Notes, summaries, assignments, exams, and exercises for Music for Secondary education

The Baroque Era (1600-1750)

The Baroque cultural movement developed between 1600 and 1750. The Baroque era cultivated a taste for adornment, dissonance, and motion.

Vocal Innovations and Monteverdi's Influence

Thanks to the composer Monteverdi, texts were set with accompanying instrumental parts, leading the development of new musical forms. This era reinforced the hierarchy of voices, where the top or acute voice played the principal melody. High-pitched voices tended to be sung by boys and castrati, men who retained the high vocal tessitura of a boy's voice.

Baroque Vocal Genres

Opera

Opera is a scenic genre that sets a text or libretto of a secular character.

• Overture: An orchestral piece that introduces the performance.
• Recitative: A style of song,

Sound is the sensation we experience when sound waves reach our ears. Noise is usually defined as something that sounds bad. The difference between sound and noise is that the wave of a sound is regular and the wave of a noise is irregular. The apparatus used to measure noise is called a sound level meter. The level of noise is measured in decibels (dB). Silence is the absence of sound or noise. Pitch is the quality of sound which makes a distinction between low and high sounds. Duration is the quality which differentiates between long and short sounds. The dynamic intensity is the quality that distinguishes between loud and soft sounds. Timbre is the quality of sound which indicates who or what is producing it. We often use the word soundtrack...

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...

Instruments of the Baroque Era

Classification of Instruments

• Chordophones: Violin, viola, cello, double bass (forming the central section of the orchestra).
• Baroque Guitar: Replaced the vihuela and is the predecessor of the classical guitar.
• Aerophones:
  • Flute: Conical tube with 6 holes and 1 key.
  • Oboe (France, 16th century): Conical tube with holes and 2 or 3 keys/holes.
  • Bassoon: Wooden tube with 3 or 4 keys.
  • Trumpet.
• Membranophones: Kettledrum (used in smaller venues in the orchestra).

The Baroque Orchestra

The Baroque orchestra developed significantly during this period, establishing standard sections:

• Basso Continuo: Provided the harmonic foundation, typically featuring harpsichord, harp, or organ.
• Strings (Bowed): The largest section, playing the most

The Spanish Golden Age

The Spanish Golden Age was the period between the second half of the 16th century and the late 17th century.

Literature

Miguel de Cervantes wrote his great novel Don Quixote. Lope de Vega and Pedro Calderón de la Barca wrote famous plays. Luis de Cangora and Francisco de Quevedo were the poets of the time.

Architecture

Architecture was characterized by the use of simple materials, such as bricks on stone, which are covered by ornate decoration. Many buildings were religious, but civil buildings were also constructed. The building of city squares (or squares was a characteristic feature of the Spanish Baroque period.

The Churriguera brothers were the outstanding Baroque architects. They built their own style, which was called...

Unit Summary

Sound Reception and Technology

We receive sound through our two ears. The brain processes this information to determine the location of the sound source. We hear live acoustic sounds in three dimensions, which helps us orient ourselves and enjoy the experience. When acoustic sounds are treated electronically, the final output is determined by the sound technician during the mixing process for recordings or live performances. Headphones are the best way to listen to music, provided the quality is high.

Acoustic Sound vs. Digital Sound

Digital sound is produced electronically without the need for traditional instruments. These sounds are stored on computers or integrated into devices like keyboards. Composers can access vast sound banks,...

Medieval Music: Instruments, Forms, and Composers

A successful minstrel was an all-too-good storyteller, knowing how to play the drums and cymbals.

Medieval Instruments

• Hurdy-gurdy (Zanfona)
• Cornett (Cornetto)
• Citole (Citole)

What is an Organum?

It is a polyphonic form to make the second part of plainchant more interesting.

Composers in Ars Nova

• Guillaume de Machaut (1300-1377)
• Philippe de Vitry (1291-1361)
• Francesco Landini (1335-1397)

Matching Characteristics of Medieval Music

• Nawbas: Muslim kingdoms - secular songs
• A book copied in the 14th century with 150 pages: Llibre Vermell
• Visigoth chant: Sacred song
• 400 monophonic songs: Cantigas de Santa Maria
• Codex Calixtinus
• Codex Las Huelgas: Polyphonic music

A characteristic that does not correspond to Renaissance...

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

The Classical Music Era

Classic is considered to be top-class, first-rate, and of lasting value. It signifies a style that emphasizes grace and simplicity, beauty of line and shape, balance and proportion, order and control. The Classical music period is broadly divided into two categories: the Classical period itself and its precursors/influences. The Classical period (C) is generally considered to have been composed between approximately 1750 and 1820, with key figures like Haydn and Mozart.

Key Stylistic Features

• Style Galant: A courtly style primarily intended to please the listener. Much of the music from this period can be lacking in depth, but it is polished, polite, and extremely elegant.
• Later Classical Music Style: This style matured

Baroque Vocal and Instrumental Music

1.1 Birth of Opera

Opera appeared in the court of the Bardi cultural circle. They were called the Camerata Fiorentina and included nobles, philosophers and poets who attempted to revive Greek theatre. The use of accompanied melody made the aim of opera clearer: opera sought intelligibility of the text. Euridice by Jacopo Peri (1600); L'Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi.

Characteristics

Compound vocal form with a narrative nature that makes use of staged performance. It is written for orchestra, choir and soloists. Three parts:

• Overture: instrumental introduction.
• Sung style: for soloists and choirs — two types:
  1. Aria — melodies for sentimental texts.
  2. Recitative — declaimed text for passages.
• Interludes: instrumental