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Antiquity - music in the ancient world (36,000 BCE to 5th
century).
The Harmony of the Spheres
The idea that there is actually music happening in the cosmos (the universe)
When we are on earth, we make music to resemble heaven’s music when we knew it before we
were on earth.
The Temple of Music - Robert Fludd, (1574-1637). Robert Fludd was a musician and composer,
physician, writer and philosopher. He wrote a book in 1617-1619 called Utriusque Cosmi
maioris salicet et minoris metaphysica meaning basically, a history of the universe. There is a
picture included called “The Temple of Music” which is a famous breakdown of how music
works and its extensiveness. The Temple of Music includes the work of Pythagorus who came up
with the musical ratio of frequencies.
Microcasm/macrocasm
gammut - (gamma + ut = gammut) - all the white notes between low G to high G with exception
of Bb. The only pitches that were considered ‘real’ were in the span of the human voice. G2-G5
These notes were musica rechta or real music.
hexachord - six note patterns in music used frequently. All solfege notes except ‘ti.’ There were
only three hexachords allowed - tonic, subdominant and dominant.
ut, re, mi, fa, sol, la
Apollo/Dionysius Apollo was the God of music - the lute was given to him from his younger brother, Hermes
Dionysius was the God of drinking and being merry. He would say that music is emotion and not
just study.
We technically do not have information before 2300 BCE. From 2300 and on, we can piece
together ideas of what music was to ancient cultures. The invention of writing assures many
assumptions.
Mesopotamia (Sumer, Akkad, Babylon - today Iraq)
This holds our earliest information of music. These cultures used many instruments that were
later found.
Four Ways We Know of Ancient Music
Fragments of instruments have survived
iconography - cave paintings, vase paintings, sculptures
writings about music that have survived. Consisted of rituals and ceremony traditions
Notated scores. Not many have made it into modern times.
Quick discrepancy of genres: a genre is a type or classification: each genre has it’s own form.
Ex. Fruit - 2 genres of fruit are apples and oranges.
Egypt
Particular Egyptian genre is the hymn. A Hymn is a song in praise of a god or gods. Early
Christian writers took this genre, erased the definitive word ‘gods‘ and applied it to Christianity.
This goes back about two millennia BCE. A certain woman wrote hymns to her moon goddess.
She was the first known hymn composer.
Greece, Rome, Judea - Main cultures because the three fused musical ideas which moved into
medieval period and have formed our musical culture.
Rome - contributed the least and borrowed from ancient Greece. The Romans used music for
propaganda and prestige
Judea - Psalms - 150 approximately. Some were cheerful, some contrite. Fundamental words that
were borrowed from the Jews. Later became a big part of Western Christian liturgy.
psalmody - the practice of singing songs
antiphonal - two choirs, opposing choirs - became popular in Western Music (2 choirs or
solo v.
choir)
Greece - good at writing down their ideas about music. HIGHLY developed musical culture.
Greeks codified musical information and cultured it.
Boethius - wrote a lot about Greek music. The theory of ancient Greece that he documented
became the theory we use today (ex. scales and intervals).
Instruments - used mostly percussion, harps, horns, lyre, and kithara (large lyre), aulos
(wind
instrument with double tubes and one reed. Each tube had holes. Either move fingers, vary
air
speed or move reed in/out of mouth to change pitch. Instrument has a plangent or nasal
sound).
Anyone was allowed to play instruments but women could never compete and public
performance was discouraged.
virtuosos - slaves were often the best performers. The best performers were those who
could
improvise.
Musical theater - the aulos was a favorite instrument of musical theater. Euripides wrote
many
plays with aulos parts to accompany the actors.
Theory - the Greeks liked to divide by 4 note scales called tetrachords. All tetrachords are a
perfect fourth apart. Three ways to do it:
•Diatonic genus - for people without intellectual understanding
•Chromatic
•Enharmonic - E C Cb B - used quarter tones
The significance is that the music sounds and means something different. Written for
audiences.
Ancient Greece had great ideas about music but only 45 texts survived. Music was often
taught
by rote or created through improvisation.
Perfect melos - The most meaningful spiritual music - it wasn’t only sound but good text
and dance. This was done to honor the gods. The music has disappeared because the
monotheists
destroyed it in trying to spread Christianity to the Greeks. They burned many songs, books,
documents because these documents were created to honor the non-Christian God.
Music in the Middle Ages - Themes and Main Concepts
(c. 5th century to 11th century CE) - AKA the Dark
Ages
Ideas that Westerners borrowed:
Music is a terrific accompaniment for religious rite.
Litergy/rite - anything that one does, says, sings, wears in the celebration of a person’s
religious
beliefs.
By 1000 CE, music becomes a fixed liturgy in religion and is very important to religion.
Music is a great form of entertainment
Music is essential to education
Aristotle and Plato both defended music education. Plato said that in order to be fully
educated, you need music and physical training.
Music has a strong effect on our souls. Different music alters our behavior. It affects our ethical
status.
monophonic - a musical texture used where the emphasis is on the melody.
the melody and words are CLOSELY linked
the system of musical modes is used (borrowed from the Greeks)
DARK AGES Rome eventually collapsed - the North crushed Roman civilization. When Rome fell, so did its
essentials to having a successful civilization.
Rome did have:
•education
•centralized government
•money
•art
•culture
•peace
These all disappeared when Rome fell. Tribal centers were set up in Rome. There was a lot of
war, starvation, pestilence, declining population, cold, agricultural failure.
Tribes were French, English, Italian, South Italian/Greeks, Spanish (Islam), Milan
Because of this, people sent their sons to monasteries to learn and become educated. They
‘belonged’ to the church.
St. Benedict established the “Rule of St. Benedict” which said that Humanity will survive by and
because of the church communities. Benedict laid out his ground plan - Place students in private
or secluded areas. Clothes and food would be provided and planned. (Ex. certain clothes worn,
food was rationed by when and what would be eaten).
This was thought of not as a haven but as employment. Their jobs were to pray all day for the
salvation of mankind. Schedules were even established. At certain times, one would sing certain
prayers. This is the creation of the MASS.
MASS was held every day. It consisted of:
PSALMS - Celebrate the diving offices
MATINS - Midnight mass
LAUDS - Break (though sometimes mass would be held anyway)
PRIME - (9am - 9:15)
TERCE - (noon)
SEXT - (3pm)
NONE - (6pm)
VESPERS - (Sundown)
COMPLINE - (9pm or before bed)
*Psalms usually were learned by rote or oral transmission.
Proper and Ordinary - proper - main musical events the music and chant that change every
single day. For each day of the year there are different propers) and are divided by things that are
the same for every single mass (ordinary, where the words stay the same every day).
Proper Chants - beautiful and different actions that happen in the mass. Proper
Byzantine rite - Orthodox East - Has its own music (Greeks, later Russians, Serbians, Poles)
have their own liturgy. Started in the middle ages and continues to the present.
Gregorian Chant - That music that is sung in the liturgy of the Roman Church. First major
genre. There are different names but they all mean Gregorian Chant (ex. chant, plain chant).
Western Rites - WHY CHANT?? Around the year 800 CE. Some important and unknown
person decided it would be a great idea for everyone to sing the same thing at the same time,
every single day. This is a basic understanding of Gregorian Chant.
WHY GREGORIAN? What’s in a name?
Pope Gregory the Great - He was well known for saving Rome from the dark ages. He started
sanitation. Gregory was the pope for 14 years and worked hard on standardized singing. Because
he was such a well known and respected pope, people in the Middle Ages assumed that Gregory
wrote the chants.
“One day a little white dove (Holy Spirit) sat on Gregory’s shoulder and sang to him the
thousands of chants”
Solesmes - French monastery - At the end of the 19th century and into the 20th century, the
monks wanted to look at every chant that existed in Europe, look at all the different versions and
decide which were the best. They published the Liber Visualis - it had the most frequently used
chants - they repeat the story of pope Gregory in this book.
TRIBES WHO TOOK OVER ROME: These tribes became Christians with their own Separate
rites, saints, prayers, music. There was no uniformity whatsoever. The rites were:
Gallicam Rite - French - Loved dramas and plays
Sarum/Celtic Rite - English
Old Roman Rite - Italian
Beneventien Rite - S. Italian/Greeks
Mozarabic Rite - Spanish (Islam)
Ambrosian Rite - Milan
Music for these no longer survive and are only alive because of oral transmission.
Legend of St Agustum:
There is a church in Milan where St. Ambrose was singing Ambrosian Chant. A pagan man
walked by and just by listening, he feels a deep conviction and converts to Christianity. This man
was St. Agustum. Because the chant converted him, the Ambrosian chant is allowed to stay and
to this day, it is still used in Milan.
The rest of these chants were destroyed. Gregorian chants were then made universal.
Charlemagne - From the Holy Roman Empire. Becomes emperor of Italy in 800CE. His job is
to bring these Rites/populations into one order. Because of him, music lost a lot of diversity and
variety. Individual genres that were once gems were disposed of. It was a 200 year project.
Church Modes: Example is Key of C
Medieval Name
Protus:
Authentic - D to D
Plagal - A to A
Deuterus:
Authentic - E to E
Plagal - B to B
Tritus:
Authentic - F to F
Plagal - C to C
Tetrardus:
Authentic - G to
G
Plagal - D to D
Final
Note
D
Reciting Tone
Renaissance Name
Authentic - A
Plagal - F
Dorian
Hypodorian
Authentic - C
Plagal - A
Phrygian
Hypophrygian
Authentic - C
Plagal - A
Lydian
Hypolydian
Authentic - D
Plagal - C
Mixolydian
Hypomixolydian
E
F
G
The authentic mode of any of these will have the final at the bottom. The range will be about 9
notes above the final.
In plagal mode, you can go under the final by about four notes but you can only go up four notes.
The mode feels different.
Range tells us which mode we are in.
Reciting Tone - Look at the final note and see if the music you’re singing has a lot of it - Ex. If
the final note is F and there are many F’s sung throughout the piece, then the mode is hypodorian.
