Baroque Era Terms Baroque The era approximately extending from the year 1600 to 1750, when the

e baroque style of art, architecture, and music flourished in Europe. (Borroco) Basso Continuo - Italian for continuous bass. Also refers to performance group with a bass, chordal instrument (harpsichord, organ), and one bass melody instrument (cello, bassoon). Equal temperament - A tuning system based on the division of the octave into twelve equal half steps; the systems used today. Figured Bass - A baroque practice consisting of an independent bass line that often includes numerals indicating the harmony to be supplied by the performer. Homophonic Texture - Texture with principal melody and accompanying harmony , as distinct from polyphony. Polyphonic Texture - Two or more melodic lines combined into a multi voiced texture , as distinct from monophonic. Terraced dynamics - The Baroque style of using sudden changes in dynamic levels, as opposed to gradual increase and decrease in volume. The Affections - A theory in musical aesthetics popular in the Baroque era that embraced the proposition that music is capable of affecting a variety of specific emotions within a listener. Word Painting - Musical pictorialization of words from the text as an expressive device; a prominent feature of the renaissance madrigal. Drone - Sustained sounding of one or several tones for harmonic support, a common feature of some folk music. Ostinato - A short melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic pattern that is repeated throughout a work or a section of one. Ripieno - The larger of the two ensembles in the Baroque concerto grosso. Also tutti. Ritornello form - Short, recurring instrumental passage found in both the aria and the Baroque concerto. Da Capo Aria - A lyric song in ternary or A-B-C form, commonly found in operas, cantatas, and oratorios. French overture - Baroque instrumental introduction to an opera, ballet, or suite, in two sections: a slow opening followed by an allegro, often with a brief reprise of

the opening. Homorhythmic texture - Texture in which all voices, or lines, move together in the same rhythm. Libretto - Text, or script, of an opera, prepared by a librettist. Melisma (melismatic) - Melodic style characterized by many notes sung to a single text syllable. Recitativo accompagnato (recitative) - A solo vocal declamation that follows the inflections of the text, often resulting in a disjunct vocal style, found in opera, cantata, and oratorio. Orchestra is accompanying. Recitativo secco (recitative) - A solo vocal declamation that follows the inflections of the text, often resulting in a disjunct vocal style, found in opera, cantata, and oratorio. Unaccompanied. Counterpoint - The art of combining in a single texture two or more melodic lines. Subject - The main idea or theme of a work, as in a fugue. Real and tonal answers in a fugue, a real answer is the transposition of the subject, into a new key while a tonal answer is when the melody is slightly manipulated to avoid a true key change Countersubject - In a fugue, a secondary theme heard against the subject: a countertheme. Episode - Interlude or intermediate section in the Baroque fugue that serves as an area of relaxation between statements of the subject. Stretto - In a fugue, when entries of the subject occur at faster intervals of time, so that they overlap forming dense, imitative counterpoint. Stretto usually occurs at the climactic moment near the end. Pedal Point - Sustained tone over which the harmonies change. On tonic or dominant. Tierce de Picardie - When a perfect cadence ends with a major chord in a minor key. Classical Era Terms Absolute music- Music that has no literary, dramatic, or pictorial program. Also called pure music. Binary form- Two-part (A-B) form with each section normally repeated. Also called two-part form,

Ternary form- Three-part (A-B-A) form based on a statement (A), contrast or departure (B), and repetition (A). Chamber music- Ensemble music for up to about ten players, with one player to a part. Classicism- A movement in literature and art during the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe that favored rationality and restraint and strict forms. Menuet and trio- An A-B-A form (A = minuet; B = trio) in a moderate triple meter; often this is the third movement of the classical; multimovement cycle. Rondo form- Musical form in which the first section recurs, usually in the tonic. In the Classical multimovement cycle, it appears as the last movement in various forms, including A-B-A-B-A, A-B-A-C-A, and A-B-A-C-A-B-A. Sonata cycle/multimovement cycle- A three or four movement structure used in Classical-era instrumental music - especially the symphony, sonata, concerto - and in chamber music; each movement is in a prescribed tempo and form. Sonata form /sonata-allegro form- The opening movement of the multimovement cycle, consisting of themes that are stated in the first section (exposition), developed in the second section (development), and restated in the third section (recapitulation) Viennese school- Title given to the three prominent composers of the Classical era; Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Exposition- Opening section. In the fugue, the first section in which the voices enter in turn with the subject. In sonata-allegro form, the first section in which the major thematic material is stated. Also called a statement. Development- Structural reshaping of thematic material. Second section of sonata-allegro form; it moves through a series of foreign keys while themes form the exposition are manipulated. Recapitulation - Third section of sonata-allegro form, in which the thematic material of the exposition is restated, generally in the tonic. Also called the restatement. Coda- The last part of a piece, usually added to a standard form to bring it to a close. Rocket theme- Quickly ascending rhythmic melody used in Classical-era instrumental music; the technique is credited to composers in Mannheim, Germany. Rounded binary- Compositional form with two sections, in which the second ends with a return to material from the first; each section is usually repeated. Cyclical structure- Structure in which musical material, such as a theme, presented in one movement returns in a later movement.

