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Music
Medieval, Baroque, and Renaissance music share core features and elements in common, while also revealing poignant differences that highlight aesthetic, geographic, social, and technological changes. Religiosity, simplicity of instrumentation, and monophic choral qualities characterize early medieval music. Vocals grew increasingly polyphonic toward the late Middle Ages. Renaissance music can be listened to as a sonic and cultural bridge between the medieval and Baroque periods. Instrumentation became more complex, and yet compositions remained religions in tone and relied on a select number of instruments. The Baroque witnessed a flourishing of creativity rooted in the technological advances in Renaissance instrument production and also in the social sensibilities that characterized the era.
Early medieval music bore witness to the intense religious fervor that permeated social life. This can especially be witnessed in the compositions of Hildegard von Bingen. For Hildegard, melody and voice are central elements, as hymns and antiphons comprised a large part of her corpus of compositions. Chanting is monophonic, but accompanied by instruments including harp, organ, and tambourine. French medieval composer Machaut also relied on monophonic elements in vocals. Yet Machaut also helped introduce a polyphonic sound into religious music, as can be heard in Messe de Notre Dame. The Messe de Notre Dame exhibits striking sonic dynamics, revealing the harbinger of evolution into the Baroque period. Comtessa de Dia's strophic...
Like Machaut, Comtessa de Dia's compositions such as "A Chantar" have strong dynamics that belie the simplicity of instrumentation. Medieval English composer Thomas Weelkes also helped to develop a polyphonic sound that would gradually morph into more sophisticated and layered compositions during the Renaissance era such as those by Josquin Desprez. Renaissance-era masses like Miserere mei are polyphonic, with rich dynamics and strong melodies.
Whereas medieval orchestras can hardly be called such, due to the constraints of size and the limited number of instruments written into any one composition, both Renaissance and Baroque composers composed forms with layered rhythms and melodies. Renaissance music can be listened to as a sonic and cultural bridge between the medieval and Baroque periods. For one, Renaissance composers in particular were not constrained by the expectations to write solely for religious settings or church audiences. Monteverdi's compositions like Manificat include polyphonic harmonies and intense dramatic qualities that correspond to the aesthetics common in the visual arts emerging at the same time. The transition from Renaissance to Baroque can also be witnessed in the deeply emotional qualities of Magnificat. Written for voice and organ, the vocals are layered and the melody complex.
During the peak of the Baroque period, instrumentation had shifted far from what it had been during the Middle Ages. Orchestras…
E's Music Classroom: Musickit, 2007). The exposition tends to be less resolved, atonal, and discordant in sound. The form was used to create a more open structure than the Baroque fugues or rondeau forms. What types of works commonly use this form? Sonatas (obviously) symphonies, and string quartets all make use of the three-part sonata form, although some have more elaborate variations than others, depending on the length of the
But in the end, the theme becomes a funeral march, reminiscent of Tchaikovsky's piano trio which also ended with a funeral march" (Piano Trio No.1 in g minor Elegiaque, Edition Silvertrust, 2009). Paul Hindemith (1895-1963): Morgenmusik (1932) I. MaBig bewegt II. Lied III. Bewegt Paul Hindemith was a German composer who made use of neoclassical elements, blending "tonal harmony and distinctively modern elements, notably jazz" in his works (Sadie 2005). While criticized for putting
The accessible sounds of the beats are meant to be enjoyed by all. Third Construction (1941): John Cage (1912-1992) Although a relatively contemporary piece, this work sounds almost primitive, as if it is played on traditional wooden, handmade instruments. It sounds 'constructed' -- perhaps that is why Cage calls it a construction, not a movement, as if it is still a work in progress. Alternating rhythm patterns assault the ears, dissonant
..but the strain of musical isolation became too much for me and I suffered a minor nervous breakdown...and the arrogant headmaster showed little compunction in promptly dismissing me from my post at his school. This was in November 1926..."(Alwyn, 1983; cited in: Culot, 1985) Alwyn was appointed a position as a professor of composition at the RAM in 1926 and as well, "he became a flautist in the London Symphony Orchestra."
Avant-Garde Jazz Jazz music might sometimes be difficult to define because of its many movements. As a purely American form of music, jazz cannot be overlooked for its influence in other musical genres. As jazz has evolved over the years, the genre has witnessed many movements that represent African-American moods and attitudes. One significant movement in jazz is the avant-garde movement, which changed the course of traditional jazz. Along with this
Music appreciation [...] my personal attraction to jazz music and some of its composers and performers. Jazz music has been called a particularly American invention, and the many forms of jazz epitomize a successful and exciting country on the move. Jazz encompasses many facets of music, from be-bop to swing, and one testament to jazz's endurance is its continued popularity today. Jazz breathes life into the listener, and embodies