When composers wrote Renaissance music, they would make the musician aware of what mode it
was in.
Franco-Roman - This is Gregorian Chant.
Charlemagne sent French singers to Rome to learn new chants. The chants were minutely
changed due to the fact that the singers were learning by rote. This is when they decided that
written music is essential to have accurate music passed on.
850CE - Musica Enchiradis - handbook written about music - like a method book. Teaches one
how to sing chant, rhythm, modes, and more. This is the earliest kind of polyphony - it teaches
parallel organum.
Development of Music Notation - (800 CE - 1000 CE) - dealing only with pitches right now, not
rhythm.
1. Early 9th Century - Musical Symbols- Called neumes (notes), would write unheighted
music on the page - the text would be written and the melodic contour would be written above the
text. Rhythm was not distinguished by neumes, only melody. It was not exact but was used to jog
the singer’s memory after having learned a piece.
First half of 11th Century - heighted neumes were established. One to two lines that the
neumes travel around. There were two colored lines, like a staff.
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Yellow line indicates C, Red line indicates F
Second half of 11th Century - 4 line staff is established - the beginning of real melodic notation
Somewhere around 1050 CE, Guido d’Arezzo created the Guidonian hand - he was a musician
and teacher of choir boys. He figured out a way for them to sing melodies without them ever
knowing the melody before.
12th Century - neumes are at square notation - everyone has accepted this form of notation, but
there is still no rhythmic orientation
Harmonic Language (melodic language) is called Modality
There are 8 mode types - (like 2 scale types of major and minor, there are 8 mode types)
Musical Textures: this means number of voices
monophonic - one part/one sound/one line. Ex, chant, solo a cappella
polyphonic - multiple parts - could be chant on top and counter melody underneath (most
organum starts out this way)
Polyphonic lines of music are independent because of the declamation of the text. Each singer
declaims the same text at a different time.
homophonic - multiple parts but they are very closely related (usually by rhythm) THE TEXT OCCURS TOGETHER - an example would be a hymn
11-13th Century - Liturgical Drama - pertaining to the mass or offices (later
called a sacred play)
Drama - reinactment of a story
Liturgy - celebration of religious rite
Why Liturgical Drama? The church wanted to make something about the liturgy of a given day more decorated. First,
Liturgical dramas were introduced on Christmas and Easter. It was used to make these days more
memorable. The music in a Liturgical Drama is CHANT. The performers were the musicians
participating in or singing the mass.
Only one known composer to have written them: Hildegard von Bingen - head nun in her
convent, a doctor, musician, composer, poet, and probably more. She was known for writing
chant and liturgical drama. The liturgical drama she wrote was called Ordo virtutum This genre then spills into the Renaissance. Later in the Renaissance, the poets who wrote the
lines of the Liturgical Drama signed their names - so these Renaissance poets are known.
Quem Quaeritis - Liturgical Drama about the story of Easter - Who do you seek? Virgin Mary
and Mary Magdeline are asked by an angel “Who are you seeking?”
Starts with choirs singing back and forth without any acting or costumes.
Gestures are added, along with movement
Attributes (symbols) are used to recognize characters of a play
Plays could be done on the steps of the church - sometimes they were forced to be outside
because it was sometimes ‘not acceptable’ to have drama in the church.
After some years of performing, the Liturgical Dramas began to be done in the language of the
country and not in Latin.
Ordo prophetarum - the prophets play - sometimes a Christmas play - Not associated with mass,
but with the offices ceremony. Matins Ceremony (Midnight Ceremony). Prophets, (Isaiah,
Ezekiel,...sing with attributes). Next Sybil, woman prophet (Pagan woman past the age of child
bearing and a priestess of the God of Apollo) would come out. Sybil was the most powerful
authority because she is a mouthpiece of Apollo. They changed the story of Sybil to say she
claimed the coming of Christ. Sybil then becomes a non-Hebrew prophet of Christ.
Other favorite Liturgical Dramas would be:
Planctus Mariae - Lament of Mary
Peregrinus
Trope - a musical or textual addition to the established liturgy. As a verb - troping - adding tropes
to a liturgy.
Polyphony
Organum - The earliest polyphony we know is organum Medieval and Renaissance - a connection occurs - if a particular innovation happens in sacred
music, it begins to happen in secular music.
– Rather than composing new pieces, musicians took older compositions and developed
them. These older compositions were the original plainchant melodies in an organum
style that used monophony and polyphony as its principal means of contrast.
850CE - Musica Enchiradis - handbook written about music - like a method book. Teaches one
how to sing chant, rhythm, modes, and more. This is the earliest kind of polyphony - it teaches
parallel organum.
Sacred Polyphony - (Middle Ages to the End of the Renaissance)- ADDITIVE
COMPOSITION:
In the first form of polyphony, at least one part consists of chant. The composers would copy the
chant and then add a new second voice above it. Then a third voice would be added above the
second. Only one voice is added at a time. Music is written this way until the early 15th century.
Cantus prius factus - the song that already existed (the chant that you build everything else on)
Ideas for Research - Theorists of music
- Hucbald, Regino of Prum
- Guido Micrologus
EARLY 12th CENTURY
De Musica - Early 12th Century - John Cotton wrote a book called De Musica, how to compose
Organum and when it is appropriate to use it.
ad Organum faciendum - Written by anon. How you can write organum - it contains instructions
and written examples
Free Organum - performers are no longer singing just octaves but 5ths, 4ths, 3rds. Now the
upper voice has its own melodic contour (this is the bridge to counterpoint)
LATER 12TH CENTURY
Aquitanian organum - Eleanor of Aquitan, (South west France) was quite wealthy and paid for
the writing down of good music. All the music of this time was written in Aquitan. The two
places that housed the written music were a.) St. Martial b.) Santiago de Compostela (Spain)
Florid organum - cascading, flowery, highly ornamented melody
As time moves on, there is more independence in the top voice. Towards the end of the 12c,
music seems to distract from God’s chant.
LATE 12TH CENTURY, EARLY 13TH CENTURY
Notre Dame organum - THE HIGH POINT of organum - Elaboration of Aquitanian organum.
Notre Dame is the focal point school of thought at the time. It was associated with the University
of Law, Medicine and Theology.
Leonin (Around 1180CE) - and teacher of Perotin. Leonin takes the genre of chant and uses it as
a cantus firmus in his polyphony. Writes a VERY SLOW cantus firmus with a busy upper voice.
Most of his pieces were only two voices.
Perotin (Around 1200CE) – Perotin has sung Leonin’s pieces and composes his own. Takes a
book of Leonin’s work. Perotin takes over at the church and also adds some of his own work to
the book. It becomes a collection of both of their works - called Magnus Liber Organi – The
book is very lengthy and is filled with organum
Modal Rhythm – The system of notating rhythm in the early 13c. Modal rhythm is what
holds polyphony together. There are 6 patterns, all triple, (no such thing as duple meter),
for imposing rhythm on notes. An unknown musical theorist named Anonymous 4 writes
class notes explaining rhythmic modes.
Process by which organum changes:
Organum–compositions where the original plainchant melodies are contrasted using a
style that used polyphony as its principal means of contrast.
SECULAR MUSIC IN 11, 12, and 1300s. – music not sung in a liturgical
setting. Used for entertainment in Queen’s/King’s courts.
-strophic – small range-modal-free rhythm
SECULAR MUSIC IN THE MIDDLE AGESFrance, Germany, Italy, Spain
-Chronological Distribution
- monophonic – 12&13c
- polyphonic – 14c
FRANCE– chansons (genre)
CHARACTERISTICS –
-strophic – small range-modal-free rhythm
-no refrain
-monophonic texture
-small vocal range
-modal
-free rhythms
-mostly dorian
-mostly syllabic, one note per syllable (neumatic = few notes per word)
The opposite would be melismatic – or many notes per word).
- By Whom?
1- troubadour – educated people, not royalty, not peasants, from Southern
France. Used the langue d’oc – not French poetry. 2600 poems were found
but only 260 survived with their melody.
Troubadours are free to come and go – could be from all sorts of lifestyles,
(nobles, servants…)
-types of troubadour songs – always stropic (or one set of music
with many lines of lyric):
1. canso- mostly love songs (courtly)
2. sirventes – writers in the position of a servant (frustrated)
3. tenso – debate songs – sometimes performed with two people
4. pastorela- knight in springtime – sees a shepherdess, she woos
and leaves him
5. alba – “dawn” songs set for the dawn – sung by a watchmen
who are faithful male friends
2- trouvere – of higher aristocracy – from the North of France. Used
langue d’oil – close to normal French.
1. chanson de geste – subject of poems – a battle
2. chanson de toile – women’s songs about spinning fabric thread
or plucking chickens. Women celebrate their jobs
3. chanson de malmariee – subject that bad marriages can be
humorous
3- trobairitz – Female version of either of the two (Contessa de Dia,
Bernart de Ventadorn – born of low class parents, only troubadour)
They were all poets first and then composed their music. They were in many cases
performers of their music as well.
They usually sang about courtly love, unrequited love, or topics such as ‘ a woman is an
unattainable love.’ Some poems were joyous, some angry.
GERMANY –
Who is singing? – minnesingers and Meistersingers
Bar Form- AAB Form
Minnesingers – 1100s and 1300s – first to sing them.
Meistersingers – 1200s and 1300s – musically, very organized
3 Kinds of songs:
1. Frauenstrophe – woman’s song about their experiences
2. Taglied – day song – morning
3. kreutzlied – cross- male songs – (saddling up horses, heading to crusades)
Minnesingers: Troubadours served as model for German school of knightly poetmusicians. Flourished between 1100s and 1300s.
-Sang of love (minne).
-Sang minnelieder – love songs. Sometimes had a religious theme.
-Some were written in church modes, others were written in major tonality.
-A majority of the songs were written in triple meter.
-From the end of the 1200s, the art of the trouveres in France passed from nobility to
cultured middle-class citizens.
