M100: Music Appreciation
Discussion Group
Ben Tibbetts, T.A.
benjamintibbetts@yahoo.com
Tuesday February 12, 2013
Welcome! Please sign the attendance at the front of the room.
Please remember to do your reading assignments
before class.
I don’t (can’t!) cover everything.
Today’s Agenda
•
•
•
•
•
Sections
Tests
Listening Logs & Concert Reports
Pages 98-104 & 118-125
In Class Assignment
Section Locations:
Ben Tibbetts
Christie Cho
Meg Bowen
Kristen Wallentinsen
Herter 231 (here)
Herter 102
Room 110
Herter 114
need 3 volunteers
need 1 volunteer
need 3 volunteers
Elements Test
Pass back
Elements Test
Section A
1. C
2. E
3. B
4. H
5. D
6. I
7. J
8. E
9. A
10. G
Section B
1. C
2. A
3. D
4. B
Elements Test
Section C
Genres listed in the book (p.14-15): mass, song, instrumental
music, madrigal, anthem, dance music, opera, fugue,
concerto, suite, cantata, oratorio, string quartet, symphony,
choral music, concert overture, chamber music, piano
music, orchestral music, ballet, Broadway musical, aleatory
music, percussion ensemble music, film music, Native
American chant, Caribbean music, Central African music,
Japanese court music, Beijing Opera, Indian raga, Balinese
gamelan [music]
Not usually considered “classical”: ragtime, blues, big band
jazz, bebop, rock ‘n’ roll, gospel, Motown, punk, hip hop
Elements Test
Section D #1
Elements Test
Section D #2
Elements Test
Section D #3
Elements Test
Section D #4
The top number tells you how many beats are in every measure. (3)
The bottom number tells you which note gets the beat. (quarter note)
#5: W, H, H, W
Extra Credit:
F, C#
B, Eb
Questions?
See me after class (or email)
Upcoming Wind Ensemble Concert
•
•
•
•
March 2nd.
You will be asked to write a concert report
(more on that later).
To prepare you for this experience, we
have in-class “listening logs”.
Listening Log Collection #1 is March 7th.
Writing About Music
Part of this course entails learning to write and
talk about music with competence and
specificity, “like a musician”.
(like learning to “spit like a man.”)
Writing About Music
Two commonly misused words:
• “Classical music” technically refers to the
Classical era (1750-1820).
Better: the Classical era, orchestral music, the
composer’s name, the name of the piece, etc.
• A “song” refers to music with words, sung by
a vocalist.
Better: piece (any music), song (used
correctly), track (recorded music)
Writing About Music
What not to write in a Listening Log or Concert Report:
Filler.
• “’Tu se morta’ is by Claudio Monteverdi, an Italian composer, gambist
and singer who was born on May 15, 1567 and died on November 29,
1643, famous for developing Renaissance polyphony and…”
• “On December 4, 2012, at 8:00pm, I attended a concert for the Music 100
‘Music Appreciation class instructed by the Benjamin Tibbetts, Kristen
Wallentinsen, Meg Bowen and Christie Cho, led by Professor Miriam
Jenkins, in the Fine Arts Center at the University of Massachusetts…”
• “The first piece on this concert was ‘_____’. The second piece on this
concert was ‘____’. The third piece on this concert…”
• “This piece, ‘_____’ featured two flutes, two oboes, two clarinets, two
bassoons, four horns, three trumpets, three trombones, one tuba, timpani,
about ten violins…”
Writing About Music
What not to write in a Listening Log or
Concert Report:
Storytelling.
• “I was distracted because the guy in front of
me turned around and said…”
• “The seats were warm so I was comfortable,
but I was a little tired and…”
• “I was in a bad mood that day because my
friend Sandra told me…”
Writing About Music
What not to write in a Listening Log or Concert
Report:
Incorrect use of vocabulary.
• “The dynamics of this piece were smooth…”
• “Their sound changed as the piece went faster and
slower…”
• “Loud rhythms here crescendo-ed into…”
• “The solo cellist played four songs which were…”
• “The timbre of the piece was loud and…”
Writing About Music
What not to write in a Listening Log or Concert Report:
Opinion or Judgment.
