PERIODS OF MUSIC

Understanding Music - Unit 6

OutcomesAll of the different styles of music we listen to today have evolved over a

long period of time. Musical styles have not always been so diverse, in fact before c.1450 music was pretty simplistic.

In order to understand modern music we must first understand its origins, history and development through the ages.

In this unit you will learn about the development of music through the following periods of time:

Baroque (1600-1750)Classical (1750-1830)Romantic (1830-1900)20th Century (1900 – Present Day)

Through discussion and completing listening tasks, you will develop your understanding of musical concepts from these periods of history.

Music HistoryThroughout history there have been many eras, such as the

Renaissance, Classical and Gothic ages. These eras describe the style and characteristics of that period in time, particularly in the areas of science, art, architecture, literature and music.

The history of music is divided into six main periods of history:

MedievalRenaissanceBaroqueClassicalRomantic20th Century

We will be focusing on music from the Baroque period onwards.

Baroque Period 1600-1750The term Baroque is a word borrowed from architecture which is used to describe a highly decorative style of building, found in the palaces and churches of Germany and Austria in the 1600s and 1700s.

The Baroque period was a time of contrapuntal music (tunes or melodies played above or below each other in harmony). People also became interested in music and drama which led to the creation of opera (a play that is sung).

Five composers from this period are Vivaldi, Purcell, Bach, Handel and Pachelbel.

Different textures are present such as:• Homophonic – Music built on chords where all

parts move at the same time.• Polyphonic – Two or more parts playing independent

melodies and rhythms.

In a Baroque Opera you will hear examples of:• Aria – An aria is a solo song in an opera

Listen to this example of an aria and identify the type of voice heard

Nessun Dorma - Aria• Chorus – The choir singing

Listen to this example of a chorus and listen to how the texture changes from homophonic to polyphonic

Hallelujah Chorus - Handel

• Ground Bass – A repeated pattern of notes in the bass while parts above are changing.

Pachelbel's Canon in D - Ground Bass

Listen to the following Lascia ch’io pianga from ‘Rinaldo’ by Handel and identify the type of voice heard

Many different techniques were used in the Baroque Period in various types of pieces.

Techniques used are:

» Pedal Point – A persistent note heard in the bass whatever the harmony above may be.

» Inverted Pedal – A persistent note which is higher than that of the melody.

» Melismatic – Where one syllable is sung over many notes.

» Syllabic – each syllable has a different note.

Another important device made popular during this time was the canon. This is an example of polyphonic music where instrumental parts play the same music but start at different times. (Frere Jacques – this type of music can also be called a round).

Listen to this example of a canonCanon

ConceptsCONCEPT DEFINITION

Baroque A style of music from 1600-1750, harpsichord is one of the main instruments heard

Contrapuntal Parts played above or below each other in harmony

Homophonic

Polyphonic

Opera A play that is sung, uses costumes and sets

Aria Solo song

Chorus Large body of singers who perform together

Ground Bass Repeated phrase or motif heard in the bass line

Pedal Persistent note heard in the bass

Inverted Pedal Persistent note heard above the melody

Canon Strict imitation (Frere Jacques)

Imitation Where one part is immediately copied on another instrument

The Classical Period 1750-1830Composers of the classical period established the symphony, sonata and concerto (for solo instrument) as the major forms of musical expression.

In the Classical period the music became less about decoration and ornamentation, and more about simple, clean lines of melody.

3 composers of this period are Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven.

Features of the Classical Period:

Larger orchestra with the woodwind section gaining importance

Texture of the music is now mainly homophonic (Baroque texture

was mainly contrapuntal)

Melodies became more graceful and elegant

Richer variety of contrasting melodies, rhythms, keys & dynamics

The piano is invented

The Symphony & ConcertoThe Symphony The word symphony means ‘sounding together’.

It is a large work for the whole orchestra in four movements.

A movement is a part or section of the whole work.Movement 1 FastMovement 2 SlowMovement 3 Minuet and Trio formMovement 4 Finale, fast. Usually contains a coda

(a tailpiece to round off the movement)

The Concerto A large work for the orchestra and solo instrument.

There are three movements in a concerto.Movement 1 FastMovement 2 SlowMovement 3 Fast

Complete the listening task based on symphonies and concertos.

Cadenza The first movement in a concerto includes a cadenza.It is a short, difficult passage at the end of the movement

where the performer is expected to show his/her skill on the instrument.

