Basic Musical Terms
What is the difference between a chromatic scale and a diatonic scale?
Chromatic uses all half steps, diatonic is seven pitches with patterns of half and whole steps
Listening Example: name this piece and its composer. Bonus point: what are the names of the characters singing?
"La Ci Darem La Mano," by Mozart. Don Giovanni and Zerlina
Listening example: name this concerto, and answer whether it is a concerto grosso or concerto solo.
Bach Brandenburg No. 5, Concerto Grosso
Listening Example: Name this piece. Bonus point: name the composer or genre
Juan Guttierez de Padilla, A La Xacara, Xacarilla (Villancico)
Men with high voices thought to be otherworldly; they played heroes or Gods in opera seria.
Castrati
Andante, allegro, and presto are examples of what musical parameter?
Tempo
Lieto fine.
The improvisatory solo section usually found towards the end of the concerto
Cadenza
A vocal piece in ABA form, common in opera, oratorio, and cantata
Da capo aria
The librettist for Bach's Coffee Cantata.
Who is Marianne Ziegler?
Listening Example: name this piece and the mode it begins in, major or minor. Bonus point: why is the mode significant?
Mozart Don Giovanni Overture in minor mode; it's a dramatic opening, which upends the comic opera genre
Lorenzo da Ponte
Ritornello; establish key/theme, spinning forth, cadence/conclusion
In what city were Handel's oratorios composed?
London
Listening Example: name this piece and its composer. Bonus point: why is this character's role modern?
Handel "Piangeró la sorte mia" from Giulio Cesare; because she is a woman with power
What is the musical term for a key change?
Modulation
A type of recitative which is accompanied by the full orchestra, rather than the basso continuo.
Accompanied recitative
Listening Example: name this piece and the form that it exemplifies
Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, sonata form
Listening Example: name this piece and its composer. Bonus point: is this recitative accompanied or secco (dry)?
Handel, "and the Angel Said Unto them," secco
Listening Example: name the composer and title of this piece. Bonus point: what is the significance of the horns?
Mozart, "Ho Capito" from Don Giovanni. The horns (corni in Italian) are a pun on the word for cuckold (cornuto)
Listening example: name the composer of this piece. Is it in duple or triple meter?
Haydn Surprise Symphony, duple
Listening example: name this piece and the opera it is from. Bonus point: is the texture monophonic, homophonic, or polyphonic?
Ombra fedele, anch'io from Idaspe; homophonic
The city where Vivaldi composed his concertos. Bonus point: why is this city unusual in Europe at this time?
Venice; it is composed primarily of merchants rather than a court/nobles
Listening Example: name this piece and its composer. Bonus point: what is the town in New Spain where these villancicos became popular?
Antonio Salazar, Tarara; Puebla
Listening Example: name the composer and the year for this concerto played by young women. Bonus point: what is the name of the orphanage where these young women learned to play?
Vivaldi, 1712-13; Ospedale della Pietá