Meistersinger (Hans Sachs – Renaissance Meistersinger)
-Tradesmen and artisans of German cities
-Hans Sachs composed thousands of poems and songs for them, composing in a form
called “bar” (aab – melodic phrase, a, sung twice for a stanza’s first two units of text
called stolen, and the remainder, b, called abgesang – generally longer and only sung
once) – Nachdem David is a war song
ITALY – not writing down much of what they do
One charming genre that has survived “Laudae” – little songs of praise in Latin
Guilds, or sects, were called confraternity
- Confraternities of chimney sweepers, and street cleaners
- Paraded around in Florence usually with their guild before they went home
and sang lauda(e). It was done for entertainment and amusement. THIS
GENRE turns into oratorio)
SPAIN – Kinds of Songs: cantigas – little songs
A Spanish and Portuguese medieval monophonic song.
Famous collection of 400 songs – Cantigas de Santa Maria – Songs about the virgin
Mary. Collection came with pictures.
-Cantigas are mostly done in ballad style – they are the accounts of miracles performed
by the blessed Virgin.
-Every tenth song is a hymn in her praise
-Survived by the Court of Alfonzo the Wise – he had court manuscripts so his music has
been preserved.
Other cantigas have survived without music – they are secular.
Cantigas de amigo
Cantigas de escarmio
Cantigas de jesta
ENGLAND – behind….using French songs
ITALY – As usual, like to show off the voice.
1300s - Italian refrain forms –
Caccia
Madrigal
Balata
Up to the middle of the 1300s, composers are imitating Machaut.
SECULAR MUSIC OF THE 1300s and 1400s
FRANCE
ITALY
*Ars Nova – ex. Machaut
*Tracento – Italy – ex. Landini
*Mensural Rhythm
*Mensural Rhythm
*Syncopation
*No Syncopation
*Love triple meter
*Love duple meter
*Secular music is almost always
*Secuar music is mostly two
three voices
voices
3 Poetic Secular Forms: patterns for music and poems – now writing poems with the idea
that they will be set to music
Virelai – Abba Abba Abba A
Ballade – aabC aabC aabC
*Rondeau – AbaA abAB
Refrain is in capital letters. Same musical phrase with different text is small case.
TRANSITIONING INTO THE RENAISSANCE
Mot = word in French
Motet evolves as a new genre and stays until end of Renaissance, though the style
does change by the end. They are part secular/part sacred.
Motet – How it is created:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Choose a cantus firmus (chant)
Repeat the chant for length (doubles the length)
Add brand new composed 2nd voice with Cantus Firmus.
Add third voice with French text
Who? – monks, students also performed for money
Why? – For their own amusement, now they can compose and use their poetry – this is
also a way to make money.
Polytextual Motets – motet with at least two languages of text
Summary of Motets
13c – Polytextual motet – a motet with many texts – There can be different languages. 24, but 3 is the norm. Cantus firmus is the bottom voice and is tenor. Most used intervals,
octaves and 5ths. Modal rhythm is used with triple meter.
Performed by monks and students. Blend of Secular and Sacred. Voice crossing is
common.
Philippe de Vitry (1291-1361) – composer, poet, administrator for the Duke of Bourbon
and the king of France. He was the inventor of the Ars Nova (New Art) around 1320 –
which included new innovations in rhythm and notation. It is a treaty that denotes the
French musical style invented by De Vitry from 1310 on.
-The first innovation was the allowance of duple
meter (imperfect) along with triple. People called
triple meter perfect because of the holy ‘trinity.’
-The second innovation allowed a division of the
semibreve – with the smallest notes called
minims.
These innovations lead to new meters. In 1340s,
Jehan des Murs discussed a new innovation –
mensuration signs – the first real time signatures.
The first musical works that EXEMPLIFY the ars nova are the motets of Philippe de
Vitry. Several appear in the Roman de Fauvel. Most are 3 voices using isorhythm. The
polyphony usually did not exceed a minute, and composers wanted to lengthen their
pieces. Therefore, isorhythm was implemented. The tenor line is laid out in segments of
identical rhythm. The rhythm patterns are longer and more complex. Then tenor moves
very slowly in comparison to the upper voices.
De Vitry also begins to indicate the change in meter IN the piece.
COLOUR 1 = colour + talea 1
COLOUR 2 = colour + talea 2
COLOUR 3 = colour + talea 3
**This only affects the bottom voice
After writing tenor, write duplum –
start at beginning.
Duplum – new poem
Triplum – new text, new harmony
14c – Isorhythmic Motet- (100 Years
of Development) – Motets as a genre
are always polyphonic and always
have some kind of borrowed material.
They are also always tied to a religious setting.
-
Cantus Firmus – tenor voice – to make CF isorhythmic (melody of CF is
called the colour)
A repetitive rhythm pattern is added called a talea.
An isorhythm CD is made up of a colour and talea.
Roman de Favvel (Novel of Favvel)
French Poem of 1314. Came from the court of the king
of France. A story of how he rises up around the ranks
and becomes king – allegory for everything that is
wrong. Flatterie (Flattery), Avarice (Greed), Vilenie
(Guile), Vanité (vanity), Envie (Envy), and Lâcheté
(Cowardice). It incorporates text, chants, pictures,
then motets are mentioned. Incorporates every
musical genre from that era. This is the first place
we find De Vitry’s Music.
Guillaume de Machaut – 1300-1377 – Most glorified composer/poet of the middle ages
and is the leading composer and poet of the Ars Nova. Composed Motets and Sacred and
Secular music. He elaborates on what de Vitry had created. He was the first composer to
have collected works (hand-made copies of all his works)
Motets – 23 have survived – 20 of them are isorhythmic. His motets are longer than
normal and rhythmically complex. Some of them are written for four voices.
Machaut wrote the first cyclic mass. He took the CF, isorhythmacized it, and added new
parts – written probably in the 1360s. He also wrote many monophonic and polyphonic
songs to French poetry.
Small time period of 20-30 years in
Papal, court of Avignon from 1390s to
1410. There were two popes, one in
Rome, one in France.
French musicians and enterprising
Italian musicians move to Avignon for
performance jobs. The French and
Italian musicians congeal their musical
ideas. French syncopation and
polyphony and Italian polyphony
combine. It is called the ARS
SUBTILIOR (the subtle art). What
makes it “subtle” is their rhythm.
Rhythm will never be this complex
again until the 20c. One of the main
composers, Ciconia. (Le ray au soleil)
THE RENAISSANCE!!!
Restoring the learning, ideals and values of ancient Greece and Rome – The REBIRTH
- New ideas like oil painting and the printing press.
-
-
-
Many Byzantine scholars fled to Italy because of attacks on Constantinople –
and they brought numerous ancient Greek writings – they taught the Greek
language to the Italian scholars – so now, Platos writings and many Greek
plays were accessible to Western Europeans.
Humanism –the study of humanities – things pertaining to human knowledge
– the power of developing an individual’s mind and spirit through studying.
Also, that humans can improve their condition through their own efforts.
In Art – Art becomes naturalist – nakedness no longer represents shame and
sin but beauty and nature. – Realism is used more often using 3 dimensions
One key musical development is that musicians have real careers. They have salaries and
belong to chapels and rulers. Italy is the most supportive of training and paying for good
musicians and good music. The best composers were usually first trained as choir boys.
Counterpoint is developed using strict rules (using 5ths, Octaves, thirds and sixths, and
dissonances are strictly used.
The new textures used are imitative polyphony where voices will imitate a motive or
phrase on another pitch, usually a 4th or 5th away.
Printed music makes music accessible to the world and there is less pressure to maintain
the precious hand-made copies.
Guillaume Dufay (1397-1474) – First True Renaissance Composer, excelling at every
genre– Known for blending international traits in music. Famous for best isorhythmic
motets. Compared to DiVitry, his motets are longer in duration. The motet genre is now
suitable for fancy and important occasions. Ceremonial serious works.
Consecrations have CF’s. Dufay takes the chant and makes it an isorhythmic tenor.
“Awesome in this Place” is the Gregorian chant.
-Not only does he make it isorhythmic in the tenor voice, but in the BASS voice.
-In building a church, one would follow the proportions of Solomon’s temple. The
rhythmic proportions of his tenor and bass are the proportions of Solomon’s temple in
Nuper Rosarum Flores.
John Dunstable – Interested in writing motets for England, but English like
different stylistic features.
1. They are homophonic text (more simple sounding)
2. They like chords with 3rds. They will end a phrase with a triad.
(countenance Anglaise)
Dufay belongs to a famous French King’s court. Dunstable belonged to English
court. In Constance, Switzerland, France and England met to end a war with a
peace conference. Dufay’s musicians meet Dunstable’s. Dufay hears Dunstable’s
work and loves it. He picks up on Dunstable’s style of homophony. From this
point on in the Renaissance, everyone learns to use polyphony and homophony
together for expressive purposes.
Ex. Whole piece in polyphony but use homophony when the text is stressed
to have stressed words sung together.
15 and 16 Century:
Thousands of motets composed in 15 and 16c. Composers of Renaissance will
have all written motets.
-Motets are always in Latin
-Because of Reformation, New Protestant music is composed.
-Motets are always non-liturgical
CYCLIC MASS – 1300-1500 –
Around 1300, composers think if they are going to write polyphonic music, they
want them to be used in the “ordinary” of the mass so that they can e heard every
day.
-A cyclic mass is a polyphonic setting of the ordinary of the mass by one
composer, that is musically unified.
-What unifies these elements musically is that they all have chant. Now that they
are polyphonic, they may unify them by key, mode, time signature, melody, etc.
-Instead of Liturgical connection, there is an artistic connection between the
“ordinary” music.
Composers around 1300 got the idea of writing mass pairs –
Ex. Kyrie and Gloria – will be copied together in a pair. Sanctus and Agnus Dei
will be copied together. Makes it easier on the singer.
The texts have been organized in a cycle/group where they will be written down
outside of liturgical books.
