The Blues: Origins and Influence on American Music
The blues is the most independent type of Black music in the African-American tradition. The musical style wasn’t really developed until after slavery had been abolished in 1865, but the blues is deeply rooted in the slaves’ work songs, gospel, and Negro spirituals. Some say that the blues was born in the cotton fields of the Mississippi Delta, where cotton choppers and pickers sang to make the work go easier. These songs were influenced by African tribal songs, work chants, and “hollers”. But even
Read MoreCatalan Popular Literature: History, Genres, and Key Figures
Significance of the People in Catalan Literature
This 16th-century literature emerged in the early days of the Catalan language. Originating in the 16th century, it has a traditional and popular dimension, passed down through generations, often set to music. During the 19th-century revival, there was an urgent need to recover this literature. Manuel Milà i Fontanals collected and published romances and songs.
Genres of Popular Literature
Romance
A poetic composition with verses of seven syllables,
Read More20th-Century Music: Styles, Composers, and Influences
Impressionism
Composers: Debussy, Delius, Ravel
Impressionism is characterized by a blurring of classical forms, exaggerated attention to musical color, and a focus on modal and chromatic progressions rather than tonal ones. Interestingly, symbolist poets had a greater influence on these composers than impressionistic art did.
Expressionism
Composers: Schoenberg, Webern, Hindemith, Ives
Expressionism features a high level of dissonance, extreme contrasts of dynamics, constant changing of textures, “distorted”
Read MoreBaroque and Classical Music: A Detailed Comparison
Baroque Period
Context
- Composers and performers used elaborate musical ornamentation.
- Patronage system: Most composers were servants to wealthy patrons or the church, leading to problems with finances and creativity.
- Man is at the center of a complicated but wonderful universe.
Melody
- Unnatural, complex, and ornate melodies.
- Tonality was developed, and major and minor scales became the most popular.
Rhythm
- Mechanical, with strong and repeated beats.
- Dance influence.
Texture
- Polyphonic. Sometimes homophonic
Evolution of Music: From Prehistoric Sounds to Romantic Nationalism
The Origins of Music
Prehistoric humans discovered the sonic possibilities of nature, striking materials like wood and cane. Ancient cultures in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Rome used instruments with magical and religious significance. The first bands emerged after the Middle Ages, around the 16th century, when voices were assigned to instruments for dances, parties, hunts, and even war. During the 17th century, compositions were primarily for string instruments. In the 18th century, other instruments
Read MoreMusical Piece Analysis: From Baroque to Impressionism
Musical Piece Analysis
Badinerie
1. Binary form. 2. 2/4 time signature. 3. Allegro tempo. 3.1. Anacrusic upbeat. Regular rhythm, important rhythmic syncopation. 4. Abundant, undulating melody. 4.1. Trills, especially in the main melody. 5. Accompanied melody. 5.1. The orchestra accompanies, with the flute taking the lead. 6. The flute is the main instrumental voice. 6.1. The flute and continuo carry the melody. 7. Part of a suite. 7.1. The final dance of the suite. 8. Profane, purely instrumental,
Read More