Classical/formal music
What does classical music cover in Western culture?
It covers compositions from the Middle Ages to the present.
What are small ensembles in classical music called?
Chamber ensembles.
What is the largest vocal ensemble in classical music called?
Chorus
In India, what are ragas and talas?
Ragas are complex melodic patterns and talas are rhythmic patterns.
What is a melody?
A series of sounds and rests that expresses a musical idea
How is classical music preserved exactly as it was composed?
Through written records (scores)
What do the names “duet, trio, quartet, quintet…” show?
They show the number of musicians in the ensemble.
What are small vocal ensembles called according to the number of singers?
Duet, trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, etc.
Which instruments are mentioned for Indian formal music?
The tabla and the sitar.
What is the melodic line?
The “shape” you see when you join all the noteheads in a melody.
Where is classical music usually performed?
In specially-designed venues like concert halls and theatres.
What instruments form a string quartet?
Two violins, a viola and a cello.
What is a chamber choir?
A choir of up to 20 voices (male, female or treble voices) with a conductor.
What is gagaku?
One of the oldest orchestral traditions in the world in Japan, beginning more than 13 centuries ago.
What is a musical phrase?
The smallest part of a melody that makes sense musically.
When should we applaud during a classical concert?
At the start (when the soloist or leader/first violinist comes out, followed by the conductor) and at the end of an entire piece; not between movements
What is a chamber orchestra and how many musicians does it usually have?
An orchestra of between 20 and 25 musicians, usually strings, some wind, and sometimes a few percussion instruments.
What does it mean if a choir sings a cappella?
The singers aren’t accompanied by any instrument.
Name one gagaku instrument and its type.
Shakuhachi (wind instrument made of bamboo) / koto (plucked string instrument) / taiko (large percussion drum).
What are antecedent and consequent phrases?
Antecedent phrases feel unfinished and suggest the melody will continue; consequent phrases feel conclusive and close the melody
Why are classical concerts usually performed in closed concert halls?
Because classical musicians don’t use sound amplification, so the venue must meet acoustic requirements so the audience can hear all the instruments properly.
In a symphony orchestra, who is the leader and what do they do?
The first violinist (lead violinist); they communicate between the conductor and the musicians, make technical decisions for the string section, play violin solos if required, and play La/A after the oboe to help the strings tune.
How many voices are there in a chorus, and how are singers organised?
Between 20 and 100 voices and a conductor; singers are organised by their tessitura.
In China, what is opera and what does it combine?
A type of musical theatre (over 1,000 years old) that combines dance, song and poetry; the most popular is Beijing opera.
What are the musical patterns called “call and response” and “echo”?
Call and response: an antecedent phrase followed by a consequent one where only the end is different. Echo: when a musical phrase is repeated