-the step on the way to cyclic mass
-most prominent musicians wrote cyclic masses
Guillaume de Machaut wrote the first cyclic mass. He took the CF, isorhythmacized it,
and added new parts.
Types of CYCLIC Mass (Mass Genre)
-
All cyclic masses are based on some borrowed material (all will use a cantus
firmus) and will use the same CF in all 5 movements of the mass.
3 Types of Cyclic Mass: or 3 ways of using the cantus firmus
-what is different from one type to another is how the CF is used in the musical texture
1. TENOR MASS: early – mid 15c
Guillaume Dufay – isorhythmically structured – the borrowed material is the CF
Melody can be a monophonic melody or a melody from a polyphonic piece
(Renaissance – all people begin to not only focus on salvation, but on life on
earth, human beings begin recognizing things created by men as useful and nice.
Now is masses, composers start taking melodies from SECULAT music and using
them for mass pieces.
2. PARAPHRASE MASS: mid 15- mid 16c
Josquin des Pres – (listen to Missa Pange Lingua-every voice begins with a CF –
not in any specific order. Entire chant is not used, just the opening phrase)
Whole piece becomes CF or borrowed material. Parts of chants used in chunks,
used throughout (usually in order). Successive imitation is now what makes a
piece long. Isorhythm is gone. Identifiable part of the chant in each voice. Every
time they enter, they are using imitative material.
3. PARODY/IMITATION MASS: mostly late 16c
Builds upon paraphrase mass. In others, there was a single melodic line
somewhere. NOW the CF is a polyphonic piece.
HOW?
Transfer soprano of motet to soprano line of mass.
Transfer alto from motet to alto line of mass
Quote directly for a few bars, then free material. (For the first few bars, you quote
the entire polyphonic model. CF becomes the polyphony of the first 3 bars of the
secular piece.
-Often they would use someone else’s piece to copy for new mass. – Reason for
doing this is to model yourself to a great composer of the past. “Imitation is the
best form of flattery.”
Josquin des Pres – combines a chanson and a motet and creates a chanson–motet. 1400s.
text is in French. Cantus Firmus – Latin.
SECULAR SONGS 1500s
Stylistic Characteristics:
-
Italy and England are the most prominent
“refrains are removed – they are too rigid
“Through-composed - biggest stylistic feature.
Poem, one stanza long with no refrains involved. Composer has freedom to
respond to the meaning of the poetry and not just the form. (MAJOR
TURNING POINT IN MUSIC HISTORY)
How did this all happen? All prominent composers spend time in Southern Italy. They
take up all the good jobs at the time. Italy is all city-states. (Rome, Florence, Milan,
Ferrara, Mantua)
Ferrara – d’Este family
Mantua – Gonzaga family (Salamone di’ Rossi worked for them)
Milan – Visconti family
Florence – Medici family
Rome – Papacy family
These are all mafia families….
While composers are here, they become exposed to the Italian ‘pop’ music. The songs are
called frottola(e). Low quality poetry is used. It is very simple. Simple homophonic
texture. Easy harmony, easy rhythms, catchy tunes, (everyday music).
Some pop composers:
Tromboncino
Machetto Cara - Bona dias, bona sera
Even Josquin des Pres
Humanists especially became frustrated with the texts of frottola(e). (Kind of like when
people become frustrated with the shallow lyrics of pop music today). Humanists are
interested in studying “good quality” writing and poetry.
They decide to write a kind of poem to be specifically set to this frottola(e). They create
the new type of poem and call it a MADRIGAL.
MADRIGAL is one of the first magical times when beautiful poetry and beautiful music
come together to form something amazing.
MADRIGAL
3 types – Classical, Mannerist, English
Features of a nice, mid-century madrigal –
1. Usually 4-5 voices
2. SATB
3. Perfect balance of some polyphonic and some homophonic music. Madrigal
composers moved in and out of homophony and polyphony. Texture used to
emphasize the text. This technique is called tone painting. Using the music to
convey the meaning of a word.
4. Imitation used
5. Writing in an emotional state instead of a key.
6. Common people use this music
End of 1500s, Italy, another phase of madrigals evolves called mannerism.
Mannerists – enjoy tone-painting so much that it is all this category consists of.
*This leads to unresolved, unprepared dissonance
*Weird juxtapositions of tempo
* Very extreme ranges
It is not casual singing anymore. More for professional singers and specialized
performers. Tone painting is overdone.
- In England, English love madrigals but are late to adapt them.
- In 1588, a collection of music is written called Musica Transalpina. (Music across
the Alps). Italian madrigals are translated into English.
-Few years after 1588, they write their own
English do not exaggerate tone painting. Their TP is tasteful. English really like 6-10
voices. Many parts. They refuse to sing about sex or death. They tend to sing about sing
about virgin queen, Elizabeth, (Diana is another name for her).
Marsilio Ficino - 1499 – priest – lives almost all of his life in Florence. He is a premier
humanist. He is interested in human salvation. He believes that mental health
accompanies bodily health. He is concerned about things that will help our spirit. He is
reading about what the Egyptians and Greeks have to say about spiritual wellness. He
reads that music makes you psychologically healthy and physically healthy. He believes
that making certain kinds of music will produce a better soul. Much of the music he
performed was improvised. He sang orphic hymns with his friends. The hymns are of
Orpheus and are sung to the planets.
Singing a solo song will do two things (kind of like a prayer)
-draw influence that the singer needs
-putting out the same force to others.
The goal of the song is to improve you as a person. To make you morally and physically
better. This leads us to Monteverdi’s opera, Orpheo.
Types of Madrigals that almost become operas:
1. Madrigal Comedy – Dramatic madrigals. Use series of poems that successively
tell a story. Set them to music. Books had pictures that tell the story. The music is
written to reflect the character’s feelings. They allowed dissonances, only when
the text called for it.
2. Continuo Madrigal - has characters come out and speak or sing alone with an
instrumental background.
BAROQUE – 1600-1750
Baroque comes in one way and comes out totally different. Period of rapid change.
Transitional Era.
3 Phases of Baroque Evolution
**1600-1680 – Phase of experimentation – trying anything.
Composers: Monteverdi, Caccini, Praetorius, Gabrielli
**1680-1730 – begin organizing and making agreements on what the music should be
considered.
Composers: Corelli, Torelli, Lully, Hasse
1730-1750 - High Baroque period – all write “correct” or same way.
Composers: Handel, Bach, Taleman, Rameau
Political/Economic Features of Baroque Music:
Geography – Italy – new technique, experimenting, theories explode. Parts of their
experimental music end up in France, Germany, England, etc.
You get a “Baroque Style” developing regional characteristics.
-Genres used to sound the same in any country, but now, the form stays the same and the
music sounds very different.
1. National identity in musical style develops
National personality in music creates the idea of nationalism (political). It is not a
coincidence that in the chaotic part of the period, the Germans correct and organize
the music.
2. Patronage
a. Church is always a patron
b. The courts and aristocracies, well educated, blue-blooded classes, (nobility), who
have money and high social status
c. Middle class merchants who and up gaining social class because they are good
businessmen and transporters. Start to pay for music and composers start writing
music “especially for their audience.”
d. Composers write catchy music and not very expert music. Opera is “dumbed
down.” This is the point in music history where music is not the ethical force and
is solely entertainment. It is because we have this new class of audience.
Musical Features of Baroque Music
Basso continuo/Thorough bass:
-More instrumental music and accompaniment
TEXTURAL component in all Baroque music is made up of two things:
1. Very strong harmonic bass line. Provides the bass of all the chords.
2. Realized harmony. The notes used above that are “realized”
3. Use viol and cello to play loud bass
4. Harpsichord played the harmony, (bass is played in left hand too).
Ex. A flute sonata has a flute player with the same to instrumentalists to accompany –
harpsichord and bass/cello.
Rhythm and Phrasing:
1. Baroque bounce – no tempo change – continual uppidy pulse. Has forward
moving energy.
2. Stylus fantasticus – keyboard style where composers write pieces of music for
keyboard and it sounds like improvisation.
3. Phrasing – throughout Baroque period, we tend to move from irregular phrasing
(of undetermined length or shape), to a very even phrase type.
4. Unbalanced phrases are called fortspinnung.
Florentine Camerata – Mei and Bardi – meet regularly and spend a lot of time hashing
out ideas about music. They are concerned with the text of the music. They are criticizing
polyphony. Because the Greeks play solo music, they feel it is ok to come up with the
first new genre in the Baroque period called monody. It is, to an early Baroque person,
any kind of solo song accompanied by basso continuo.
- IN 1602, Caccini composes “Le nuove musiche.” A collection of Italian
monodies. It has a preface for the readers that teachers people how to write
music with vocal ornaments and songs that will move the souls of the
listeners.
Trillo – Any ornament enhancing the force of the music. Derived from Greek and
Egyptian spells which reiterated the sound of the vowel.
*RECAP*
1530s – Madrigals were tone painted, polyphonic or homophonic in Italian.
1570s – Mannerists used a whole lot of tone painting
Madrigal soon becomes OPERA
Claudio Monteverdi – begins his career with madrigals. Ended up famous for writing
the first operas.
-Why he is revolutionary – Monteverdi will break any musical rule in order to enhance
the meaning of the text. He wants you to experience what the character is experiencing.
Opera = drama+music
How patrons work: Hire librettist first, then a composer.
Poets, (experts in writing text) write the libretto of the opera.
Composers, (experts in writing music) write the music for the opera.
**Almost NEVER does a composer write the libretto and the music.
L’Orfeo – 1607 – FIRST OPERA EVER WRITTEN. Written for aristocratic, educated
people who know history/Greek myths.
Orfeo – Orpheus – is a demi-god (half god, half human). He can calm beasts and wild
animals with his music.
Prologue – in the prologue, the man is music and the woman is poetry.
Orpheus falls in love with Euridice. She dies by stepping on a snake. He travels to the
underworld to try to save her.