Motive- Short melodic or rhythmic idea; the smallest fragment of a theme that forms a melodic-harmonic-rhythmic unit. Scherzo- Composition in A-B-A from, usually in triple meter; replaced the minuet and trio in the nineteenth century. Trio- An ensemble of three players. Theme and variations - Compositional procedure in which a theme is stated and then altered in successive statements; occurs as an independent piece or as a movement of a multimovement cycle.

Romantic Era Terms Exoticism in music A musical style in which rhythms, melodies, or instruments evoke the color and atmosphere of far-off lands. Nationalism in music A Musical movement which began during the 19th century and was marked by emphasis on national elements in music such as folk-songs, folk dances, folk rhythms or on subjects for operas and symphonic poems which reflected national life or history. Program music Instrumental music endowed with literary or pictorial associations, especially popular in the nineteenth century. Romanticism A movement in literature and art during the late 18th and early 19th centuries that celebrated nature rather than civilization. Lied German for song; most commonly associated with the solo art song of the nineteenth century, usually accompanied by piano. Through-composed (durchkomponiert) Song structure that is composed from beginning to end, without repetitions of large sections. Chromaticism A compositional technique combining the primary diatonic pitches and chords with other pitches of the chromatic scale. Polonaise Stately Polish processional dance in triple meter. Rubato Borrowed time, common in Romantic music, in which the performer hesitates here or hurries forward there, imparting flexibility to the written note values. Also tempo rubato. Cloches French for bell Col legno String instrument techniques in which the strings are hit with the wood of the bow. Dies irae Chant from the Requiem Mass whose text concerns Judgement Day. Idee fixe Fixed idea; term coined by Berlioz for a recurring musical idea that links different movements of a work. Ophicleide A nineteenth-century brass instrument (now obsolete) with woodwind fingering hole; used by Berlioz among others; the parts are generally played today on tuba. Portamento A smooth, gliding transition from one note to another

Aria Lyric song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment, generally expressing intense emotion; found in opera, cantata, and oratorio. Habanera Moderate duple meter dance of Cuban origin, popular in the nineteenth century; based on characteristic rhythmic figure. Prelude (in opera) Instrumental work preceding a larger work. Recitative Solo vocal declamation that follows the inflections of the text, often resulting in a disjunct vocal style; found in opera, cantata, and oratorio. Can be secco or accompagnato. Pentatonic scale Five-note pattern used in some African, Far Eastern, and Native American music; can also be found in Western music as an example of exoticism. Verismo Operatic realism, a style popular in Italy in the 1890s, which tried to bring naturalism into the lyric theater. Modern Era Terms Atonality Total abandonment of tonality (centering in a key.) Atonal music moves from one lever of dissonance to another, without areas of relaxation. Pentatonic scale five-note pattern used in some African, Far Eastern, and Native American musics; can also be found in Western music as an example of exoticism. Polyrhythm The simultaneous use of several rhythmic patterns or meters, common in twentieth-century music and in certain African musics. Polytonality The simultaneous use of two or more keys, common in twentiethcentury music. Modal characterizes music that is based on modes other than major and minor, especially the early church modes. Whole-tone scales Scale pattern built entirely of whole-step intervals, common in the music of the French Impressionists. Choreography the art of designing sequences of movements in which motion, form, or both are specified. Antique cymbals Small disks of brass, held by the player (one instrument in each hand), that are struck together gently and allowed to vibrate. Glissando Rapid slide through pitches of a scale.