• “I was so impressed by…”
• “It was amazing because…”
• “This concert sucked. The musicians were terrible and…”
• “Those musicians played so passionately…”
• “I really enjoyed…”
• “I thought I would hate it but I was pleasantly surprised to
find that I loved it because…”
• “The best piece on the program was…”
Writing About Music
What not to write in a Listening Log or Concert
Report:
Kissing-up.
• “I am so glad I came to this concert. I used to hate
classical music but now I love it. I am going to be a
musician now. My iPod will have nothing but
Mozart on it from now on. Thank you so much for
this amazing opportunity to explore this fantastic
new world of wonder and discovery…”
Writing About Music
What to write in your Listening Logs and
Concert Reports:
• Observations about the music itself…
• Observations about your experience of the
music…
…using fundamental musical vocabulary.
Writing About Music
Some of the vocabulary you know already from the “musical elements”
chapter.
• Meter (duple vs. triple)
• Melody vs. harmony or accompaniment)
• Texture (monophonic, homophonic, polyphonic)
• Genre
• Timbre
• Dynamics
• Tempo
• Rhythm
• Motion (conjunct vs. disjunct)
• Word painting
As we move forward in this course, more vocabulary will be added to this
arsenal (and you will be expected to incorporate it).
Henry Purcell
1659-1695
English composer
Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell wrote one of the earliest
English operas, Dido and Aeneas, based on
Virgil’s Aeneid.
Henry Purcell
A well-known aria (song) from Dido and Aeneas: “Dido’s Lament”
This recording is by Emma Kirkby.
This will be a Listening Log.
Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me,
On thy bosom let me rest,
More I would, but Death invades me;
Death is now a welcome guest.
When I am laid, am laid in earth,
May my wrongs create
No trouble, no trouble in thy breast;
Remember me, but ah! forget my fate.
Johann Sebastian Bach
German composer/organist
1685-1750
Bach In-Class Assignment
Work on this during discussion and pass it in at the
end of today’s discussion.
Baroque Take Home Assignment
This is a separate assignment. It requires the book.
You’ll be taking this home and passing it in on
Thursday.
Heads up! Both assignments are double-sided.
Fugues
Fugue – “a polyphonic work based on a central
theme and employing imitation.”
(p. 516)
Subject – “the central theme of a fugue.” (p. 518)
Fugal exposition – “the opening section of a fugue,
in which all the voices enter with the main
subject.” (p. 516)
Fugues
So what does that mean?
A fugue (adjective “fugal”) is polyphonic. This means that there are
multiple melodies happening at once, and they’re are all equal to each
other.
In a fugue, each of these multiple “melodies” (also called “lines” or
“voices”) is actually the same melody—it’s just beginning at different
times.
We call this melody a subject. Every time the subject begins, we call that
an entrance of the subject.
This layering of the subject over itself is at its most obvious and striking in
the fugue’s exposition, or beginning section.
Fugues
Listen: the Nokia Ringtone
vs.
Video: the “Nokia [Ringtone] Fugue”
(composed by Vincent Lo)
Fugues
Presentation and manipulation of the subject
isn’t all that’s happening.
But it’s the easiest thing to pick out.
Fugues
J.S. Bach’s
Fugue in G Minor (“The Little”), BWV 578
Organ recording by Helmut Walcha, Austria
We’ll listen to the beginning of the subject by itself
first, then we’ll listen to the whole fugue.
This will be a Listening Log.
Fugues
Let’s listen to an orchestration of this piece.
(Orchestration usually refers to re-arranging music
for orchestra or another large ensemble.)
This orchestration of Bach’s “Little Fugue” in G minor
is by Leopold Stokowski.
Please complete your in-class assignments at this
time. (Again, notice that these are two-sided
sheets.)
Final Reminders / Homework
•
•
•
•
Pass in your in-class assignment
Read pages 126-145
Baroque Take Home Assignment due Thurs.
Questions? Email:
benjamintibbetts@yahoo.com