Spain’s Golden Age: Renaissance and Baroque Eras
Item 6 – Golden Age: Renaissance and Baroque
1. The Historical Framework
The Golden Age of Spain spans from the end of the reign of Ferdinand and Isabella (late 15th – early 16th century) to the death of the last Habsburg ruler, Charles II (1700). During this period, Spain reached its peak in political power and territorial expansion. The discovery of America (1492), strategic marriages with the Habsburgs, and the brief annexation of Portugal added vast territories to the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon,
Read MoreEvolution of Opera: From Germany to Italy
German Opera
German opera largely evolved from the Italian style. It truly began with Beethoven’s Fidelio. However, it was Carl Maria von Weber (1786-1826) who fully embraced this genre. His works include Der Freischütz, Oberon, and Euryanthe. In 1812, he also published a Singspiel, Abu Hassan. These three operas share important common elements, including the use of the supernatural and the wonderful. They all incorporate great arias for the main characters, contrasting with romances for the minor
Read MoreMexican Rock Music: Evolution and Key Bands
Mexican Rock Music: From the 50s to Today
In the 1950s and 1960s, Rock and Roll from the U.S. arrived in Mexico, especially through Elvis Presley, and imitators appeared everywhere. Presley’s figure was decisive, as much as The Beatles. However, after the movement of 1968 (Plaza de Tlatelolco), rock was prohibited and went underground. This began the genesis of its own movement, based in Tijuana.
The 1960s: The Beginning
In 1961, the scene started strong with groups like:
- Los Rebeldes del Rock
- Los Teen
Musical Textures and History: From Gregorian Chants to Renaissance Composers
Musical Textures: Monody, Polyphony, and Homophony
Monody: The simplest texture, featuring a single melodic line without accompaniment.
Polyphony: This texture results from the simultaneous combination of two or more melodies.
Homophony or Chordal Texture: Music is developed vertically, meaning the voices are aligned. The four notes of the chord are distributed among the four voices, which have the same rhythm. The text becomes comprehensible to the listener because all voices simultaneously sing the
Read MoreRadio: History, Evolution, and Impact on Music
Radio
Etymology: From Latin radius, meaning “ray of light.” In the eighteenth century, it was applied to the radiation (emission) of the element radium.
In 1888, the German physicist Heinrich Hertz discovered radio waves. Hertz also gave his name to the physical unit of vibrations per second (Hertz), which determines the pitch of sounds and the wavelength. Between 1895 and 1896, the Italian physicist Guglielmo Marconi developed a method for producing and receiving electromagnetic waves. In 1898, he
Read More20th Century Music: Impressionism to Electroacoustic
Features of Impressionism
Melodies without clear lines and cadences, which use modal, pentatonic, chromatic, and whole-tone scales. Harmony is free, with chords valued for their sound and not by tonal function. A new concept of using the instrument’s timbre individually and not as an orchestral set. Sound created an atmosphere based on “impressions” of hearing that has as its object the pleasure of sound.
Features of Expressionism
- Search for the dramatic through the continuous use of dissonances that