Impressionism in music A French movement developed by visual artists who favoured vague, blurry images intended to capture an impression of the subject. Impressionism in music is characterized by exotic scales, unresolved dissonances, parallel chords, rich orchestral tone colour, and free rhythm. Symbolism an artistic movement in the late 19th century that tried to express abstract or mystical ideas through the symbolic use of images Changing meter A time signature indicates the meter in music. Meter denotes the division of a composition into units of equal time value. These units, or measures, usually stay consistent throughout a piece or movement of music. Some composers change the meter from measure to measure. A listener could focus on one rhythmic stream, bringing it to the forefront (figure) while hearing others as noise (background or ground). Folk song (traditional music) music that is learned by oral transmission and is easily sung or played by most people may exist in variant forms. Petrushka chord is a recurring polytonic device used in Igor Stravinsky's ballet Petrushka and in later music. F#+ over C+. Primitivism Twentieth century musical style resembling some of the characteristics of the art movement of the same name Flutter tongue Wind instrument technique in which the tongue is fluttered or trilled against the roof of the mouth. Cha-cha A Cuban dance developed in the 1950s, it derives its name from the characteristic rhythmic pattern. Hemiola a metrical pattern in which two bars in simple triple time (3/2 or 3/4 for example) are articulated as if they were three bars in simple duple time (2/2 or 2/4). Mambo Dance of Afro-Cuban origin with a characteristic highly syncopated quadruple-meter rhythmic pattern. Tritone (tritonic) Three-note scale pattern, used in the music of some subSaharan African cultures. Aug 4th C-D D-E E-F# Verse-chorus structure This is a common song structure that consists of a series of verses (usually two or three), interspersed with a refrain (chorus), and often with an instrumental break towards the end of the song. Arch form a sectional structure for a piece of music based on repetition Berceuese a musical composition usually in 6/8 time that resembles a lullaby

Senza misura in free time.

George Frideric Handel - Life and Music

George Frideric Handel is known as one of the greatest composers of the late baroque period. He was born on February 23rd, 1685 in Halle, Germany, to a family that had no musical background whatsoever. His father did not see music as a suitable profession and instead wanted Handel to take up law. However, Handels father eventually allowed him to take lessons from organist Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow. Zachow taught Handel how to play the violin, organ, harpsichord and oboe as well as how to compose music. In 1702, following his father's wishes, Handel started studying law at the University of Halle. However, he was not satisfied with law and decided to move to Hamburg, accepting a position as a violinist and harpsichordist in the orchestra of the opera house. In 1710, Handel became conductor to the German Prince George who would eventually become King George I of Great Britain. Later that year Handel moved to London, England where he wrote his opera Rinaldo and acquired great success from the public. In 1720 Handel was appointed as one of the musical directors of the Royal Academy of Music. The academy was founded that same year and was launched for the purpose of presenting Italian Opera. Unfortunately, the Royal Academy eventually failed despite Handels great productivity. After the failure Handel moved from writing Operas to Oratorios and had some great successes including Judas Maccabaeus and Messiah. In the 1750s Handel started losing his eyesight as a result of cataracts. In 1759 he collapsed in a theater at the end of his own Messiah performance and died a few days later. His body was buried in Westminster Abbey Church which is seen as an honour, as only the greatest set of people are buried there. Handel possessed an ability of achieving great momentum with simple 4/4 time. He favoured diatonic harmonies and his melodies were rich in expression. His works had many interweaved voices played at once which would give out a great volume of sound. Handel composed many works including over 40 operas and almost 30 oratorios. Added to those he composed many cantatas, trios, duets and organ concertos. His operas would play out stories of heroes and adventures, and were enjoyed in many parts of Europe. He composed many remarkable works, one of which was his Messiah. The Messiah, an oratorio written in only 24 days, premiered in Dublin during spring of 1742. The libretto of this work had biblical versus from both the Old and New Testament featured in 3 main parts. The first part related to the prophecy and birth of Christ, the second was about his suffering and death, and the last related to the

redemption of the world. This work is said to be one of Handels most popular and successful creations, if not his most.

Johann Sebastian Bach Life and Music

Johann Sebastian Bach, a member of a family that produced six generations of musicians, is considered to be one of the greatest composers in history. The German composer not only composed, but also played organ, harpsichord, violin, and viola. He wrote secular and sacred music for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments that drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity. The Composer was born on March 21, 1685 in Eisenach, Germany. He was the youngest son of Johann Ambrosius Bach, a town musician which Bach was most likely taught violin and basic music theory by. At the age of 10, both of Bachs parents died so he went and lived with his brother, who was an organist and gave Bach basic keyboard lessons. At the age of 14, Bach was awarded a choral scholarship to study at the prestigious St. Michael's School in Lneburg for 2 years. In 1707, Bach married his second cousin, Maria Barbara Bach. They had seven children. In 1720 Maria died and Bach married Anna Magdalena Wilcke in 1721. Bach had 13 more children with Anna Magdalena. In total Bach was a father to 20 children. Bach travelled a lot and had important exposure to the music of composers from other European countries. In 1708 he became court organist and concertmaster at the ducal court in Weimar. During this time he started his composing. In 1717 Bach went looking for a better job. Leopold, Prince of AnhaltKthen hired Bach to serve as his Kapellmeister. Six years later at the age of 38 Bach became the cantor, organist, and music composer for St. Thomas Lutheran Church in Leipzig, Germany. Bach remained there for the rest of his life. Eventually Bach started losing his sight. Because of this, Bachs health started declining and the composer died on July 28th, 1750 after an unsuccessful eye surgery. Bach believed that music must serve the glory of God. His main instrument was the organ and he was known as being a virtuoso organist. He was a devout Lutheran and the chorale prelude was his main type work. In 1722 Johann Sebastian Bach wrote his first book of preludes and fugues. The book was comprised of a collection of 24 preludes and fugues, and was named The Well-Tempered Clavier. Bach wrote two of these books and they are one of his most important sets or work. Bach wrote over 200 cantatas which are said to be the centerpiece of his religious

