Baroque Music: Characteristics and Forms
The Baroque era began in the late sixteenth century, as Europe underwent a social and economic crisis that shook the Renaissance order. This situation favored a change in mentality, which led to the beginning of the Baroque period. At this time, absolute monarchies thrived, and the people and the bourgeoisie accepted the monarch’s authority. In the field of religion, the Counter-Reformation continued to preside during the Baroque period.
Characteristics of Baroque Music:
- A desire for splendor, artifice,
Traditional Music: India, Indonesia, and China
Musicology and Ethnomusicology
Musicology, as a discipline, has studied the sources of music. Comparative musicology was created by the interest in folklore and ethnomusicology, and exotic music. Ethnomusicology is the study of traditional music and instruments from all cultures: classical music, folk, and cultured music with long traditions; popular music; and the evolution of music, which occurred in centers related to civilian and religious targets. A public has grown for folk music that developed
Read MoreRomanticism: Art, Literature, and Revolution
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic and literary movement that emerged at the end of the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. It gave strength, excitement, freedom, and imagination in the correction of classical art forms; it was a rebellion against social conventions. Romanticism opposes the corseted character of academic painting, breaking the rules of composition. The French Revolution, the Napoleonic wars which raged in Europe, and the internal crisis of the Ancien Régime system caused
Read MoreRenaissance Vocal and Instrumental Music Masterpieces
2nd Evaluation
“Flow my tears” – John Dowland
Dowland made several versions of this piece for lute, and lute and voice. These songs were also called ayres, and specifically, lacrimae. Some consider this the precursor of the German Lied, and also a forerunner of the art song. The opening vocal motif has been widely copied by other composers.
“Adieu ces bons vins de Lannyons” – Guillaume Dufay
This is a farewell song in rondeau form (a form with a recurring refrain). It features a voice (singing), a
Read MoreSound, Silence, and Noise in Music
Sound, Silence, and Noise
Music, with its throbbing rhythms, is created by humans, who possess rhythm, expression, and the ability to imitate.
Music is sound, and the absence of sound is silence. Sound is created by air vibrations reaching the eardrum, which our brain interprets. Vibrations with regular frequencies are perceived as sound, while irregular vibrations are perceived as noise. Today, many composers, across various styles, incorporate noise into their music, including electronic music.
Read MoreTraditional Music Around the World
Ethnomusicology: Traditional Music of the World
Ethnomusicology is a branch of musicology that studies the traditional musics of the world. It considers folklore, namely the people (set of customs and traditions), and documents for traditional music, which is a collective, rural, functional, and oral creation.
Asia
- Music is closely tied to religion.
- Eastern music systems are often based on sacred texts.
- Improvisation is dominant.
- Rhythmic and melodic patterns are common.
- Characteristic vocal timbres are