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

Introduction to the Classical Period

The Classical period in Western music generally encompasses the years between 1750 and 1820. However, the term Classical music is often used colloquially to refer to Western art music, spanning various styles from the ninth century to the present, particularly from the sixteenth or seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries.

The Classical period falls between the Baroque and the Romantic periods.

Main Characteristics of Classical Music

Classical music features a lighter, clearer texture than Baroque music and is less complex. It is mainly homophonic, meaning a melody above chordal accompaniment (though counterpoint was still used, especially later in the period). The style galant was prominent during the Classical...

How many pitch classes are in the chromatic scale?

12

Which Major scale is this one? (1)

Eb

The subdominant is Scale degree 4

What pitch is a whole step above B natural? C#

Describe the interval in the second box: (2)

6th

Semibreve is synonymous with Whole note

Rhythm refers to Combination of sounds with different durations that flow around a beat

ABCBA is an example of Arch form

The French horn is A brass wind instrument.

Stringendo means Gradually getting faster.

What does secular music mean?

Any music not written for the church.

The melismatic is a style of singing in which

We sing each syllable of the text over more than five notes.

Kyrie is

An invariable portion of the mass that can be sung at any time throughout the year.

The chorus of a cantiga is

The catchiest...

Spanish Romantic Drama

From the beginning of the seventeenth century, the public preferred Segia. After the limited success of comedies, between 1834 and 1844, the drama became the preferred genre. It rejected the rule of the three unities, blending several actions, times, and places. It became fashionable to use characters and themes from Spain's Golden Age, with tragic love as a central theme. The protagonists are often heroic figures.

Principal Authors

• Francisco Martínez de la Rosa
• Duque of Rivas - Don Álvaro or the Force of Fate
• Antonio García Gutiérrez - The Old Smallpox
• Ventura de la Vega - The Man in the World
• Mariano José de Larra - Macías
• José de Espronceda - Blanca de Borbón
• Juan Eugenio Hartzenbusch - The Lovers of Teruel
• José Zorrilla

Woodwind Instruments: Flutes and Recorders

The recorder family is part of the flute group. Sizes include: sopranino, soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.

Transverse Flutes

Modern transverse flutes are typically manufactured using metal (such as brass or silver) rather than wood. The most common types in this group are the piccolo, concert flute, alto flute (flute in G), and bass flute.

Digital Audio File Formats

• .WAV: An extension commonly used in Windows to identify digital audio files.
• .AU and .AIFF: Extensions commonly used on Linux and Mac systems.
• .MP3 and .OGG: Compressed formats created by reducing file size. These utilize codecs like MPEG Layer 3.
• .RA: Used specifically for streaming on networks (Real Audio).

Fundamentals of Musical Composition

Melody,

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...

Classical Music Era: Forms, Instruments, Reforms

Defining the Classical Period (Mid-18th to Early 19th)

The Classical period in music spans from the mid-18th to the early 19th century, generally marked by the death of J.S. Bach in 1750 and the premiere of Beethoven's Third Symphony, Eroica, in 1805.

Operatic Reforms by Christoph Willibald Gluck

Operatic reforms during the Classical period were primarily led by the composer Christoph Willibald Gluck, who sought to simplify opera and make it more dramatically coherent.

Key Musical Forms of the Classical Period

• Concerto: A musical composition where one solo instrument plays a leading role, accompanied by an orchestra.
• Symphony: A large-scale work of music composed specifically for an orchestra, typically

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...

Classification by Content

Music is categorized by its subject matter and relationship to religious or secular themes:

• Religious: Liturgical and non-liturgical music.
• Secular: Non-religious music relating to worldly issues.

Musical Genres and Historical Evolution

Music is defined by its content, function, and intended audience:

Medieval Period (5th–15th Century)

• Gregorian Chant: Sung by monks.
• Minstrels: Performed for their masters.
• Troubadours: Sang verses of love.

Renaissance (15th–16th Century)

• Motet: Development of polyphony.
• Polyphonic Songs: Focused on human themes and sentiments.
• Instrumental Music: Forms adapted for vocal works and dance.

Baroque (17th–Mid 18th Century)

• Opera: Profane themes.
• Oratorio: Religious themes.
• Suite/Concerto: Instrumental

The 1970s: A Decade of Musical Change

Bob Dylan

A singer-songwriter known for themes of pacifism and social issues. Notable tracks: “Blowin' in the Wind” and “The Times They Are A-Changin'”.

The Rock Era

Emerging from British R&B, this style features strong guitar chords, prominent drums and bass, and energetic vocals.

• The Rolling Stones: “Gimme Shelter”, “Start Me Up”
• The Animals: “The House of the Rising Sun”, “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood”
• The Who: “Baba O'Riley”, “Who Are You”
• The Kinks: “You Really Got Me”, “Lola”
• Them: “Here Comes the Night”, “Gloria”
• Led Zeppelin: “Stairway to Heaven”, “Kashmir”

Reggae

Bob Marley introduced reggae to England in the early 70s. It is a danceable, catchy...

Renaissance Authors

Tomás Luis de Victoria, Juan de la Encina, Mateo Flecha, Antonio de Cabezón, and Luis Milán.

Gregorian Chant

It is the most important musical form of the Middle Ages. Gregory I unified the rite of the Mass based on the Roman Mass, adding some features of the other rites that existed. Evidently, not only did Saint Gregory intervene in this process, but also the Holy Spirit.

Advertising

Advertising incorporates language and musical resources of modern music to capture the younger sector of the population:

• Covers: The use of popular songs performed in new versions. The listener recognizes that the new song sounds familiar.
• Jingles: Songs written especially for the ad.
• Known Music: Classical music, carols, etc.

Madrigal

It is one of...