Listen and watch this example of a Mozart Cadenza

Alberti Bass Used in piano music, the alberti bass is a broken chord accompaniment repeated in the left hand, keeping the music moving but also supporting the melody.

An alberti bass looks like this:

Listen and watch the example of Mozart’s Sonata in C Majorwhich features the alberti bass

Alberti Bass

ConceptsCONCEPT DEFINITION

Classical Period of music from 1750-1830 – Composers included Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven

Symphony Large work in 4 movements for the whole orchestra

Concerto Large work in 3 movements for the orchestra and soloist

Cadenza Short passage in a concerto where the soloist show off

Alberti Bass Broken chord accompaniment used in piano music

The Romantic Period 1830-1900

In the Romantic Period composers began to express emotion through music. The music was more powerful and the orchestras were much bigger than before. Three composers of the Romantic Period are Schumann, Chopin and Wagner.

Chopin, a Polish composer, wrote for the piano in a new revolutionary way. He combined strange, discordant harmonies (notes which clash) with delicate, decorated melodies. In his compositions he uses rubato (variations in speed) to enhance expression.

Listen and watch the following example and notice the use of rubato throughout the music.

Chopin Nocturne 20 - Rubato

The Main Features of Romantic Music• Composers used chromatic notes and discords in their music• Rubato was frequently used as a way of conveying the mood and

emotion in the music• The music used an extensive variety of dynamic variation• The music was very expressive and was often based on a theme or poem

ConceptsCONCEPT DEFINITION

Romantic Period of music from 1830-1900. Composers included Chopin, Schubert and Wagner

Rubato Changes in tempo to create expression

Chromatic Notes which move by the interval of a semitone

Discord A chord in which certain notes clash

The 20th Century 1900 – Present DayComposers in the 20th century experimented with different sounds,

instruments and techniques. New freedoms in harmony and rhythm enabled composers to put music together in unusual combinations.

Impressionism was a style of music popular in 1900 in France. The term borrowed from painters such as Monet, Manet and Renoir who suggested rather than stated what could be seen at a glance.

Debussy (1862 – 1918) applied these principles to music. He used clusters of notes (lots of notes which are close together) and the whole tone scale (a scale where every interval is a whole tone apart) in his compositions. These techniques painted pictures in sound.

Listen and watch this short film on Debussy’s life. The music playing is Clair De Lune, one of Debussy’s most famous piano pieces

Debussy Clair de Lune

Atonal music is music which has no specific key. Expressionist music in atonal style is characterised by extremely dissonant harmonies; frenzied, disjointed melodies including wild leaps; and violent explosive contrasts with instruments playing harshly at the extremes of their ranges.

Listen to the following Pierrot Luniere by Schoenberg and, in your own words, describe what you hear.

Minimalist music is based on simple rhythmic and melodic figures which are constantly repeated, like ostinati, with very slight changes each time.

Listen to Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards by Steve Reich.

ConceptsCONCEPT DEFINITION

20th Century 1900 – present day

Impressionism Creates an impression of a picture with sound

Whole-Tone Scale

Scale made up entirely of whole tones

Clusters Lots of notes which are played close together

Atonal Has no specific key

Minimalism Constantly repeated patterns which change very slightly each time.

Form in MusicMusic is written in a pattern called FORM.

Binary Form A piece of music in Binary form divides itself into two sections A and B.

Ternary Form A piece of music in Ternary form divides itself into three sections A B A or A A B A.

(She’s the One, Robbie Williams)

Rondo Form A is the main theme (tune) which keeps coming round with contrasting sections. The plan is A B A C A etc.

Think of these three forms as types of sandwich with different fillings!

Episode A passage of music linking two musical themes, such as in Rondo Form

Coda A passage at the end of a piece of music which rounds it off

Theme and Variations A theme (tune) is heard then repeated slightly differently.Composers may vary a theme by:

» Changing the rhythm» Changing the harmony» Changing the time signature» Changing the tempo» Changing the key from major to minor» Decorating the melody with ornaments

Listen to the examples of Theme & Variation from Haydn’s Symphony No 94 (Surprise) and notice how the theme is varied each time it is heard

http://www.mhhe.com/socscience/music/kamien/student/olc/31.htm

ConceptsCONCEPT DEFINITION

Musical form Structure of music

Binary AB

Ternary ABA

Rondo ABACADA etc.

Episode A passage of music linking two musical themes, such as in Rondo Form

Coda A passage at the end of a piece of music which rounds it off

Theme & Variations

Theme is stated then altered in different ways