2-Music-Classical-Composition Types

music composition forms

Musical lines or phrases have formal arrangement {music composition forms}.

anthem

Songs {anthem}| can be hymns about praise, patriotism, or loyalty.

barcarole

Venetian gondoliers sing folk songs {barcarolle} {barcarole}.

Baroque sonata

Sonatas {Baroque sonata} can be contrapuntal.

cantata

Baroque madrigals {cantata}| used unstaged operatic form.

canticle

Hymns {canticle} can be from the Bible, but not be psalms.

canzona

Baroque motets {canzona} used polyphony, often on organ.

carol

Songs {carol} can be about joy or praise something.

chaconne music

Passacaglia {chaconne, music} can begin without unaccompanied theme.

chaisson

Music forms {chaisson} evolved from Mannerism.

chorale

Fugues {chorale}| can be variations on hymns.

concerto

Baroque fugues {concerto}| can have dialogue {ripieno} between solo instrument {concertino} and orchestra {tutti}. Tutti had five string parts: first violin, second violin, viola, cello, and double bass.

concerto grosso

Instruments can replace the solo instrument in concertos {concerto grosso}.

etude

Romantic piano music {etude}| can depend on dances.

formes fixe

14th century poetic forms {formes fixe} were for songs.

frottole

Mannerist Italian songs used poetic forms {strambotto} {capitolo} {oda} {frottola} and used refrain {reprisa} {frottole}.

fugue in music

Baroque music forms {fugue, music}| used polyphony with changing key relations. Three or four voices stated theme and modulated key, then stated counter theme, and then varied theme. Variations included imitation, canon, inversion, augmentation, and diminution.

impromptu

Romantic piano music {impromptu} can depend on dances.

lied

Romantic music {lied} {song} can restate melody but not develop theme.

madrigal

Mannerist polyphonic form {madrigal}| {ballade, music} had lines of 7 or 11 syllables in varied rhyme scheme, had fugue form, was secular, and had no accompaniment. 14th-century madrigal poetic form had three stanzas, each ending with refrain.

minstrel song

A 14th century troubadour love song {minstrel song}| used polyphony, at royal courts.

motet

Mannerist form {motet} was sacred fugue with voices but no accompaniment. Later secular motets used different texts in melody and harmony, were in local language, rather than Latin, and had freer rhythm.

musica humana

Medieval music {musica humana} can be about soul and its relation to body.

musica instrumentalis

Medieval music {musica instrumentalis} can use instrumental or voice sounds.

musica mandana

Medieval music {musica mandana} can be about harmony of universe or about angels.

parody mass

Mannerist masses {parody mass} can paraphrase existing polyphonic works.

pastorale

Baroque lyric poem or drama {pastorale}| was about shepherds and nymphs.

piano concerto

Romantic piano compositions {piano concerto}| have three movements: fast sonata with refrain in tonic key, slow lyric andante movement, and fast sonata or rondo. Piano plays cadenzas with trills at movement ends. Orchestra joins piano at finish.

program music

Music {program music} can evoke ideas, events, or images.

recercar

Baroque music forms {recercar} can use one melody and theme variations.

rhapsody

Instrumental compositions {rhapsody}| can have free form and have joy and feeling.

rococo sonata

Sonatas {rococo sonata} had one melody and its harmony and often used violins.

rondeau music

14th century poetic form {rondeau, music} used one stanza and refrain.

rondo

Fast sonatas or refrains {rondo}| can repeat new theme three times and end with a refrain. Music can use sonata form: abacada.

round

In 13th century, melodies can repeat at phrase ends {round, music}|, as in Sumer Is Icumen In.

sinfonia

Baroque music {sinfonia} can have three movements, each with different tempo.

singspiel

Enlightenment and Romantic operas {singspiel} can have songs or folk songs between dialogues.

sonata

Compositions {sonata}| can have tonic-theme exposition, dominant-theme exposition, optional second dominant-theme exposition, theme development in other keys, tonic-theme recapitulation, optional second development, and final recapitulation. Sonata form has three movements: fast-slow-fast. Instrumental sonatas can have four movements: fast-fast-slow-fast. Sonata form came from sinfonia form. Sonatas, symphonies, string quartets, and concertos can use sonata form.

