Terms I
A series of notes arranged in order to form a distinctive, recognizable musical unit. The tune.
What is melody?
The even pulse in music that divides the passing of time into equal segments.
What is the beat?
A musical texture involving only a single line of music with no accompaniment.
What is Monophony?
A seven-note scale from which the composer may choose that creates the mood of happiness or contentment.
What is a major scale?
This single-movement genre tends to have high-quality poetry and is generally written for piano and voice.
What is art song?
This is considered to be one of the greatest German songs (Lied) ever written.
What is Erlkonig
The organization of time in music.
What is rhythm?
This is the term used when discussing the relative speed of the beat in any musical composition.
What is tempo?
A texture in which all the voices, or lines, move to new pitches at the same time; the texture that has a dominant melody with accompaniment.
What is Homophony?
The viola is a member of this instrumental family.
What is the string family?
The term used for music performed by voices only, without the support of any of the families of musical instruments.
What is A Capella?
A dramatic staged work that is set to music from beginning to end, including recitative and arias.
What is Opera?
Often considered the greatest opera ever written, in this scene Leporello is introduced as a comedic and coward.
What is Scene 1 from Don Giovanni?
The sounds that provide the support and accompaniment for the melody.
What is harmony?
The density and disposition of the musical lines that make up a musical composition; how melodies interact, or don't....
What is texture?
A musical texture involving two or more simultaneously sounding lines.
What is polyphony?
The tuba belongs to this instrumental family.
What is brass family?
A seven-note scale from which the composer may choose that creates the mood of sadness or anger.
What is minor scale?
A piece of music that sets the 5 Ordinary movements of the Catholic Church.
What is a Mass?
This piece of music is the most famous chant that comes from the Requiem Mass.
What is Dies Irae?
The purposeful organization of music, or the general shape of a composition. How it is structured.
What is Form?
The speaking style of singing in opera. This is where plot is pushed forward and dialogue occurs.
What is Recitative?
A polyphonic procedure whereby one or more voices, or parts, enter and duplicate exactly for a short period of time the music presented by the previous voice.
What is Imitation?
The clarinet belongs to this instrumental family.
What is woodwind family?
The philosophy behind the art, literature, and music of the Renaissance. In music, it is intended for people to enjoy and understand the words being sung.
What is Humanism?
A single movement work in Latin that is not part of the Mass, but may be a sacred prayer.
What is Motet?
This madrigal is full of word-painting.
What is As Vesta was from Latmos Hill?
The character or quality of a musical tone. How we differentiate different instruments.
What is timbre/tone color?
The musical process of depicting the text in music, be it subtly ("up the hill" gets higher) or overtly ("all alone" is sung by one voice) by means of expressive musical devices
What is Word-painting?
Point against point: The other term used for polyphonic writing.
What is Counterpoint?
The harp belongs to this instrumental family.
What is the string family?
The language in which Gregorian chant is always sung.
What is Latin?
A dramatic work, similar to opera, but is based on a biblical text.
What is Oratorio?
This recitative displays a dry accompaniment: just harpsichord.
What is "Behold, a virgin shall conceive" from Messiah by Handel?
The term used for the simultaneous sound of three consonant pitches.
What is a Triad?
The Romantic Italian opera style that relied on the "beautiful voice/singing" style.
What is Bel Canto?
A polyphonic procedure in which the composer uses two or three voices in the texture for a short period before having the other voices sound.
What is voice-pairing?
The piano belongs to this instrumental family.
What is the keyboard family?
The term used for the philosophy of Baroque music, which investigates the tiny details and the business of the world.
What is the Age of Science?
A piece of Renaissance music that is based on a secular text and intended to be performed by amateurs after dinner as entertainment. Full of word-painting.
What is Madrigal?
This piece of music presumably saved polyphonic Catholic music.
What is Kyrie from Pope Marcellus Mass?