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

Chorus: Don't Call Me Angel

Boy, don't call me angel
You ain't got me right
Don't call me angel
You can't pay my price
Ain't from no Heaven
Yeah, you heard me right (yeah, you heard me)
Even though you know we fly (though you know we)
Don't call me angel

Verse 1: Ariana Grande

Uh, don't call me angel when I'm a mess
Don't call me angel when I get undressed
You know I, I don't like that, boy
Uh, I make my money, and I write the checks
So say my name with a little respect
All my girls successful, and you're just our guest

Pre-Chorus: Setting Boundaries

Do I really need to say it?
Do I need to say it again, yeah?
You better stop the sweet talk
And keep your pretty mouth shut

Chorus Reprise

Boy, don't call me angel
You ain't got me right
Don't call me angel
You can't pay...

Gregorian Chant

The Gregorian chant is sacred music which is sung a cappella, that is, all the
singers in a choir of monks sing the same melody without accompaniment.
The goal of this chant was to teach the word of God to the faithful, therefore
the text was more important than the music. Latin was the language used
in these chants and the rhythm depended on the text.

Secular Music

Secular music was developed outside of the monasteries and was sung by
troubadours and jongleurs accompanied by musical instruments such as
the lute. These compositions had varied themes related to the interests of
day-to-day life. The troubadours were educated artists, poets or musicians and, in some
cases, from noble families

Renaissance

Music was very important and...

Baroque Music Characteristics

Basso Continuo

The prominence of a superior melody implied the appearance of a new low voice. It served as a harmonic support and was called basso continuo.

Basso continuo, sometimes just called continuo, was played by a keyboard and another bass instrument such as:

• Cello
• Violone (an old form of double bass)
• Bassoon

Basso continuo would accompany solo instruments and singers as well as instrumental groups.

Types of Opera

Opera Seria

It makes use of plots based on mythological and heroic topics written in Italian. It was the favorite genre of the aristocracy; the first operas belong to this type, which evolved significantly in Italy.

Main composers include Scarlatti and Handel. Opera Seria made use of castrati; a famous castrato...

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...

The Literature of the Baroque

The Baroque was the cultural movement of the seventeenth century, the second of the Spanish Golden Age. In contrast to the Renaissance's desire for naturalness and harmony, the Baroque is the triumph of exaggeration and contrast. Against the optimism of the Renaissance, the Baroque is characterized by pessimism and disappointment. Both attitudes have their origin in the sense of decadence in the country. Baroque artists constantly reflect on death and time. The most important authors are:

• Poetry: Góngora and Quevedo
• Theatre: Lope de Vega and Calderón de la Barca
• Prose: Quevedo and Baltasar Gracián

Baroque Poetry

Formally, Baroque poetry is expressed in a lively style, far from the artifice and naturalness of the previous...

The Dramatic Genre

Origins and Key Figures

Drama began as a cult of Dionysus, originating from a song that introduced changes over time, eventually giving rise to the dramatic form. The playwright Aristophanes, in his plays, featured ordinary people, burlesque humor, and colloquial language. His work often relied on stereotypes such as greed, ambition, and deceit.

Theatrical Evolution

In the late sixteenth century, dedicated theaters were built. A prominent style was the Italian-style theater, similar to venues like the Teatro Colón or the Gran Rex.

Dramatic Species and Core Concepts

The main dramatic species are:

• Tragedy
• Comedy
• Tragicomedy or Drama: This form features ordinary people in tragic situations.

Key dramatic concepts include:

• Anagnorisis:

Pitch and Sound Quality

Pitch is the quality of sound that allows us to distinguish whether a note is acute (high) or grave (low). This characteristic differentiates musical notes from one another.

Musical Texture

Texture refers to the way different melodic lines are interwoven, much like threads in a cloth. There are two main types of texture:

• Monophony (Monody): Composed of a single melody (one voice) without other simultaneous sounds.
• Polyphony: Consists of several simultaneous voices. Subcategories include:
  • Homophony: Several voices moving with the same rhythm.
  • Counterpoint: Two or more independent voices with different rhythms (e.g., the works of Guillaume de Machaut).
  • Melody with Accompaniment: A main melody supported by chords, arpeggios, or

The Renaissance: Origins and Core Concepts

The Renaissance, meaning "rebirth," launched in Italy in the fourteenth century and spread throughout Europe during the sixteenth century.

Key Characteristics of the Renaissance

• Humanism: A new way of seeing and interacting with the world emerged. The human and the supernatural were separated; the center of the universe ceased to be God, emphasizing man's capacity to think and act.
• Religious Shift: A new, more intimate and personal relationship with religion, based on affection, mystery, and the search for answers. The Protestant Reformation led to the Catholic Counter-Reformation, which strengthened the Inquisition and its repressive, censoring role.
• Political Organization: Consolidation of absolute monarchies

The Impact of Industrial Progress on the Arts

The romance and excitement of the arts underwent major changes due to industrial and technological progress. The atmosphere became disquieting and aggressive, fueled by ideologies that exalted the white race as superior. This resulted in a divide between artists who conformed to official culture and those who rejected it. The latter viewed art as a mysterious language capable of illuminating the darkness.

The Shift Toward Atonality

Musicians began to abandon traditional tonality, seeking to create a new musical language. Instead of relying on preset tonal centers, composers focused on individual notes and the liberation of dissonance. As institutions lost faith in traditional artists, creative circles...

Vocal Forms in Renaissance and Baroque Music

Motet: "O vos omnes" by Tomás Luis de Victoria

What is a Motet?

A motet is a polyphonic vocal composition with a religious theme, usually in Latin, and distinct from a mass.

Mysticism in 16th-17th Century Spain

Mysticism was very important in Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries. Mystics are religious individuals who, through sacrifice, fasting, and similar practices, seek to achieve union with God in this life.

Madrigal: "Ahimè, dov'è 'l bel viso" by Arcadelt

Defining the Renaissance Madrigal

A madrigal is a polyphonic, profane vocal form, typically performed a cappella in the 16th century. It was the most characteristic song type of the Renaissance court.

The Ideal of the Courtier

Imagine four cultured...