1610: Vespers – Still not that famous yet but big in Mantua, Italy. Around this time, his
family dies and he looks for a patron. He writes an amazing piece of sacred music. Half is
a mass, half is Vespers. He sends it to the pope of Tome but it is ignored, but St Marx
church in Venice. Gabrieli dies (1554-1612) and they employ Monteverdi to be the new
choir director.
1637: First public opera house in Venice – tickets sold – wealthy fund them. Musicians
and performers buy stock. Middle class gain more control in ticket buying. Because of
this, the aesthetic changes. Music becomes more simple. There is more dance rhythm,
easy to sing melodies.
Venetians like solo more than choral music. Singers oriented opera. Aria forms become
simpler.
While Monteverdi was concerned with conveying drama, later on they don’t even care if
the plot makes sense The goal was to sell tickets.
Poppea – 1642 – Monteverdi’s last opera – written for the middle class.
By the time Poppea is written, society has changed. Poppea is not very kind. Nero is
married and is not very kind. He falls in love with Poppea who wants to be the next
empress. Monteverdi writes melodic lines that match her personality. He creates
characterization through music.
Neopolitan Opera/Opera Seria/Singers’ Opera – singers trained in Naples. The rise of the
castrati.
Castrati – range can reach 5 octaves. This results in a colorful and flexible voice.
Hormonal development altered. Adult males would be very tall and lanky or short and
barrel chested. Start using popular arias in many operas. Singer may have a signature aria
and will use it an many operas to show off voice. Famous castrati – Farinelli.
Forms: Recit vs aria:
RECIT: Librettist wants to get a lot of text across, writes unrhymed poetry (prose like).
Has basso continuo accompaniment – very thin chords.
ARIA: Then six lines of rhymed and metered poetry without much information. This part
is the emotional response to the first section. Orchestra comes in.
Dramatically, there is an obligation to have a lieto fine (happy ending). Gods will come
down and fix the human problems.
FRANCE – does not allow Italian opera to enter.
1. Never mention ‘castrato’ to a French man – they are disgusted
2. French think that over-the-top vocal lines are trashy and write classy vocal line.
3. They hate that the Italians don’t care about the drama.
4. Incorporated dance in every opera.
Lully (1632-1637) – Italian born but writes French opera. Lully was a dancer, composer,
and violinist. Came up with the orchestra quintet – (V1, V2, Viola, Cello, Bass).
Woodwinds are then added. Lully also established the overture.
Rameau (1683-1764) – music theorist who writes a treatise on music theory. Famous for
writing opera – calls them “Opera Ballet.”
1679: Purcell: ENGLAND – had the ‘masque’ – court entertainment music. Audience
interactive. Poetry, drama, singing and dancing. Purcell writes many masques. They do
not qualify as opera because there is speaking. Purcell is compared to Mozart in that he
could understand the styles of many cultures and replicate them. After Purcell died (at
36) no other English composers truly carried on his work until Handel.
Baroque GENRES I forgot to tell you about:
Early Baroque:
Musical Activity is Italian-driven – Genres that blossom
1. Opera (SECULAR!!!) While Italians and French are doing their thing, Germans use
singspiel (sung plain) using German poetry and allow spoken dialogue.
2. Cantata (SECULAR!!!) : musical work for one or two voices and a basso continuo.
Much shorter than opera and no costumes or scenery. Still though, it is secular.
Alessandro Scarlatti
3. Oratorio (SACRED!!!) : A musical work which is similar to opera in its basic
structure (chorus, soloists, instrumental accompaniment) and differs due to its religious
context and its use of a narrator. Oratorio does not use costumes or scenery.
Music is not as emotional as it is “rational.” This is due to scientific data being
established. Music is contrapuntal and not always driven by text.
Alessandro Scarlatti – famous for influencing opera – created Neopolitan Opera division of text and music, historical rather than mythological subject matter, and heavy
emphasis on aria and vocals.
Neopolitan Opera eventually became known for the overture or at that time “sinfonia.”
The introduction to the opera in three sections – slow, fast, slow
Late Baroque:
Italy and Germany are leaders:
More instrumental music is blossoming: the orchestra is created
(Still using opera, oratorio and cantata, but adds…)
1. Sonata (SECULAR!!!)
2. Keyboard (harpsichord) sonata (SECULAR!!!)
3. Concerto –(SACRED!!!) a type of music in which there is contrast in musical style
within the piece (ex. Slow, fast, slow)
4. Concerto Grosso (SACRED!!!) (grand concerto)
5. Inventions and fugues
1712: Handel (1685-1759) – German but trained in Italy and composed Italian opera in
England. His operas are popular. Handel does not make enough money in England
writing Italian music – England desires more English opera. Handel instead writes
Oratorio. He writes them in English. He uses large arias with recitatives. It sounds just
like an Italian opera – except oratorio has MANY more choruses. No scenery or
costumes. Opera is expensive, oratorio is much cheaper to maintain.
J.S. Bach – scholarly introvert – motivated by deep religious feelings. Composer for the
Lutheran church (not Catholic). Bach is important because he organized and summarized
main principles of styles.
Bach wrote every Baroque style except for opera. All sacred/secular, instrumental/vocal
music.
1704-1708 - Church cantatas, Organ fugues and preludes
1717-1723 - Secular – chamber works and solo works, also inventions, violin partitas and
sonatas, cello suites, trio sonatas, Brandenburg concertos.
1724 – worked in Leipzig and had to write music for two large Lutheran churches. Each
service required: a cantata, motet, several chorales, and the Kyrie and Gloria (mass pair).
He also had to write music for important occasions like Christmas, Easter, Good Friday,
large works for funerals.
LEADING TO CLASSICAL:
Three genres leading to the classical era:
#1: Rococo – (Composer – Francois Couperin) French style that was heavily ornamented
and lacked simplicity. Musicians move towards classical style because they want clean
music. They develop……
#2: Style Galant –(Composer – Pergolesi) ELEGANT and simple. French style. A
belief of natural expression of human emotion. Music has:
1. clean melodic lines
2. almost no ornamentation
3. regular pulse (Baroque bounce is done)
4. prefer major keys
5. avoid dissonance
(Haydn and Mozart model this genre)
#3: Empfindsamerstil – (Composer – C.P.E. Bach) German style. Means hypersensitive emotional style.
Opposite of Style Galant
This genre does not come into full capacity until Romantic Era.
Classical ERA---------1750-early 1800s.
Philosophically, Rousseau, Voltaire, and Montesquieu were reformers fighting for human
rights. Responding to the terrible inequalities of the classes.
Stylistic features. Be able to hear these qualities and describe them.
FEATU
RE
Baroque Stylistic Features
texture
based on counterpoint
phrasing
form
unpredictable, uneven phrasing
ternary or binary
cadences
affect/mo
od
patronage
all cadences used frequently
1 affect - tempo/dynamics do not
frequently change in arias
church is main patron, then wealthy
middle class.
opera
mostly opera seria, Handel, musical
tragedies
Classical Stylistic Features
thick counterpoint dies out - instead,
melody and accompaniment used
simple and predictable, balanced
ternary and binary are expanded, sonata
form added
V-I is pretty much ALWAYS used
flexible, emotional arias. Mood
constantly changes, as may the key.
Middle class music lovers. Many middle
class begin private piano lessons in
home
Mozart combines Seria + Buffa because
it is more human
The Baroque era created a number of musical genres held for years to come, yet it was the
Classical period which saw the introduction of a form which has dominated instrumental
composition to the present day: sonata form. With it came the development of the modern
concerto, symphony, sonata, trio and quartet to a new peak of structural and expressive
refinement.
Baroque music is notable for its textural intricacy. The Classical period is characterized by a nearobsession with structural clarity.
The Classical age was developed by such composers as;
Schobert and Honnauer (both Germans largely active in Paris),
Gluck, Boccherini
The Bachs: Carl Phillip Emmanuel, Wilhelm Friedmann and Johann Christian.
1750s, Europe began to move toward a new style in architecture, literature, and the arts, generally
known as Classicism, based off of Classical Greece.
The new style was also a cleaner style —one that favored clearer divisions between parts, brighter
contrasts and colors, and simplicity rather than complexity, moving away from the layered
polyphony of the Baroque period, towards a style where a melody over a subordinate harmony
(homophony) was preferred.
ECONOMIC/SOCIAL STRUCTURE: nobility became the primary patrons of instrumental
music, and the public were the main patrons for comic opera. This led to changes in the way
music was performed, the most crucial of which was the move to standard instrumental groups
and the reduction in the importance of the continuo — the harmonic fill beneath the music, this
decline of the continuo and its figured chords.
People continually wanted NEW music. And this meant that works had to be performable with, at
best, one rehearsal. Indeed, even after 1790 Mozart writes about "the rehearsal", with the
implication that his concerts would have only one.
WHAT HAPPENS IN INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC:
Because the texture was much simpler, things like dynamics, articulation and phrasing became
more important. The musicians can pay more attention to details.
The concerto and sonata refined and given more specific rules. AND THE SYMPHONY IS
CREATED, (This is attributed to Joseph Haydn). The concerto grosso (a concerto for more than
one musician) began to be replaced by the solo concerto and therefore began to place more
importance on the particular soloist's ability to show off.
The Orchestra increased in size and range; (up to about 40).
The harpsichord continuo fell out of use, the harpsichord was replaced by the piano (or
fortepiano) and the woodwind became a self-contained section.
HOW WE GET TO OUR MAIN GENRES OF THE CLASSICAL PERIOD:
First, THE SYMPHONY: (orig. sinfonia)
The Symphonic Schools:
1. Milan, Italy, 1730s and 1740s – Sammartini
The Italian sinfonia is a 1 movement piece with 3 tempo sections, fast, slow fast. The
Italians in Milan are the first to dig into the Sinfonia genre or symphony composition.
Sammartini writes pieces for about 20 people – he also uses a true modulation between
sections in his sinfonia, getting us closer to sonata form.
