Humanities Final Exam
Music Section Review Sheet
The three main elements of music
 Melody = the “main idea” of the music
 Harmony = adds depth of sound and emotion, usually through chords
 Rhythm = how short or long each tone or rest occurs
 “music” comes from “musica,” i.e. “of the muses”
 The nine muses were goddesses that governed the arts
Types of harmony
 Monophonic = “one voice” unison (like Gregorian chant)
 Homophonic = single predominant melody line with harmony (like singing with piano chords)
 Polyphonic = “many voices” two or more melodies joined together (like Renaissance chorals)
Structure of Melody
 Motive = smallest pitch/rhythm unit. (Think Beethoven’s 5th: “Da-da-da-DAAAAHHH!”)
 Phrase = A single musical thought
 Strophic = same melody repeats for several verses (think “Silent Night” or most pop songs)
 Through-composed = work where the melody does not repeat, though some phrases might
(think Schubert’s Erlkonig)
 Movement = a single, “stand-alone” song in a larger work
Major Eras of Music
Medieval – 450-1450
 The Christian church was the main focus of society, especially for the commoners; therefore,
most music was written by and for the church
 Pope Gregory the Great was the first to come up with a universal “language” for music
(Gregorian chant)
 The music school of Notre Dame invented the first polyphonic music, known as organum
 In the late Middle Ages, polyphonic music spread to secular music. The chanson was set to
French love poetry.
Renaissance – 1450-1600
 The Golden Age of a cappella (unaccompanied choral) and polyphonic music
 Guillaume Du Fay invented the four voice ranges still used in traditional choral music today:
soprano (high female), alto (low female), tenor (high male), and bass (low male)
 Josquin was the first major composer to be known for both sacred and secular works
 Instrumental dance music became popular at court events
 Palestrina wrote glorious church music in the late Renaissance as a response to the CounterReformation
 Monteverdi mastered writing the madrigal (intricate polyphonic secular work) and invented
opera.
Humanities Final Exam
Music Section Review Sheet
Baroque – 1600-1750
 Music became elaborate with ornamentations, which are written or improvised flourishes on
notes and phrases.
 The piano was invented in the year 1700; this forever changed how accompaniments were
written
 J.S. Bach was a prolific composer, and the supreme composer of the era; he wrote nearly 500
works! He is considered the greatest master of counterpoint and the fugue.
 counterpoint = a method of creating harmony by methodically and mathematically selecting
notes that compliment the melody in a pleasing way
 fugue = a work similar to a round (“Row, row, row your boat”), but far more intricate and
exact in harmony
Classical – 1750-1820
 Music is characterized by “singable” melodies underscored by homophony (usually chords)
 Balance and structure were the hallmarks of this era
 Golden age of the symphony: the symphony is a multi-movement orchestral work
 Three great composers arose:
 Haydn = early master of the Classical style. He was long-lived (born well before and lived
long after Mozart). He is known for his symphonies and oratorios (sacred, multi-movement
choral-and-orchestra works)
 Mozart = the first “rock star” of music. He only lived to 35, but wrote over 600 works.
 Beethoven = his works straddle the Classical and Romantic eras. He is known for his piano
works (Fur Elise and Pathetique sonata) and his symphonies.
Romantic – 1820-1910
 Fueled by revolutions; political, social, and industrial
 The Golden age of piano music
 Romantics favored expression of emotion above all else in art, often abandoning long-used
techniques and principles
 Beethoven’s 9th (Choral) Symphony is usually considered the starting point of the era
 Schubert introduced the Lied, a German piano-and-voice song style that is the forerunner of
today’s popular music. Erlkonig is a great example
 Chopin wrote only for the piano as the primary melody instrument
 Liszt was the first world-wide performing “Idol.” Ladies would swoon at his concerts and try
to touch him or grab his clothes! He was a master pianist; wrote many piano works (like La
campanella) to demonstrate his showmanship
Humanities Final Exam
Music Section Review Sheet
Since a large part of our class was devoted to musicals, the Modern Era (1910-) is focused on:
Broadway Terms
 Overture = the opening piece of music, usually a medley of songs from the show. Completely
instrumental.
 Act = a major division of the plot; most musicals use two acts with an intermission
 Scene = a specific setting (place/time) where the action takes place
 Entr’acte = an instrumental-only piece to start the second act
 Incidental music = music that underscores the action as background
 Leitmotif = a recurring musical theme that represents a specific person, place, object, or idea.
 Lead = a main character, or someone who plays a main character
 Chorus = the ensemble of singers and dancers who accompany the leads
 Book = the play (no music) on which the musical is based
 Production number = a large, flashy song-and-dance number usually involving the entire cast
Listening & Identifying
You need to know 10 of the most important composers’ works by listening to 1-2 minutes of music:
1. Gregorian chant: Kyrie (Medieval monophony)
2. Josquin: Mille regretz (Renaissance polyphony)
3. Palestrina: Adoramus te, Christe (Renaissance polyphony/homophony)
4. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in C Minor (Baroque harpsichord work)
5. Haydn: Symphony no. 94 (Surprise), movement II (Classical symphony)
6. Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, movement I (Classical chamber music)
7. Beethoven: Symphony no. 5, movement I (Classical symphony)
8. Schubert: Erlkonig (Romantic Lied)
9. Liszt: La campanella (Romantic piano showpiece)
10. Schwartz: Wicked, overture (Modern musical)
These can all be found on the class website: www.trschools.com/staff/t/ctest/ On the main menu,
click “Music” underneath “Media” to start the player.
Good luck!