Annie Vincenti Music in Western Civilizations Lombardi December 12, 2011 Secular Music in The Middle Ages Popular music, usually in the form of secular songs, existed during the Middle Ages. This music was not bound by the traditions of the Church, nor was it even written down for the first time until sometime after the tenth century. For this reason it often presents many challenges in study of early secular music. Having said this, hundreds of these songs were created and performed by bands of musicians that went across Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries, the most famous of which were the French trouvères and troubadours. The monophonic melodies of these musicians, to which may have been added improvised accompaniments, were often rhythmically lively.
There were different forms of concerto as well. Concerto grosso is when there are multiple soloists. Yet another genre that emerged during this time was the cantata; a work intended to be sung during a worship service. These arose mostly in the late Baroque period. The use of overtures was very popular at the
Cyclical Literature in early19th Century A song cycle is a group of songs designed to perform in a sequence during classical music. All of the songs are by the same composer and often use words from the same poet, lyricist, or relating a story. Each song sang separately, but the composer imagined that they would be performed together as one work. They are for solo voice and piano accompaniment, however, they also can be without accompaniment or instruments. It started before the Romantic period, but it become popular with German composers of the nineteenth century.
The majority of these songs are love, in all combinations of joy and pain. Later in the late middle ages began Ars nova which refers to a musical style which was big and France and few other countries. The music of the ars nova differed from the preceding era in several ways. There was a greater independence of rhythm, and Secular music gained polyphonic sophistication which was previously only found in sacred music. The Ars nova paved the way for new music in the renaissance era.
The piano underwent many changes in the nineteenth century starting from the fortepiano to the modern pianoforte that we know now. At the beginning of the 18th century, the clavichord and the harpsichord were the domestic instruments. Most of the keyboard instruments of this time could not produce the same varieties of expression needed to substitute for the orchestra in the works of Handel, Bach, Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart. Therefore, there was an urge to develop a keyboard instrument that combines the powers of nuance of the clavichord with the size and strength of the harpsichord. An Italian harpsichord maker, Bartolomeo Cristofori (1655-1731), invented the fortepiano and continued to develop this instrument until the 1720s.
Vivaldi was a master of the violin and is widely known as the composer of concertos which is a form of music with a small orchestra and solo lead instrument. He was a prolific composer and is well known for composing over 500 concertos, 46 Operas, 73 sonatas, chamber music, and sacred music. Vivaldi was the first composer to use ritornello form regularly in fast movements, and his use of it became a model for later composers. Vivaldi repeatedly looked for contrasting harmonies, creating new melodies and themes. His main goal was to create a musical piece that was meant to be appreciated by a large population opposed to only a certain group of people.
The harpsichord was phased out and replaced with the invention of the piano during the Classical period. During the Baroque period, two bass instruments would read off the same line of music with numbers written above notes for the third bass to play. Music from the Baroque period seems very one dimensional and intended to be played to a smaller audience. The text described it best (Sporre, 2013), “Classical in contrast to Baroque style, which typically dealt with a single emotion, Classical pieces typically explore contrasts between moods. They may contrast moods within movements and also within themes (Pg.
Occasionally, composer simply borrowed popular tunes, but more often, they wrote original themes with a popular character. Classical melodies often sound balanced and symmetrical because they are frequently made up of two phrases of the same length. The second phrase, in such melodies, may begin like the first, but it will end more conclusively and it will be easier to sing. Dynamics and the piano - The Classical composers' interest in expressing shades of emotion led to the widespread use of gradual dynamic change - crescendo (gradually getting louder) and diminuendo ( gradually getting softer). The end of basso continuo - The basso continuo was gradually abandoned during the classical period.
In the middle ages workmen used songs, poems and even rhymes to ease the work and be able to build all the great medieval cathedrals (MacDonald). One can use music to energize, focus, inspire and to create other positive states of mind that will facilitate learning. The ability of taking one self to the right state of mind for learning and doing work is very scarce between students. Most students would agree that a big part of academic failure is because they are not able to use their abilities in an efficient way and not because they don’t have the capacity. According to scientists the alpha brain wave state is a perfect learning state for taking in information through auditory channels (Brewer).
Music isn’t formulaic, there’s no workout plan. Not everybody can do music, it’s either you have it or you don’t. Creativity cannot be taught, it is a trait that is innate, and a characteristic one is born with. Just like not everybody can draw, not everybody can do music. Out of the massive flock of “wanna be musicians”, there’s a very small percentage of people who are actually talented.