Medieval Period
450-1450
Primary music: Chant, Mass
Ordinary vs. proper
Secular, instrumental music in Medieval
Organum = development of Polyphony
Step 1 – second part marched in Lockstep
Step 2 – second part many notes to Chant’s one
Step 3 – add rhythms (measured rhythm, Notre Dame)
New Age (Ars Nova) – Secular music rampant, new rhythms, notation system updated
Music written that DOESN’T use chant as basis
Machaut
Renaissance
1450-1600
Music Characteristics
Word Painting (illustrate text with melody line)
Texture: Polyphonic
A Cappella (“as in church”) – unaccompanied
Syllabic vs. melismatic
Gently flowing Rhythm
Say this phrase:Hail Mary Full of Grace The Lord is with you, serene Virgin.
Music Types
Sacred:
Motet
Mass
Secular:
Madrigal
Instrumental
How to make a living
Church: as a monk. Steady, traditional, high quality.
Court/Patron: higher profile, not much job security. Just beginning to happen in this period.
Youtube Video Links used in class
Short People
Organum
Palestrina Mass
Madrigal: La Guerre
Madrigal: Fair Phyllis
PDQ Bach: Sonata Innomorata
Monday, September 15, 2008
Monday, September 08, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Note about the upcoming test
Don't forget to look at the composer of each piece as well as the title, and connect that info with the sound of the piece.
See you next Wednesday AT THE LIBRARY - downstairs, all the way past the stairwell. Lab #1.
Bring something to write with.
..... and your brain!
Have a great Labor Day weekend!
See you next Wednesday AT THE LIBRARY - downstairs, all the way past the stairwell. Lab #1.
Bring something to write with.
..... and your brain!
Have a great Labor Day weekend!
Monday, May 05, 2008
Spring 08 Final Exam notes
The final exam is graded - you should be able to see your grade on WebCT.
I did throw a curve in there - on my gradebook your score is out of 74 instead of 79.
Your final grade should be available on Banner Tuesday noonish, which is the deadline to get grades posted.
Listening:
#1) Hallelujah, by anonymous. A gregorian chant, so it's medieval.
#2) Concerto Grosso, by Zwilich. 20th century, but based on a baroque melody by Handel.
#3) Surprise Symphony, Haydn. Classical era.
I did throw a curve in there - on my gradebook your score is out of 74 instead of 79.
Your final grade should be available on Banner Tuesday noonish, which is the deadline to get grades posted.
Listening:
#1) Hallelujah, by anonymous. A gregorian chant, so it's medieval.
#2) Concerto Grosso, by Zwilich. 20th century, but based on a baroque melody by Handel.
#3) Surprise Symphony, Haydn. Classical era.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Jazz - Preview for Monday, featuring Bill Cosby
We're going to start with Bebop - and here are 2 youtube clips.
First, Bill Cosby being interviewed on a talk show in 1973. He's talking about playing Bebop (though he never says that).
... and Wynton Marsalis playing the tune Cosby talks about: Cherokee
First, Bill Cosby being interviewed on a talk show in 1973. He's talking about playing Bebop (though he never says that).
... and Wynton Marsalis playing the tune Cosby talks about: Cherokee
Sunday, April 20, 2008
20th Century music........and the Class Piece
Click the title of this article to hear the results of our composition the other day. (You can also hear last Spring's version - but the audio quality is not nearly as good.)
So what TYPE of 20th century piece is it an example of... Quotation music? Expressionism?
Hmmm.......
Don't forget that copyright questions will be on the test, and that there is a study sheet linked down there on the right sidebar.
So what TYPE of 20th century piece is it an example of... Quotation music? Expressionism?
Hmmm.......
Don't forget that copyright questions will be on the test, and that there is a study sheet linked down there on the right sidebar.
Wednesday, April 09, 2008
More about Synthesis
The text mentions "modular synthesizers" ; here's a vid of a college student who demos one. Watch all the stuff he has to plug in to make a sound.
Electronic Music - Notes & Vids
- We'll listen to a bit more of the Varese piece Monday - but I wanted you to take a listen to some other stuff. Using Electronics to make music is fairly old by now - CLICK HERE to read about the 1897 Cahill Telharmoium (all 200 tons of it - it took 36 boxcars to transport). So the idea of using electronic gizmos to produce music is nothing new.