2. Vienna, Austria, 1740s – Monn, Wagenseil
In Vienna, the symphony is developed in a 4 movement pattern by the 1740s. Haydn,
Mozart and Beethoven will eventually use this form as a common practice. Monn and
Wagenseil were the first users of 4 movement forms.
3. Berlin, Germany, 1740s – CPE Bach, Gottlieb, Graun
CPE Bach is writing “over-emotional” drastic dynamic changing compositions. He
writes for solo instrumental and small orchestras. Not many are understanding his
compositions. In the 1770s, Haydn does hear CPE’s empfindsamerstil and is affected
by it. He calls it Sturm und Drang (Storm and Stress)
4. Mannheim, Germany, 1740s – Stamitz brothers
Mannheim is not overwhelmed with wealth by any means, but there is a huge audience
for orchestral music. Two famous brothers, the Stamitz brothers, helped to develop the
symphony and realized that it can make them a lot of money. They perfect the
orchestral style so well that they start to sell orchestra subscription tickets.
*They dress the orchestra the same
*The orchestra bows in the same direction
*Start first movement with a giant chord, then use quiet contrasting sound, this
moves to a tremelo crescendo which leads to a booming cymbal crash
*lace hangings are sewn onto sleeves of violinists so the bowing looks interesting
*First time composers truly write in intricate dynamics and articulation.
Performers do NO ornamentation on their own. The composers begin to control
the performers.
*..secret weapon…CLARINETS!!! They are used for the first time.
5.
Paris, France – 1760s – Gossec
Symphonic schools start later. Paris orchestras are developing, many are buying
tickets. Because Paris is the last to establish their “own” orchestral style, they take the
unique qualities from others and blend it into their own style.
WHAT THE ORCHESTRAS LOOK LIKE:
A Late Baroque Orchestra looks like this:
They begin at around 20 people:
2-4 violins
2 oboes
1-2 trumpets
2 violas
2 bassoons
1 timpani player
1-2 cello
2 horns
1 bass
2 flutes
Classical Orchestras look more like this:
They begin at around 35 people
6 violin I
2 flutes
2-4 French horns
6 violin II
2 oboes
2 trumpets
4 violas
2 clarinets
1 timpani player, with two drums
3 cellos
2 bassoons
2 basses
Why more strings? They make up for the loss of the harpsichord. Also, H, M, and B are writing more
interesting cello and bass parts, (not just I, V, I)
GENRES OF THE CLASSICAL PERIOD:
Sinfonia – the transitional genre leading to the symphony…
String Quartet – a four movement piece made up of 4 string players, (usually 2 violin, viola
and cello)
Concerto – a solo instrumental piece accompanied by orchestra (3 mvts)
Sonata – a solo piece for an instrument in three movements, can be accompanied or
unaccompanied.
Symphony- a musical composition usually scored for an orchestra and usually in 4
movements.
***************************
FORMS:
Theme and Variation –
1. establish a theme that is recognizable and repeat it.
2. Construct the sections of the piece as variations of the original theme.
(Haydn and Mozart don’t touch it much, Beethoven elaborates on it)
Ternary form is a three-part A–B–A structure in a piece of music. The B section is often
known as a trio and will generally be in a different key, often the subdominant of the first
section or the relative minor or major.
Commonly, the third section will feature more ornamentation than the first section (e.g. da
capo arias). In these cases the last section is sometimes labeled A’
Binary form, A-B is characterized by two complementary, related sections of roughly equal
duration. The first section will start in a certain key, and will usually modulate to a related
key:
* compositions in major keys will typically modulate to the dominant
* compositions in minor keys will typically modulate to the relative major
The second section of the piece begins in the newly established key. After some harmonic
activity, the piece will eventually modulate back to its original key before ending. Usually,
the A and B sections are separated by double bars with repeat signs, meaning both sections
are to be repeated.
Rounded binary, ABA′. In rounded binary, the beginning of the B section is sometimes
referred to as the "bridge", and will usually conclude with a half cadence in the original
key. Rounded binary is not to be confused with ternary form, also labeled ABA—the
difference being that, in ternary form, the B section contrasts completely with the A
material. Also, in Rounded binary, when the "A" section returns, it will typically contain
only half of the full "A" period, whereas ternary form will end with the full "A" section.
Minuet and Trio, is almost always in ¾ time and is always balanced and symmetrical
Minuet: ||:A:||:BA:||
Trio:
||:C:||:DC:||
Minuet: ||:A:||:BA:||
*Form is determined by barline. If the A section is 32 bars, then the B+A together is 32
bars.
Rondo, starting off in the Baroque period as ritornello meaning “to return,” the rondo form
always returns back to A. (Each section is a binary form)
A
||:A:||:BA:||
B
A
C
A
||:A:||:BA:|| ||:A:||:BA:|| ||:A:||:BA:||
||:A:||:BA:||
(new music)
(new music)
D
||:A:||:BA:||
A
||:A:||:BA:||
(new music)
Sonata form, The standard definition focuses on the thematic and harmonic organization of
tonal materials that are presented in an exposition, elaborated and contrasted in a
development and then resolved harmonically and thematically in a recapitulation. In
addition, the standard definition recognizes that an introduction and a coda may be present.
This form becomes the first movement of any sonata (which is usually 3 movements), as well
as the first movement for symphonies, string quartets, and so on.
Sonata Rondo Form, A combination of sonata form and rondo.
Rondo is A B A C A D A ...
Sonata is (ex) AB, (dev) C, (rec) AB
So Sonata Rondo is
AB (ex)
AC (dev)
AB (recap)
The Symphony
Movement
Form
Tempo
1
Sonata form
allegro
2
Theme and variation
adagio
3
Minuet and trio
dance
4
Rondo or Sonata Rondo allegro
VOCAL MUSIC: CLASSICAL OPERA
Mood
.
for thought, complex form
heart wrenching, emotional
tempts the body
simple, lively, like dessert
By 1750, the two kinds of opera are:
Opera Seria (Serious Opera) and Opera Buffa (Comedic Opera)
OPERA SERIA:
1720s – 1750s – Everywhere but France, (Italy, Germany, England) is writing and performing
opera seria. They are 3 act works with recitatives and arias.
Pietro Metastasio creates the first wave of opera reform. He works as a court LIBRETTIST in
Venice and has a huge influence.
- He notices that Italian Venetian style opera has too much dancing, too many characters and
too many plot twists. There is so dramatic edification. He feels you should walk away from
an opera ‘more intelligent’ not less. The libretti are disorganized and meaningless. He
decides to standardize the form of libretti. So he writes 30 of them, and establishes their
form.
- He makes order out of the characters as well. There are two sets of lovers, a primary pair,
(what the opera is based on) and a secondary pair for plot purposes.
- He limits the number of extra characters that should be used (because of this, money is
saved on costumes)
- The opera should start and end in the same place. Example, if it opens in the castle, it
should end in the castle, not in a desert somewhere. (because of this, money is saved on
sets)
- He establishes the set form of aria and recitative. It is strictly recitative with 8 lines of
rhymed aria.
- Duets and choruses are limited.
Haydn and Mozart eventually set some operas to his Libretti, but ended up choosing other styles.
THE DEVELOPMENT OF OPERA BUFFA:
Starts out as Comedia dell’arte in Italy (1550s) – which is mostly spoken, improvised comic
performances. Eventually, by the 1600s, because so many are becoming enthralled with opera,
they add music to their plays little by little. After this, France creates their Opera Comique,
England creates its Ballad Opera, Germany is doing Singspiel. They all allow speaking, so
technically, it still is not opera.
In Italy by 1733, Pergolesi writes the opera La Serva Padrona. What he did for the first time was
he took a da capo aria and inserted a rondo tune to create a musical “aside” where she sobs
seriously, and then breaks into a funny tune and sings it directly to the audience, and then goes
back into her sobbing, (to manipulate the character she was talking to).
The opera features Style Galant, which is always appealing, and includes an ensemble finale.
(To end the dispute the characters have in the end, the characters, in counterpoint, sing their
points of view at the same time).
France is affected by this and create Querelle des Buffons. They have heard Rameau, but are
intrigued by the new Italian buffa style and want to include it. Some still want to keep the serious
French opera for nationalistic purposes, but comedy still prevails. They write “rescue operas” that
are about revolution as well. (Beethoven tries to write one, Fidelio, but it’s a long dreadful opera).
Germany – so what is singspiel? – sung in German, not many were interested in hearing the
German language sung. They decide they will try comedic opera too. (Das Vampire) – They tend
to write many scary and supernatural plots – fairytale type style…
FINALLY, Gluck. OPERA REFORMIST! Worked in Austria with his librettist Calzabigi. He
wants to restore the balance of drama and music like Monteverdi first intended.
GLUCK’S REFORM:
1. Instead of only having da capo aria form, he incorporates different aria forms,
(like binary and strophic)
2. More duets, choruses and trios (he likes Greek drama = he uses choruses)
3. To make more use of the orchestra, he uses the orchestra in the recitative instead of
the harpsichord. Calls it “recitative obligato” (the orchestra is obligated to play in the
recitative)
4. He takes control (and disgusting fame) away from the singers and gives it back to the
composers and the librettists, (so the singers actually follow the opera strictly)
Three Main Classical Composers
Haydn – 1732-1809 – Born in Austria – Hungarian territory, near Vienna. Sent at age 8 to study
music. Becomes a Vienna choir boy. Lived in cathedral school. Learned to sing and compose,
theory, counterpoint.
1750 – voice changed, he leaves. Tries to make a living as a musician so he looks for a patron. He
lived in an unheated attic and gave harpsichord lessons. He sometimes went hungry.
-Hungarian family – Esterhazy aristocracy. Will stay with them until he dies. Hayden wears the
same uniform as the butlers and service boys because he was their servants.
Their home has a great concert room, its own opera house, and marionette theater.
COMPOSES: orchestral pieces, church music (masses), operas, marionette music, endless
chamber music.
