Humanities Final Exam

Music Section Review Sheet

The three main elements of music

Melody = the “main idea” of the music

Harmony = adds depth of sound and emotion, usually through chords

Rhythm = how short or long each tone or rest occurs

“music” comes from “musica,” i.e. “of the muses”

The ninemuseswere goddesses that governed the arts

Types of harmony

  • Monophonic = “one voice” unison (like Gregorian chant)
  • Homophonic = single predominant melody line with harmony (like singing with piano chords)
  • Polyphonic = “many voices” two or more melodies joined together (like Renaissance chorals)

Structure of Melody

  • Motive = smallest pitch/rhythm unit. (Think Beethoven’s 5th: “Da-da-da-DAAAAHHH!”)
  • Phrase = A single musical thought
  • Strophic = same melody repeats for several verses (think “Silent Night” or most pop songs)
  • Through-composed = work where the melody does not repeat, though some phrases might (think Schubert’s Erlkonig)
  • Movement = a single, “stand-alone” song in a larger work

Major Eras of Music

Medieval – 450-1450

  • The Christian church was the main focus of society, especially for the commoners; therefore, most music was written by and for the church
  • Pope Gregory the Great was the first to come up with a universal “language” for music (Gregorian chant)
  • The music school of Notre Dame invented the first polyphonic music, known as organum
  • In the late Middle Ages, polyphonic music spread to secular music. The chanson was set to French love poetry.

Renaissance – 1450-1600

  • The Golden Age of a cappella (unaccompanied choral) and polyphonic music
  • Guillaume Du Fay invented the four voice ranges still used in traditional choral music today: soprano (high female), alto (low female), tenor (high male), and bass (low male)
  • Josquin was the first major composer to be known for both sacred and secular works
  • Instrumental dance music became popular at court events
  • Palestrina wrote glorious church music in the late Renaissance as a response to the Counter-Reformation
  • Monteverdi mastered writing the madrigal (intricate polyphonic secular work) and invented opera.

Baroque – 1600-1750

  • Music became elaborate with ornamentations, which are written or improvised flourishes on notes and phrases.
  • The piano was invented in the year 1700; this forever changed how accompaniments were written
  • J.S. Bach was a prolific composer, and the supreme composer of the era; he wrote nearly 500 works! He is considered the greatest master of counterpoint and the fugue.
  • counterpoint = a method of creating harmony by methodically and mathematically selecting notes that compliment the melody in a pleasing way
  • fugue = a work similar to a round (“Row, row, row your boat”), but far more intricate and exact in harmony

Classical – 1750-1820

  • Music is characterized by “singable” melodies underscored by homophony (usually chords)
  • Balance and structure were the hallmarks of this era
  • Golden age of the symphony: the symphony is a multi-movement orchestral work
  • Three great composers arose:
  • Haydn = early master of the Classical style. He was long-lived (born well before and lived long after Mozart). He is known for his symphonies and oratorios (sacred, multi-movement choral-and-orchestra works)
  • Mozart = the first “rock star” of music. He only lived to 35, but wrote over 600 works.
  • Beethoven = his works straddle the Classical and Romantic eras. He is known for his piano works (Fur Elise and Pathetiquesonata) and his symphonies.

Romantic – 1820-1910

  • Fueled by revolutions; political, social, and industrial
  • The Golden age of piano music
  • Romantics favored expression of emotion above all else in art, often abandoning long-used techniques and principles
  • Beethoven’s 9th (Choral) Symphony is usually considered the starting point of the era
  • Schubert introduced the Lied, a German piano-and-voice song style that is the forerunner of today’s popular music. Erlkonig is a great example
  • Chopin wrote only for the piano as the primary melody instrument
  • Liszt was the first world-wide performing “Idol.” Ladies would swoon at his concerts and try to touch him or grab his clothes! He was a master pianist; wrote many piano works (like La campanella) to demonstrate his showmanship

Since a large part of our class was devoted to musicals, the Modern Era (1910-) is focused on:

Broadway Terms

  • Overture = the opening piece of music, usually a medley of songs from the show. Completely instrumental.
  • Act = a major division of the plot; most musicals use two acts with an intermission
  • Scene = a specific setting (place/time) where the action takes place
  • Entr’acte = an instrumental-only piece to start the second act
  • Incidental music = music that underscores the action as background
  • Leitmotif = a recurring musical theme that represents a specific person, place, object, or idea.
  • Lead = a main character, or someone who plays a main character
  • Chorus = the ensemble of singers and dancers who accompany the leads
  • Book = the play (no music) on which the musical is based
  • Production number = a large, flashy song-and-dance number usually involving the entire cast

Listening & Identifying

You need to know 10 of the most important composers’ works by listening to 1-2 minutes of music:

  1. Gregorian chant: Kyrie (Medieval monophony)
  2. Josquin: Mille regretz(Renaissance polyphony)
  3. Palestrina: Adoramus te, Christe(Renaissance polyphony/homophony)
  4. Bach: Prelude and Fugue in C Minor (Baroque harpsichord work)
  5. Haydn: Symphony no. 94 (Surprise), movement II (Classical symphony)
  6. Mozart: Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, movement I (Classical chamber music)
  7. Beethoven: Symphony no. 5, movement I (Classical symphony)
  8. Schubert: Erlkonig(Romantic Lied)
  9. Liszt: La campanella(Romantic piano showpiece)
  10. Schwartz: Wicked, overture (Modern musical)

These can all be found on the class website: On the main menu, click “Music” underneath “Media” to start the player.

Good luck!