- Ever heard of the "Hammond Organ"? You've definitely heard the sound - it's also electronic, and can be called the first commercially available sysnthesizer. (But they called it an organ because an organ would - but a "synthesizer" no one would buy.
- Another electronic instrument - the Theremin - is the only instrument you don't touch. It's electronic, and has been used all over. Here's a BBC story about the Theremin:
- ....and here's another performance of an artist playing a Debussy piece on the Theremin:
- Watch this one, and look at how the experiments of the last century have produced something that you hear every day.
- ..and finally, an interview on "ScreenSavers" with Dr. Robert Moog, who took all the stuff the electronic musicians were doing and put it in a small, portable, easily usable (relatively speaking) case. He also demos a Theremin that the company makes.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Studying for the Classical/Romantic test
1) You can now access the powerpoints that come with the test. Login to WebCT, click on the Classical or Romantic organizer pages. (Thanks to the person who let me know there was a problem!)
2) Check out the study sheets here on the blog - links are on the right sidebar.
3) Listening - you should have been listening to the CDs and getting them in your head well before now. Well, better to start late than not at all - trust me on this. Listening will come from the Classical and Romantic eras.
Standard answer to "How many questions are there on the test?" still applies.
2) Check out the study sheets here on the blog - links are on the right sidebar.
3) Listening - you should have been listening to the CDs and getting them in your head well before now. Well, better to start late than not at all - trust me on this. Listening will come from the Classical and Romantic eras.
Standard answer to "How many questions are there on the test?" still applies.
(Between 1 and 10,000).
Monday, March 10, 2008
Note about Beethoven
Something for today's class: from the Wall Street Journal, Fri 3/8/08 Edition, Page W14:
Recapturing the Excitement of Beethoven
Mikhail Pletnev Makes the Symphonies Sound New Again
By GREG SANDOW
When Beethoven's symphonies were first performed, there was sometimes wild enthusiasm. "The listeners could scarcely restrain themselves," said an early Beethoven biographer, talking about the premiere of the Ninth Symphony, where the audience burst into applause right in the middle of the music.
And later, when the symphonies began to be played regularly, everybody knew that something special was happening. People in the audience would cry out with "wonderment and joy," as one observer wrote. When "a violin passage [in the Fifth Symphony] ripped down from the highest notes of the orchestra to the lowest . . . the orchestra entered into a community with the public, they exchanged glances."
This of course doesn't happen in our time, when surely there's a Beethoven symphony played somewhere at every hour of every day. And not just because the etiquette of the classical concert hall forbids those wild reactions. We know these pieces now, and they're not likely to surprise us. We're used to them.
And yet . . . isn't something missing? Isn't shock and surprise -- and wild excitement -- built into Beethoven's DNA? In the Fifth Symphony, there's something just about unprecedented, at least for any listener in Beethoven's time. The third movement, dark, uneasy (and full of goblins, as E.M. Forster memorably wrote), can't bring itself to end. It collapses into tense and almost formless expectation, out of which the last movement explodes like a long-awaited burst of light. Nobody had connected movements of a symphony before, and certainly never with such drama. Audiences in the 19th century understood how new this was and would lose control, erupting with spontaneous applause.
..........
Recapturing the Excitement of Beethoven
Mikhail Pletnev Makes the Symphonies Sound New Again
By GREG SANDOW
When Beethoven's symphonies were first performed, there was sometimes wild enthusiasm. "The listeners could scarcely restrain themselves," said an early Beethoven biographer, talking about the premiere of the Ninth Symphony, where the audience burst into applause right in the middle of the music.
And later, when the symphonies began to be played regularly, everybody knew that something special was happening. People in the audience would cry out with "wonderment and joy," as one observer wrote. When "a violin passage [in the Fifth Symphony] ripped down from the highest notes of the orchestra to the lowest . . . the orchestra entered into a community with the public, they exchanged glances."
This of course doesn't happen in our time, when surely there's a Beethoven symphony played somewhere at every hour of every day. And not just because the etiquette of the classical concert hall forbids those wild reactions. We know these pieces now, and they're not likely to surprise us. We're used to them.