-Couldn’t completely cater to his music. But it was still very beneficial because he always had
musicians around to preview his music for him.
EMPLOYMENT INCLUDES: composing orchestral music, chamber music, sacred music,
marionette music, opera, teaches lessons on all instruments, hire all musicians, repair and
purchase instruments.
Mozart – 1756-1791 Unhappy with patronage system and his own patron. His solution Is to drop patronage system all
together when it is the most difficult time to do so. He was physically and psychologically weak.
Mozart came from a big musical family. Mozart is weirdly talented. Musical memory is
incredible. Father, Leopold, is famous musician and composer. Father has him play violin and
harpsichord, writes his first opera seria at 12. By 12, he has been to every major capital in Europe
as a guest. Kings and queens adorn him with wealth and gifts. Father decides to return them to
Salzburg when he is 18 so he can ‘settle down’. Not as beautiful as Rome, Paris, London, Vienna.
Decides to tell his father and stubborn patron, Colloredo, he is going to Vienna. All of his most
amazing music came from 1781-1791 in Vienna.
Piano Concertos – make him most famous. Harpsichord is now changed to fortepiano –
fortepiano uses him for concerts to show off instrument as an advertisement.
Writes 22 Operas. Of his most famous:
Italian Operas include:
1786 Le Nozze di Figaro (the Marriage of Figaro)
1787 Don Giovanni
1780 Cosi Fan Tutti (Women are like that)
German Operas include:
1782: Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail (The Abduction from the Seralio)
1791: Die Zauberflote (The Magic Flute)
Die Zauberflote is his last opera. He pulls all the cards in this opera, and it ends up being his last.
Supernatural story with enchanted forests, witches and magicians, singing birdmen. He makes
very interesting use of orchestration. Some say that he references the free masons.
(Free Masonry: it is a social political movement – for men only. Through a weird initiation, this
group believes in equality in the church and state, with lack of control by these powers. Mozart
coaxes Haydn to join).
-Mozart has no patron, and is struggling. He loses money and never gets becomes a permanent
court composer. He works himself sick. He did not manage money well. He dies – but was able to
compose what he wanted, when he wanted, how he wanted and composed amazing music.
Beethoven – 1770-1827 – Born in Baum, Germany. Born into a family of musicians.
Father is abusive drunken bass in choir. Beethoven is told by Mozart to start a career in
music. Beethoven is given a chance to study music with Mozart. A man Count Volstein,
gives him the money.
1791 – He gets to Vienna to take lessons with Mozart and Mozart dies. SO he studies
with Haydn. His teacher tells him to learn counterpoint, after he has already written
beautiful piano and orchestral music. He lives in Vienna and has a successful career (but
is terrible at writing opera).
Patronage: trying to have no patron. He was good with managing money and had a
generational difference. In 1789, the French Revolution changed everything. The credo to
the revolution is ‘life, liberty, empowered soul.’ Money does not make you powerful but
your soul does. Beethoven’s generation believes that class does not matter. He becomes
an independent artist. His music is affected by this – He is creative with form and
harmony. He didn’t have to answer to anyone. He was a great innovative composer
because he was in on his own, not being restricted by anyone.
His Great Transition:
*He realizes that he is now deaf and there is no help for him.
*He travels to a town called Heiligenstadt and writes a testament. This testament
like document was found in Beethoven’s room after his death. It was written in
October 1802. The testament was addressed to his brothers Karl and Johann with
the mention ‘to be read and executed after my death.’ The letter speaks of his
trials and it is his will…but later, it reads “Thanks to it and to my art, I did not end
my life by suicide –“ as his intentions of the letter change in the last paragraph
because of his devotion to his gift/art.
His first 2 symphonies are written like H and M’s. By his 3rd symphony in 1803, he
discards the common symphonic form after his letter. He writes a totally different form
because he wants the audience to understand him. He is not trying to reach his audience.
So he takes away all of their musical expectations.
Around this time, Napoleon is a product of the French Revolution. He is the first
powerful man to bring down the aristocratic government. Beethoven puts Napoleon’s
name on his symphony. Alla Bonaparte. He later changes it to Eroica (heroic) because
Napoleon declared himself emperor and Beethoven becomes disgusted.
So Beethoven creates the idea that music should no longer be predictable – instrumental
music is never the same after that.
Romantic Period
FEATU
RE
texture
phrasing
form
cadences
affect/mo
od
patronage
opera
Classical Stylistic Features
thick counterpoint dies out - instead,
melody and accompaniment used
simple and predictable, balanced
ternary and binary are expanded,
sonata form added
V-I is pretty much ALWAYS used
flexible, emotional arias. Mood
constantly changes, as may the key.
Middle class music lovers. Many
middle class begin private piano
lessons in home
Mozart combines Seria + Buffa
because it is more human
Classical Stylistic Features
Thicker texture- heavier Germanic
chords and bass line, bigger orchestra
Mix between balanced and unbalanced
Adding on to traditional genres, as well
as adding new genres
Tonality is expanded beyond recognition,
as long as it does its job
Mood can change within 1 bar of music.
Overly dramatic
Predominantly middle class, no one is
really working for patrons
Follows the system of Art song, it
becomes hyper-emotional
ROMANTICISM:
Where classicism was objectively beautiful and limited in theme, Romanticism
transgressed rules and limits, expressing insatiable longing
(IDEA IS: A BEAUTIFUL MELODY WITH STRIKING HARMONIES)
The industrial revolution of the 1800s, (mass production and distribution) allowed the
middle class to become even more influential – affordable pianos and printed music were
attainable, allowing for a giant dispersal of piano pieces and solo singing pieces.
Beethoven: Absorbed the music of Haydn and Mozart as well as the ideals of the
revolution. He was a piano virtuoso and composer – when deaf, he gave up his
performing career and made a living exclusively thorough composing.
1802-1814, his new style of drama and expressionism through music brought him
enormous popularity. He wrote significantly less symphonies than his predecessors
because he paid close attention to small details.
Eroica – main turning point in music history – using rhythmic disturbances and
disruptions. Second movement has references to the French republic, using characters of
famous marches and Revolutionary hymns in the movements.
The 5th Symphony – 1808 – shows him working through his struggles, (c minor) finally
to see the light (c major). (Connects to WWII, the main theme (dot-dot-dot-dash) in
Morse Code stands for vin – meaning victory – symbolic symphony)
Symphony 6 – Pastoral Symphony – F Major, composed right after 5th. (five movement
symphony), with the extra movement being “storm” which introduces the finale,
“thankful feelings after the storm” After these symphonies, he was celebrated as the
greatest living composer.
1815 to 1827, his music seemed to become more difficult for performers to play and
more difficult for listeners to understand. He wrote grand concertos, (much larger and
more detailed, like symphonies), but the music he produced came out slower and he
became more isolated. He became morbidly suspicious and inward towards his friends.
His Late Stylistic Features include:
1. His late style is epitomized by theme and variation.
2. He also uses what’s called ‘continuity in music’ where he blurs phrases and places
cadences on weak beats…
3. He added new useable sound ideas for instruments like playing on the top of the bridge
of the violins, all strings using pizzicato…etc.
4. He inserted fugal ideas in many of his later works.
His last works were the Missa solemnis, grand mass for choir and orchestra
His 9th Symphony – The Choral symphony
THE PIANO
Women particularly played the piano. Composers like Liszt and Chopin supported
themselves by giving lessons to these women. Many played for hours a day and became
very fluent. ex. Clara Wieck Schumann. Yet for many women, music was an
achievement and not a career. It was to help them find a spouse.
NEW INSTRUMENTS:
Trumpet receives ‘piston valves’ for easier access to partials on instrument.
French horn receives ‘rotary valves’ for easier access to partials
Flute has new design with more accurate key system.
TWO TYPES OF MUSIC
1. Absolute Music– Depicts or suggests a mood, personality or scene.
2. Program Music – Music spelled out by a story or text of a program.
SONG
Songs for voice and piano – sometimes to show off voice, but sometimes accompaniment
shined as well.
GERMAN LIED
Lied = good quality poetry + very good composing. Started in Germany.
Performance = exclusively one singer and piano
The popularity of Lied or German Art Song grew after 1800. The number of song books
published went from one per month in the late 1700s to over a hundred a month in the
mid 1820s. The poem associated with lied is the lyric. A short, strophic poem expressing
personal feelings or viewpoints.
Franz Schubert: (1797-1828)
Schubert was the first great master of Romantic Lied and a great composer in all genres.
As a child, he took composition lessons from Salieri. He also studied piano, singing,
violin, organ, counterpoint and figured bass. He earned a free education in a Viennese
boarding school. When he was 21, his first publication of his music gave him the courage
to compose full time. He died at 31, most likely syphilis. He wrote over 600 songs, 9
symphonies, 35 chamber works, piano sonatas and pieces, 17 operas and Singspiels, 6
masses, 200 choral works.
Robert Schumann: (1810-1856)
The first Lieder predecessor to Schubert. Schumann’s father died when he was 16. He
took the death very hard. Right after, his sister, Emilie died of what is believed as suicide.
She suffered a skin condition that made her very depressed. Soon the deaths of his
brothers and sister in law deeply upset him. By the 1830’s, he was consumed with fear
and anxiety, and was not in a healthy mental state.
He was intensely interested in literature, just like his father, and also aspired to be a
writer.
When he finished his studies, his mother and family pressured him to become a lawyer.
He studied law in Leipzig, where JS Bach composed much of his greatest music, and
Schumann was moved by this, and decided to study composition. It is here that he meets
Clara Weick who eventually becomes Clara Weick Schumann. Clara is trained highly by
her father, who wants her to be a concert pianist and composer. They eventually fall in
love and marry. She sustains her career as a pianist and even after he dies, she cares for
their eight children while editing his compositions and performing them. But she no
longer composes.
The most popular form of poetry used for lieder is called a ballad. A long poem that has a
narrative story telling quality to it. Different characters speak.
