
  • Southern Africa: Whose music is most representatively found among the Khoisan peoples.

Common Features of African Music

Despite more than a thousand languages on the continent, common characteristics of African music include:... Continue reading "African Music Traditions: Diversity and Characteristics" »