And yet . . . isn't something missing? Isn't shock and surprise -- and wild excitement -- built into Beethoven's DNA? In the Fifth Symphony, there's something just about unprecedented, at least for any listener in Beethoven's time. The third movement, dark, uneasy (and full of goblins, as E.M. Forster memorably wrote), can't bring itself to end. It collapses into tense and almost formless expectation, out of which the last movement explodes like a long-awaited burst of light. Nobody had connected movements of a symphony before, and certainly never with such drama. Audiences in the 19th century understood how new this was and would lose control, erupting with spontaneous applause.
..........
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Thursday, February 07, 2008
Free tickets to events: The College Town Series
Click HERE for an entry regarding the CollegeTown Voucher - your student activities fees at work!
Studying for the upcoming test - A suggestion
The test will cover the first three eras in teh book: Medieval/Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque.
Outlining the chapter is a good idea. Pay special attention to the musical characteristics of the music of the era, what types of music there were (i.e. Ren. = mass, motet, madrigal) and their definitions, and how musicians made a living.
Another good study aid is the powerpoint presentations stashed on WebCT. Log in, and click the "folder" for the period. You'll see a link to the presentation. Sadly, it works best in Internet Explorer on Windows, but IS functional on the other browsers & platforms.
Yet another resource is the textbook website. There's a link on the syllabus.
If you have questions, shoot me an email, or ask in class. Check webct for my email addresses.
Outlining the chapter is a good idea. Pay special attention to the musical characteristics of the music of the era, what types of music there were (i.e. Ren. = mass, motet, madrigal) and their definitions, and how musicians made a living.
Another good study aid is the powerpoint presentations stashed on WebCT. Log in, and click the "folder" for the period. You'll see a link to the presentation. Sadly, it works best in Internet Explorer on Windows, but IS functional on the other browsers & platforms.
Yet another resource is the textbook website. There's a link on the syllabus.
If you have questions, shoot me an email, or ask in class. Check webct for my email addresses.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Elements Test Study suggestions (12/11 update)
Music Instrument Production
Antiqua Winds Factory (woodwinds)
Some suggestions for studying
1. Look at all the elements of music discussed in class and in the text. Make sure you know the definitions.
2. Anything that is bolded or underlined, make sure you know what it is (terms, for example).
3. Instruments - what instrument is in what family of the orchestra. Single reed vs. double reed. Get an idea of the top to bottom order of instruments in a family (i.e. for strings top-to-bottom order is violin - viola - cello - bass). Don't forget that the Voice is an instrument as well!
4. Listening - as you listen, make sure you have an idea of what makes that piece unique. For example, the Chopin piano prelude is (duh) piano by itself. The jazz piece has a unique sound in this set. The Britten piece has that primary melody that is repeated a whole bunch.
5. The listening section is matching (piece #1 is title A). I'll be playing about 60 seconds of each.
6. The textbook table of contents is a great way to get your thoughts organized. So are the in-class powerpoints, available on WebCT
7. The test will come from BOTH the text AND your notes.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
2 more ways to study for the test
1. Login to WebCT. Click on the Romantic link - you can go through the powerpoint that was included with the instructor materials. It will help you organize the material (but remember my organization was different).
2. Fire up iTunes. Swing over to the iTunes store, select podcasts. Do a search for "music appreciation". There's a podcast done by Charles Laux, who teaches at a California community college, that is interesting. He's a violin player, and he tells a few stories as well. You can always fast forward through the pieces if you don't want to listen to them - he plays several of teh same pieces we've heard.
See you Wednesday!
2. Fire up iTunes. Swing over to the iTunes store, select podcasts. Do a search for "music appreciation". There's a podcast done by Charles Laux, who teaches at a California community college, that is interesting. He's a violin player, and he tells a few stories as well. You can always fast forward through the pieces if you don't want to listen to them - he plays several of teh same pieces we've heard.
See you Wednesday!
Studying for the Romantic test
Listening: 11 selections. You need to be able to ID the piece AND tell whether its a Character piece, Opera, Program symphony, Absolute symphony, Lied/Art song, or Concerto.
Notes:
Lots of definitions, because there were a lot of new genres played around with in this period. Remember, the period didn't reject the music of the previous era, it BUILT on it. (This is different).
See the previous Romantic era notes & study sheet for more details.
Wednesday, in the Library computer room (same one we were in last time).
Question: Would it be useful for me to play the listening TWICE? Give me an opinion, if you have one, Wednesday before we start.
