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

Classical Music

Transformation from the Early Modern Period to the Contemporary Age

Music between 1730 and 1820

The Rest of the Arts

Neo-classicism. 18th Century: The Age of Enlightenment. Music started to get closer to private houses and public concerts.

Classical Composers

• Liberal artists
• Wanted to reach out to new audiences
• Music: human, natural, pleasant for everyone
• Predominated formal clarity and melodic simplicity

Secular Vocal Music

• Most important: Classical Opera
• Opera underwent a change during the Classicism, which made it tend towards naturalness. It eliminates the excess of the Baroque and took the plots and the characters closer to the new audience.
• Opera Seria: Most important composer C.W. Gluck, who laid the foundation of the new opera in

1  Two events mark the beginning and the end of baroque music: the premiere of the
opera“Orpheus” by Claudio Monteverdi (1607) and the death of Johann Sebastian Bach
(1750).

2  The basso continuo is a technique of composition of the Baroque period. By using
this technique, the composer creates the bass voice that constitutes the harmonic support
of the work. This bass voice is mainly formed by a series of chords of which the composer
only writes the lowest note.

3  At the end of the 16th century a group of intellectuals and humanists constituted a
cultural gathering in the city of Florence known as the Camerata Florentina. In these
meetings, there was a long and tended talk about issues related to art, literature and
music. Some of the members... Continue reading "Baroque Music: From Monteverdi to Bach and the Birth of Opera" »

Vocal Apparatus: The Foundation of Singing

The Three Processes of Voice Production

Our voice is produced through a fascinating interplay of various parts of the body, known as the vocal apparatus. This process involves three key stages:

1. Respiration: Adequate airflow is crucial for sound production. The diaphragm, a muscle separating the lungs from the digestive system, plays a vital role in controlling inhalation and exhalation. Singers strive for complete breathing, filling both the lower and upper parts of the lungs.
2. Production of Sound: As the diaphragm pushes air from the lungs, it passes through the larynx, where two small tendons called vocal cords vibrate, creating sound.
3. Amplification of Sound: The sound produced by the vocal cords is weak

Cinquecento: Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) produced few works, but of very high quality. His major technical contribution was the sfumato technique, applied in works such as The Last Supper and Mona Lisa.

Michelangelo

Michelangelo (1475-1564) displayed special interest in nudes, movement, variety of poses, drawing, and the depiction of volume. His main work was the series of frescoes in the Sistine Chapel.

Raphael

Raphael (1483-1520) achieved great perfection in drawing, color, and composition. His principal work was The School of Athens.

The Birth of the Baroque

The Baroque arose during the 17th century in response to papal patronage in Rome and spread across the rest of Europe. Artists continued the artistic traditions of the Renaissance.... Continue reading "Renaissance and Baroque Art: Masters and Masterpieces" »

The Sydney Opera House is a modern building located in Sydney, New South Wales. It is one of the 20th century's most famous and distinctive buildings.

Design and Inauguration

The Sydney Opera House was designed by Danish architect Jorn Utzon. It was inaugurated on 20 October 1973. The building is an expressionist construction with a radically innovative design, consisting of a series of large prefabricated shells that form the roofs of the structure. The walls are made of brick and concrete. The theatre consists of rooms where people can enjoy several performance venues, including a concert hall, drama and studio theatre, and a Utzon room.

An Incredible Experience

In my opinion, although I have never been there, enjoying the surroundings of the

The Symphony No. 4 in E minor, Op. 98 by Johannes Brahms is the last of his symphonies. Brahms began working on the piece in Mürzzuschlag, then in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, in 1884, just a year after completing his Symphony No. 3. It was premiered on October 25, 1885 in Meiningen, Germany.

Instrumentation

The symphony is scored for two flutes (one doubling on piccolo on third movement only), two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, contrabassoon (third and fourth movements), four horns, two trumpets, three trombones (fourth movement... Continue reading "Symphony No. 4 in E minor by Johannes Brahms" »

Pablo Alboran

Pablo is 27 years old and became famous through singing on YouTube. Currently, he has 3 records and has collaborated with various famous singers throughout his career, such as Ricky Martin.

The young man is jumping into fame thanks to recording singing with his guitar since he was a child. He has already done two tours, starting in Spain and ending in South America, traveling around the world. With what he has earned through his tours and concerts, he has donated some money to NGOs in Africa. Currently, Pablo has decided to take two years off after his long tour to enjoy time with his family and friends and to compose new songs for another album.

Elizabethan Literature and Theater

Poetry: Sonnets

Shakespeare's sonnets, written in the mid-1590s, utilize the Elizabethan form instead of the earlier popular Petrarchan form. These poems explore themes of love, time, and power, much like his plays.

• Volta: A rhetorical shift or turn in a sonnet.
• Tetralogy: A series of four related dramas, operas, or novels.
• Encomium: A speech or piece of writing that praises someone or something highly.
• Blazon: A poetic mode using metaphor, simile, and hyperbole to describe a lover's body.
• Allegory: A story, poem, or picture with a hidden meaning, often moral or political.
• Picaresque: A type of fiction dealing with the episodic adventures of a roguish protagonist.

Prose: Sir Francis Bacon

Sir Francis Bacon refined the... Continue reading "Elizabethan Literature and Theater: Sonnets, Prose, and Drama" »