sprechgesang

A 20th century music form {sprechgesang} used spoken melody with rhythm that followed instrumental music. Word notes were only approximately same as instrumental notes.

string quartet

Compositions {string quartet} for first and second violin, viola, and cello can have four movements: allegro, lyrical, minuet, and allegro.

strophic composition

Songs can be about Latin poems, which have several stanzas {strophe, stanza}. The same music repeats for each stanza {strophic composition}, like most hymns today.

suite in music

Baroque melody series {suite, music} can use one theme.

symphony

Classical compositions {symphony} have parts {movement, symphony}. Movements begin with presentation {exposition, symphony} of contrasting melodies {theme, symphony}. First theme is in tonic key. A bridge is between themes. Second theme is in dominant key. After exposition, themes expand {development, symphony}. Symphonies end with theme restatements {recapitulation, symphony}. Symphonies developed from sinfonia forms. Symphonies use fourth, fifth, octave, octave-and-fourth, octave-and-fifth, and double-octave intervals.

three-part form

Musical forms {three-part form} can use sequence aba, as in minuet, scherzo, nocturne, ballade, reverie, elegy, waltz, etude, capriccio, impromptu, intermezzo, mazurka, and polonaise.

toccata

Baroque music {toccata}| can use rapid running phrases, often on organ.

tone poem

Stories or descriptions {tone poem} {symphonic poem} can use nature imitation or human emotion and be romantic, descriptive, and freeform.

two-part form

Musical forms {two-part form} can use sequence ab or aab, as in allemande, courante, saraband, gigue, gavotte, passpied, bourée, and loure.

virelai

14th-century poetic forms {virelai} {ballato} can have three stanzas and refrain at beginning and end.

2-Music-Classical-Composition Types-Church

conductus

Starting in the 12th century, music {conductus} can accompany priest movements.

cyclic mass

Mannerist masses {cyclic mass} can use repeating parts.

Gregorian chant

Biblical passages were official late-Middle-Ages Catholic Church music {Gregorian chant}|. Gregorian chants use one note per syllable {syllabic style} and one of eight key modes. Modes have different intervals between tones and so have different moods. Modes have a central tone {reciting tone} for melody, a tone {ambitus} one octave above central tone, and a tone {final tone} on which music ends.

mass in church

Catholic Church music {mass, music} {missa} can be for communion thanksgiving service {Eucharistic Service} {Liturgy of the Faithful}, held daily between terce and sept.

parts

Mass starts with preparation {Preface, mass} followed by main events {Sacrifice, mass}. The Sacrifice has three parts: offering {Offertory, mass}, blessing {Consecration}, and partaking {Communion}. Congregations or priests sing mass parts that stay the same {ordinary, mass}. Parts that change daily {proper, mass} are refrains or chants.

Singers can read or intone the lessons using mainly one pitch {lection tone}. Psalms use music phrases in which pitch {psalm tone} rises, plateaus, and then falls.

Preface

First part {Introit} is the entrance and has an antiphon refrain. Next comes the psalm verse, different for different days of year. Next comes the doxology. Next comes Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy). Next comes the optional gloria: "Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost" (Gloria Patri) or "Glory to God in the highest" (Gloria in Excelsis Deo). Next comes Te Deum Laudamus (We praise thee God). After the prayers and the lesson, a song {gradual, mass} precedes a rejoicing song {alleluia}, on regular days, or a sad song {tractus, mass}, for penitence or mourning days. Gloria, gradual, and alleluia or tractus change daily. After the Bible lesson comes a song {credo, mass} (creed).

Sacrifice

The Sacrifice has five steps {Sequentia}. First is the Offertory refrain, different every day. During Consecration, a song {sanctus} (holy) accompanies canon prayers, and a priest sings the Lord's prayer. During Communion, a choir sings Agnus Dei (Lamb of God). After Communion, a choir sings a refrain, and mass ends with a song {dismissal, mass}.

