Musical Styles and Instruments of the Renaissance Era
Renaissance Music: Sacred, Secular, and Instrumental Forms
Sacred Vocal Music
“Obre Jesús” Score
The Protestant Chorale
The Protestant chorale is a simple composition, often based on popular melodies. It is usually written for four voices and in German, with a homophonic texture. These characteristics made it easy for the congregation to participate in the singing, establishing the chorale as the hymn of the Protestant religion.
The English Reformation
In England, Henry VIII broke away from Rome in the
Read MoreUnderstanding Color, Classical Music, and Romantic Music
Understanding Color
- The meanings we relate to color are cultural and therefore changeable.
- Colored lights are used to produce colors in objects which are not a source of light.
- Color blindness can be of different kinds.
- Tints are degradations of hue when white is added to it.
- Cones are the photosensitive cells in our retinas which react to the primary colored lights.
- Pigment colors are used to produce colors in objects which react to the primary colored light.
- Color only exists when there is light, is
Major Musical Movements and Composers of the 20th Century
Impressionism
A pictorial and musical movement that emerged in the 20th century, in which artists tended to create visual music, emphasizing the impression produced in humans by sounds. Gone are the melodic lines, and pentatonic scales are used. Dissonance is employed, with no clear rhythms. Debussy is a prominent figure.
Expressionism
Consists of a despairing vision of the world and creates a critical language that distorts reality. It introduces a new concept of harmony, denying traditional rules
Read MoreUnderstanding Novels, Word Formation, Medieval Prose & Theater
Understanding the Novel
Definition: A novel is an extended fictional narrative. It is a text written by an author known to the public.
Characteristics of a Novel
- Length and Complexity: Novels are characterized by their length and complexity.
- Characters: Many characters, which can be flat or round.
- Action: The main story depends on several secondary stories. There is no structure to this chapter.
- Time and Space: Multiple spaces and completeness are needed.
- Narrator: There can be one or more narrators.
How
Read MoreNationalism & 20th Century Music: Styles, Composers, & Evolution
Nationalism in Music
Nationalism is a movement connected with the Romantic era, arising from countries reacting to foreign domination.
Nationalist Music (1850-1919)
This period parallels Romanticism, with a focus on less traditional musical forms. Early nationalist musicians were Russian, followed by Hungarian and Spanish composers. National music was inspired by the folklore and musical traditions of each country.
- Russian: Glinka and Tchaikovsky
- Finnish: Sibelius
- Romanian: Bartok
Spanish Folk Instruments
Traditional
Read MoreRoman Theater: Architecture, Key Elements, and Playwrights
Roman Theater: Stage Design and Key Elements
The first significant Roman theater was the Theater of Pompey, but the Theater of Marcellus, built by Augustus, is considered more important. Roman theaters did not represent a fixed space; instead, they used wooden tables. A common space was the circus (like the Colosseum in Rome).
Key Architectural Components
- Orchestra: The semicircular space between the cavea and scena, originally for the choir in Greek theater.
- Cavea: The part of the theater with bleachers