Composers take ballad and set it to music. The piano part takes on a real musical role. It
develops its own character.
Structure = in the end of the 18th century, a group of composers were interested in
elevating the solo song into an art song, (Zumsteeg & Loewe). These composers called
themselves the Berlin School. Eventually, the composers who followed this model did it
very well and were the MAIN COMPOSERS OF LIEDER:
Schubert Schumann Brahms Wolf Mahler R. Strauss Ravel
Schubert was known for writing song cycles (liederkreis) – when poets write poetic
cycles, (or many poems that tell one story), the composers set some of the poems from
the cycle to music, so that the story still makes sense without every single poem set to
music. Some poets began writing poem cycles specifically so they would be composed
into song cycles.
Schumann wrote song cycles as well, especially used poetry of Morike and Goethe.
Morike Goethe Eichendorff
Poets that wrote poem cycles:
Heine, Goethe, Eichendorff
Hugo Wolf: Institutionally insane: 1860-1903 – Late 1800’s contemporary of Mahler. his
dream was to write the most sophisticated art songs.
-He loved using chromaticism and double tonicization.
-He loved Wagner and that he wrote long and dramatic compositions and wanted to
model Wagner’s lengthy drama.
-Wolf ends up writing genius art songs, and this is the only genre he writes.
*Wolf is an incredible interpreter of German poetry through music.
-He uses Italian and Spanish poetry translated into German.
-He was known to sit in his cell and recite the poem over and over. Some was text
oriented first, but always, he wanted to enhance the poetry.
Three Flavors of Opera of the 1800s:
1. Italian 2. French
3. German
ITALIAN:
We are moving from a time where we can identify an opera by its pieces, (aria, duet,
trio), as well as planned pauses between these pieces.
Composer Rossini seems to set clear boundaries between when an aria begins and ends.
Puccini makes it difficult for the listener to decipher where to start and stop an aria.
Over the 1800s, the composers want a smooth transition between one musical concept to
another. This is called realism, it is opera that is more true to life.
Italan opera becomes “tear-jerker” themed. They are usually a big epic historic love
story, like the Titanic.
-The music itself is still all about the singer, deep emotional tense singing situations
-It is themed with a clear protagonist/antagonist set up
-Sometimes, especially in the end of the 1800s, they use subtle political intrigues.
FRENCH:
French Grand Opera is more like the romantic comedy. They use sentimental stories that
are rarely intellectually engaging. They are lightweight, and interesting.
Paris is the ‘place to be’ for opera.
Jacob Meyerbeer, a Jewish-German composer, (who changes his first name to Giacomo,
and then Jacquimo), is the main French opera composer.
-His librettist, Scribe, and he are a great team. They crank out many successful operas.
Famous Operas are: L’Africaine; Robert de Diable; Les Huegenots
- They put a lot of effort into costuming and scenery. It becomes so important that
sometimes the visual aspect, (spectacle aspect) is given more care than the singing.
-Begin using much more Exoticism in their music.
-Dance is still very important in each opera
GERMAN: the Sci-fi – supernatural themes, dark and evil forces at work. The Germans
are using heavy German mythology.
By 1821: Carl Maria von Weber wrote his first German Romantic Opera, Der Freishutz.
He is influenced by Mozart opera and Italian opera.
Themes of German Romantic Opera:
-Composers are no longer afraid to glorify the German language in song
-They theme the operas towards German history, culture and politics.
-Establish the Ubermensch: the great German hero – blonde, blue eyed man who
rises to the top, (the idea of Aryan superiority begins to unfold in German music
-Germans remain obsessed with the idea of nature and have strange relationship
with it. They love it and are terrified of it at the same time. They can’t control it.
-“The problem with nature is that it is like the female sex. It is unpredictable and
untamable.
-Redemption through love theme – German Romantic operas have a variation of
this theme. The woman who he loves has to give her life for his love.
-Music from the critical parts of the opera show up in the overtures. (Mozart does
this, it is the equivalent to foreshadowing in literature)\
-Referential Senority – any musical sound, (like harmony or melody), that makes
you think of an extra-musical thing, (a place, character). It is a psychological tool.
19c Symphony:
Schubert wrote 9 program symphonies – was a Vienna choir boy and was highly
influenced by H, M and B. He frequently attended their concerts and heard their works.
His parents wanted to be a school teacher, but he wanted to be a musician. Had low
confidence in his symphonic writing. No one actually ends up hearing his 8th and 9th
symphonies until 1865 (8th) and 1840 (9th). He is sometimes too afraid to put his work out
because he is scares of the public reactions.
Quick comparison from Schubert’s 8th symphony to Beethoven’s Eroica:
1. first theme is in triple meter in the cello, like Eroica
2. Principal theme is in Bm, 2nd in GM. He moves in third relationships like
Beethoven. When Beethoven did it, he was praised, when Schubert did it, his
critics wrote that he was a composer with great deficiencies
3. Schubert doesn’t even transition from Bm to GM, he just sits on G. Critics
criticize his understanding of theory, enough to make a modulation.
4. When Beethoven creates brand new themes in development section, he is
considered brilliant. Schubert is considered lacking in experience.
Some believed that after Beethoven, no one should write symphonies. Schumann also
wrote that the composer who would follow Beethoven directly was Brahms. Brahms
wrote intricately beautiful Symphonic pieces with delicate part writing. Because of this
comment by Schumann, Brahms became paranoid with maintaining perfect music. He
was a natural conservative and he became hyper conservative in his music writing.
Brahms is a completely absolute conservative formalist
(Usually, a programmatic composer will change either the form or the genre, and an
absolute composer will keep them strictly the same).
First True Programmatic Symphonist
Hector Berlioz (1803-1869)
French Composer who is a big fan of Beethoven, (which is not considered very French).
His family wanted him to become a doctor, not a musician. After a period of
apprenticeship, he writes his symphony fantastique. (fantasy symphony) written in 1830.
It has 5 movements, not 4. The 4th movement is short to set up for the 5th movement.
Everything is explained in the program.
Idee fixe (obsession) – Brings the same theme back into all movements – though
sometimes, the meter might be changed. Or the instrumentation, because the idée is going
through different experiences throughout the symphony (program)
In Symphony Fantastique, the idée fixe is a woman named Harriotte Smithson, who is a
Shakespearean English actress. He loves her but never spoke to her. She gets engaged,
and he is furious.
The program read with these descriptions:
Movement 1: dreams and passions – emotional association with love
2 themes sound, but a grand pause stops the first movement and the idée
fixe plays. It is an emotional sound, so the orchestra must pause.
Movement 2: Dance, waltz, then the idée fixe is infused into the waltz.
Movement 3: Pastorale - Slow movement, pensive and calm movement
Movement 4: March of the Scaffold - fast, galloping sound, idée fixe is played before he
is beheaded for killing her
Movement 5: Dream of the Witch’s Sabbath – Artist died and went to hell for killing her
and sees her there (idée fixe plays) and he assumes she has been a demon
all along
His friend told her that Berlioz wrote this symphony for her. Did she realize that she was
a main character in this symphony? She was amazed and honored, and they were married
for two years.
His other two famous works were Harold en Italie and Romeo et Juliette
3 Symphonic Genres: (Which are Programmatic)
1. Concert Overature
2. Orchestral Dance
3. Tone Poem (New German School)
Concert Overture: An opening, one movement piece to an orchestral concert. Usually
short, no longer than 15 minutes.
Form: 1 movement piece in sonata form– usually has a programmatic aspect to it
Mendelssohn writes mildly programmatic symphonies but becomes famous for writing
concert overtures. Mendelssohn’s Overture to a Midsummer Night’s Dream, written in
1826, is very intricate as he introduces all of the types of characters from the play into the
overture.
Fairies, Kings, Lovers, comic rustic contrasts
Orchestral Dance: (Johann Strauss) The Waltz King
nationalistic, sentimental genre
not political, but lovely – meant for dancing
Tone Poem/Symphonic Poem: piece of orchestral music in a single continuous section,
aka mvt, (no stopping bt movements) in which the content of a poem, a story or a novel, a
non-musical thing, is illustrated or evoked. symphonic work – but not a symphony –
The people involved in the development of this genre: The New German School, Liszt
and Wagner. (Liszt writes tone poems, Wagner writes musical dramas, Schumann and
Mendelssohn critique them)
How to write a tone poem:
1. Pick an extra musical reference, and the form is generated according to the
programmatic thing
2. Choose a recognizable musical theme – tune threads through all sections of the
tone poem, it transforms throughout the piece – thematic transformation
Liszt starts it off, everyone ALL OVER EUROPE takes hold of this genre. Because of
industrial revolution in the 1800s, strong political nationalistic streak peeks into the tone
poem.
Czechoslovakia Smetana – Czech composer – famous piece, The Moldau – My Fatherland “Ma Vlast” (A
river that runs through Prague. This river has spiritual significance to the Czechs.
Russia –
BIG INTO TWO CAMPS
1. Cosmopolitan Camp
2. Nationalistic Camp Composers start adding anthems, national dances, folk
instrument sounds, folk tunes – it evokes strong emotional and political
reawakening
Cosmopolitan Camp:
Rachmaninoff and Tchaikovsky – more Cosmopolitan – not heavily nationalistic – they
are called traitors because they are not expressing the Russian soul – they are just writing
regular symphonic music.
Nationalistic Camp - The Russian 5:
1. Rimsky – Korsakov
2. Borodin
3. Mussorgsky
4. Balakirev
5. Cui
What makes music sound Nationalistic:
As long as it’s not German sounding. It will lack thick chords, strong tonality, standard
orchestration.
Different composers from all over who want to have Nationalistic Sounds use:
A2s, Parallel Chords, Chromatic Harmony, Alternative Scales, Interesting and
unconventional percussion. All nationalists use the same tricks, they are just NonGermanic.
Other tone poems:
Italy - Respighi – The Pines of Rome
England – Holst – Suite of Tone Poems – The Planets – written in 5/4 – (the number 5
means destruction)