Elements of Music Rhythm in general the ordering of music through time basic unit of measurement for time in music o Beat o Meter pattern of accented and unaccented beats in a piece of music Duple and triple Rhythm as in a rhythm particular arrangement of long and short notes in a section of music o We perceive particular rhythms with meter as the back drop speed of music rate which beats follow each other o Tempo Same rhythmic pattern can occur at many tempos Melody a single line of notes and pitches heard in succession as a coherent unit o Melody can be vocal instrumental or both Harmony the sound created by multiple notes played or sung simultaneously three or more notes played or sung simultaneously the sound of notes together that our ears find naturally right the sound of notes that create tension or do not seem to belong o Chord Consonance Dissonance together Tonality system of organizing melody and harmony around a central pitch or tone Cultural constructs can change them over time o Major is happier sounding o Minor is sad sounding or darker Texture the number and general relationship of musical lines to one another a single unaccompanied melodic line o Monophonic Can be vocal or instrumental o Homophonic o Polyphonic a melody with accompaniment tone color or character of the sound quality of the sound two or more melodic lines of equal importance simultaneously Timbre o Can include voice o Preferences can change over time Dynamics volume of sound Form o Classified as loud or soft structure of musical work o Can refer to an entire and or its various parts Word music relationship can ever refer to the title o The relationship between how the music works and the text category of a musical work based on musical features and social function Genre Introduction and Plainchant Middle ages medieval period or era o 476 to early 15th century o sacred was default mode Influences on music Context for producing and performing music Survival of music was rare because music wasn t written down before 1100 Aesthetic values and features of music o Most composers were anonymous up until the 12th century o Pope Gregory lived 504 604 Received chants from God through the Holy Spirit o Plainchant also called Gregorian Chant For glory of God via the church sacred music Emphasis on projecting the Latin text Syllabic one note per syllable While melismatic is multiple notes per syllable Monophonic texture No beat or meter Only churches courts and royalty could afford parchment and ink for copying Rhythm determined by text Variation in performance just determined on interpretation from singers Texts often taken directly from Bible or inspired by it Intended to tell story Some manuscripts have survived Scribes copied music and text down music Notation was memory guide 12th century began using staffs 14th century used staff and notes Composers were almost never scribes o Hildegard von Bingen Alive 1098 to 1179 Leader of a group of nuns in what is now Germany At that time women weren t composers normally Unusual records kept of her compositions Wrote theology Pope sought her counsel Experienced visions which were portrayed in her texts Wrote the Play of Virtues Latin name ordo virtotum Liturgical drama abstract qualities or concepts o Good vs evil a dramatized allegory in which characters personify Taught moral truth to bring people closer to God Texture monophonic Rhythm free and unmetered Melody follows phrases of text combination of syllabic and melismatic Harmony doesn t apply Timbre contrast between speaking of devil and singing of soul and virtues Dynamics not much contrast between Satan and the virtues Word music relationship music reflects text based on what is being o Relatively constant Form not really relative o Determined by dialogue sung and how Genre o Plainchant o Liturgical drama o Morality play Secular Music in the Middle Ages 12th century secular song o Sponsored by courts o Written traditions start with troubadours o Normally describes courtly love Idealized love love from afar 14th century secular song Poet composers from modern day Southern France o Fixed forms o Emphasis on complexity o Texture was normally polyphonic o Used meter o Typically aristocratic audience o More complex rhythmic patterns and relationships o Francesco Landini 1325 1397 From Italy but worked a lot in France Blinded by small pox at a young age so instead of following father s footsteps of being a painter he became a composer and played the organ Composed both secular and sacred music Behold Spring Written in mid to late 14th century Ballata song with origin in dance o Italian poet song with musical form o AbbaA Combination of melismatic and syllabic Triple meter Theme courtly love Texture polyphonic Harmony constant Not a lot of timbre Dynamics moderate Word music relationship music reflects text Genre o Secular song o Balata o Guillaume de Mauchat 1300 1377 Worked with both secular and sacred music Worked for the Duke of Luxembourg One of the 1st composers who took interest in the production of manuscripts I Can All Too Well Compare my Lady Ballada French poetic song o Musical form aabc Theme courtly love Texture polyphonic Rhythm compound of duple and triple meter at different levels Melody top voice flowing conjunct lower voice disjunct Combination syllabic and melismatic Harmony more dissonance than Landini s piece s o Still has consonance Timbre dark Dynamics same throughout Word music relationships text and music could go either way Genre o Secular song o Ballade Renaissance 1425 1600 Renaissance means rebirth o Looked back at the Greeks and Romans o Citizens gave the time period this term o Intellectual and cultural movement called humanism An intellectual and cultural movement that sought to revive ancient Greek and Roam culture as well as explore human interests and values Belief in human reason Focus on understanding reality through the senses Reliance on Christian faith continues from middle ages Effects humanism had on music o Rediscovery of ancient Greek music theory o Increasing focus on text expression o Emphasis on music making as a sign of being educated and cultured The Reformation o A 16th century movement in Western Europe that sought to reform doctrines and practices of the Catholic church and resulted in the establishment of Protestant religions o Influences it had on music Emphasis on participation by everyone Texts in vernacular language o Language of the people Renewed focus on