Renaissance

Renaissance masses used same phrase at ordinary-part beginnings {head-motif} or same melody for all mass parts {cantus firmus}.

prayers

Dominus Vobiscum (The Lord be with you) can precede formal prayers. Ave Maria (Hail Mary) is a three-part prayer but is not in the mass.

oratorio

Baroque devotional songs {oratorio}| can use dialogue form.

postlude

After church service, organ plays hymn or hymn-like music {postlude}.

prelude

Baroque and Romantic free music form {prelude}| was fantasy, elegy, impromptu, or aria.

processional

Music {processional}| can accompany entrance to ceremony.

recessional

Music {recessional}| can accompany exit from ceremony.

refrain

Catholic-Church choir sings response {refrain, music}. Choir typically divides into two halves that alternately sing parts.

requiem

Masses {requiem}| for resting of the dead omit regular alleluias, doxologies, and blessings. Parts are Requiem (rest), Kyrie Eleison (Lord have mercy), Sequentia Dies Irae (day of wrath), Sequentia Tuba Mirum (wondrous trumpet), Sequentia Rex Tremendae (majestic king), Sequentia Recordare (remember), Sequentia Confutatis (confounded), Sequentia Lacrimosa (mournful), Offertorium Domine Jesu (Lord Jesus), Offertorium Domine Hostias (Lord of hosts), Sanctus (holy), Benedictus (blessed), Agnus Dei (Lamb of God), and Communion.

responsorial chant

Catholic Church music {responsorial chant} can use soloist and choir singing alternately. Responsorial chants can use melisma. Chants can add troping.

strophe in music

Conductus used Latin poems with several stanzas {strophe, music}. Singers sang harmonic parts together, but long melisma can extend syllables.

through-composition

Each stanza can have different music {through-composition}.

trope in chant

Chants can add personal non-Biblical words and music {trope, chant} {troping}. Tropes can follow chant {sequence, trope}. The first harmony started at end of 9th century, when singers sang trope and chant end simultaneously.

2-Music-Classical-Composition Types-Dance

allemande

Baroque dances {allemande} can be slow and in 4/4 time.

bouree

Baroque dances {bourée} can be in 3/4 time.

courante

Fast Baroque dances {courante} can be in 4/4 time.

gavotte music

Baroque dances {gavotte, music} can be in 3/4 time.

gigue

Fast Baroque dances {gigue, dance} can be in 4/4 time.

mazurka music

Romantic piano music {mazurka, music}| can depend on a dance.

minuet music

Baroque dances {minuet, music}| can be in 3/4 time.

nocturne

Romantic piano music {nocturne}| can depend on dances.

polonaise music

Romantic piano music {polonaise, music} can depend on dances in 3/4 time.

sarabande

Slow Baroque dances {sarabande} can be in 4/4 time.

scherzo

Romantic piano music {scherzo} can depend on dances.

waltz music

Romantic piano music {waltz, music} can depend on dances in 3/4 time.

2-Music-Classical-Composition Types-Opera

opera

Musical plays {opera} can use music in speaking parts as well as songs.

aria

Opera songs {aria}| have one {soloist}, two {duet}, three {trio}, four {quartet}, five {quintet}, six {sextet, music}, or more singers.

da capo aria

Baroque arias {da capo aria} can use two stanzas, with first stanza repeated.

French opera

First operas {French opera} used Enlightenment and Romantic ideals.

grand opera

Operas {grand opera} can be about historical themes, religion, and passion.

Italian overture

Baroque overtures {Italian overture} can have distinctive style.

libretto of opera

Operas have text {libretto, opera} without written music, which singers can say melodiously or with no melody.

opera buffa

Comic operas {opera buffa} can have no spoken dialogue. Acts end with finales.

opera comique

Operas {opera comique} can have spoken dialogue between aria and ensemble singing.

opera seria

Baroque three-act operas {opera seria} had tragic theme and no comic scenes.

operetta

Operas {operetta}| {light opera} can be about humorous or personal themes.

overture

Instruments play musical themes {overture} from opera before it starts.

recitativa

Musical dialogue {recitativa} separates opera songs. Operas can have quick recitatives {secco, recitativa}. Accompanied dialogue {recitativa accompagnato} is for dramatic climaxes.

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Date Modified: 2022.0225