Chant we be friends?
What was the dominant written musical (or melodic) style in the early Middle Ages?
Monophonic plainchant (Gregorian chant).
What does the word “Renaissance” mean?
“Rebirth.”
What did the term “Baroque” originally mean?
Ugly or misshapen pearl.
Which city was the main music capital of the Classical Era?
Vienna.
What is the vielle?
The main bowed string instrument of the Middle Ages. (predecessor to the violin and viol families)
Who developed practical staff notation and solfege syllables that are still used today?
Guido d’Arezzo.
What invention helped music spread more widely in the Renaissance?
The printing press.
What is basso continuo?
A continuous bass line played by keyboard and/or a bass instrument.
What are the three main parts of sonata-allegro form?
BONUS SPIN
Exposition, Development, and Recapitulation.
Name one new or important Renaissance instrument.
Viol (viola da gamba), cornette, shawm, sackbut, serpent, harpsichord, etc.
What is organum?
Early polyphony that adds extra vocal lines to a plainchant. Early improvisation.
What is a madrigal?
BONUS SPIN
Italian, through-composed secular song. Often sets poetry to music.
Name two major Baroque music forms.
Opera, oratorio, concerto, fugue, suite
Why is Haydn called the “Father of the Symphony”?
He helped standardize the four-movement symphony.
Why were the oboe and bassoon useful in Baroque orchestras?
Their bright, unique tone could be heard clearly over the strings.
What are the two main categories of medieval instruments?
Haut (loud) and Bas (soft).
Which English Renaissance composer had a monopoly on the royal printing press and wrote keyboard works?
William Byrd.
Which Italian composer is known as “The Red Priest” and taught at a girls’ orphanage in Venice?
Antonio Vivaldi.
Who was Chevalier Saint-Georges?
A virtuoso violinist, composer, and swordsman of mixed African and French heritage.
What did the pianoforte allow that the harpsichord could not?
True gradual changes in volume (loud and soft).
What is special about Hildegard von Bingen’s Ordo Virtutum?
It is the earliest surviving morality play with a musical score that is not purely liturgical.
Why was Palestrina’s Missa Papae Marcelli so important to other composers during his time?
It showed complex polyphony that stayed clear and true to the liturgy.
What is The Well-Tempered Clavier?
Bach’s collection of preludes and fugues in all 24 keys.
What is the name of the famous short motif in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5?
The “fate” motif (often described as fate knocking at the door).
What is the difference between a portative and a positive organ?
BONUS SPIN
Portative is small and portable; positive is larger and stationary (usually in a church).