Notes:
Lots of definitions, because there were a lot of new genres played around with in this period. Remember, the period didn't reject the music of the previous era, it BUILT on it. (This is different).
See the previous Romantic era notes & study sheet for more details.
Wednesday, in the Library computer room (same one we were in last time).
Question: Would it be useful for me to play the listening TWICE? Give me an opinion, if you have one, Wednesday before we start.
Saturday, October 27, 2007
Why Classical Music?
Yes, this is a bit off-topic, but I ran across this article today and wanted to send you a quote from it.
This is from the New Republic, and is discussing all the angst that has erupted lately online about "classical music is dying" - it stems from a thing the Washington Post did in a subway station with Joshua Bell, a world-class violinist. The original article:
http://www.tnr.com/story_print.html?id=f3839c75-3724-4154-adc4-e0638e30448a
----------------------------------
As a team of Texas researchers have recently announced, there are exactly 237 known reasons why people have sex. There are at least as many reasons why they listen to classical music, of which to sit in solemn silence on a dull dark dock is only one. There will always be social reasons as well as purely aesthetic ones, and thank God for that. There will always be people who make money from it--and why not?--as well as those who starve for the love of it. Classical music is not dying; it is changing. (My favorite example right now is Gabriel Prokofiev, the British-born grandson of the Russian composer, who studied electronic music in school, has headed a successful disco-punk band, and is now writing string quartets.) Change can be opposed, and it can be slowed down, but it cannot be stopped.
This is from the New Republic, and is discussing all the angst that has erupted lately online about "classical music is dying" - it stems from a thing the Washington Post did in a subway station with Joshua Bell, a world-class violinist. The original article:
http://www.tnr.com/story_print.html?id=f3839c75-3724-4154-adc4-e0638e30448a
----------------------------------
As a team of Texas researchers have recently announced, there are exactly 237 known reasons why people have sex. There are at least as many reasons why they listen to classical music, of which to sit in solemn silence on a dull dark dock is only one. There will always be social reasons as well as purely aesthetic ones, and thank God for that. There will always be people who make money from it--and why not?--as well as those who starve for the love of it. Classical music is not dying; it is changing. (My favorite example right now is Gabriel Prokofiev, the British-born grandson of the Russian composer, who studied electronic music in school, has headed a successful disco-punk band, and is now writing string quartets.) Change can be opposed, and it can be slowed down, but it cannot be stopped.
Monday, October 22, 2007
I stand corrected!
From Wikipedia, regarding the piece by Holtz (The Planets):
"Neptune" was the first piece of music to have a fade-out ending. Holst stipulates that the women's choruses are "to be placed in an adjoining room, the door of which is to be left open until the last bar of the piece, when it is to be slowly and silently closed", and that the final bar (scored for choruses alone) is "to be repeated until the sound is lost in the distance"[10].
Although commonplace today, the effect bewitched audiences in the era before widespread recorded sound - after the initial 1918 run-through, Holst's daughter Imogen (in addition to watching the charwomen dancing in the aisles during "Jupiter") remarked that the ending was "unforgettable, with its hidden chorus of women's voices growing fainter and fainter... until the imagination knew no difference between sound and silence"[5].
The suite has seven movements, each of them named after a planet and its corresponding Roman deity (see also Planets in astrology):
- Mars, the Bringer of War
- Venus, the Bringer of Peace
- Mercury, the Winged Messenger
- Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
- Saturn, the Bringer of Old Age
- Uranus, the Magician
- Neptune, the Mystic
"Neptune" was the first piece of music to have a fade-out ending. Holst stipulates that the women's choruses are "to be placed in an adjoining room, the door of which is to be left open until the last bar of the piece, when it is to be slowly and silently closed", and that the final bar (scored for choruses alone) is "to be repeated until the sound is lost in the distance"[10].
Although commonplace today, the effect bewitched audiences in the era before widespread recorded sound - after the initial 1918 run-through, Holst's daughter Imogen (in addition to watching the charwomen dancing in the aisles during "Jupiter") remarked that the ending was "unforgettable, with its hidden chorus of women's voices growing fainter and fainter... until the imagination knew no difference between sound and silence"[5].
Well, maybe I **sit** corrected.
Have a good week. See you Wednesday!
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