work. Bach is also known for writing Musical Offering, and The Art of Fugue, which was left unfinished at the time of his death. Bach composed so much music that a catalogue numbering system was created to organize it, where each composition was assigned a BWV number. Currently there are 1128 works written by Bach in the catalogue.

Franz Joseph Haydn - Life and Music

Franz Joseph Haydn was a prominent composer in the classical period, producing many works during his lifetime. He is often called the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet" because of his important contributions to these genres. He was born on March 31st, 1732 in Roheau Austria. His father, Mathias Haydn was a wheelwright to the village mayor while his mother was a cook. At the age of 6 Haydn moved away from his parents to Hainburg, so that he could get a better musical education. There he began his training and learned to play harpsichord and violin. 2 years later at the age of 8, Haydn became a choirboy for the Viennese Cathedral. At the age of 16 his voice started to mature, and he was not able to sing as high as he used to. Because of this, he was forced to leave the school. He was cast into the streets of Vienna but eventually found housing and work. He gave music lessons and played serenades to earn money. In 1740 he moved to Vienna, where he worked for the next nine years as a chorister. 12 years later Haydn got a job as the valetaccompanist for the Italian composer Nicola Porpora. Haydn said that he learned the true fundamentals of composition from Porpora and was later offered a similar job as Vice Kapellmeister to the Esterhzy family in 1761. This was one of the wealthiest and most important families in the Austrian Empire at that time. When Kapellmeister, Gregor Werner, died in 1766, Haydn became a full Kapellmeister. Haydn spent 30 years as the court musician for the wealthy family on their remote estate. In that period of time Haydn composed eleven operas, sixty

symphonies, five masses, thirty sonatas, one concerto, and hundreds of shorter pieces. Haydns music resulted in himself getting lots of fame. After living a very long life Haydn died at the age of 77 on May 31, 1809. Elssler, Haydn's servant and friend wrote that Haydn passed away quietly and peacefully," just as he had lived. Haydn had concise angular themes that were ready for motivic development. He was known for his expansion of the orchestra by putting greater emphasis on the brass, clarinets, and perception. He had expressive harmony, structural logic, and endlessly varied moods that expressed the mature classical style. He was known for his numerous String quartets and symphonies. His symphony No. 24, called Surprise is one of his best known. Haydn was also a great composer of Church music. He wrote many masses and oratorios including Mass in Time of War, written in 1796 and The Creation, in 1798.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Life and Music

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg Austria in 1756. He was a child prodigy and started writing music before he even turned five. His father, Leopald Mozart was a composer and violinist at the court of the Archbishop of Salzburg. His older sister Narnel was also very talented and they preformed together at the court of Empress Maria Theresa when Mozart was six. His father wanted Mozart to have lots of fame and fortune. He organised different events like the concert tour to Paris, London and Munich when Mozart was 7. By the time Mozart became an adult he already mastered all musical forms. Eventually his relationship with his patron, the archbishop of Salzburg was strained. After an argument with the patron Mozart was dismissed and became a freelance musician at the age of 25. He spent 10 years without financial security but then went back to the court to Emperor Joseph II. Unfortunately the Emperor favoured lesser composers and Mozart was only assigned for challenging or very important tasks. In 1782, against his fathers wishes Mozart married Constanze Weber. In 1786 he reached the peak of his career with the opera The marriage of Figaro. He started

becoming ill and his last years were spent in bad health. He died on December 4 1791, about a month away from his thirty-sixth birthday. Mozart was a gifted musical genius. He is known for his endless supply of elegant and songful melodies as well as contributing to nearly all music genres. He wrote large quantities of social music including many divertimentos and serenades. One of his most famous serenades is Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, a string serenade composed in 1787. He also wrote chamber music, favouring string quartets as well as string quintets. Not only did he compose and play violin but he was also an outstanding pianist, with some of his most popular piano works being Fantasia in C minor K. 475 and Sonata in C minor K. 457. He wrote over 40 Symphonies which contained great depth of emotion as well as many operas. He wrote in all three of the main opera styles of his day, opera buffa which is comic opera, opera seria which is serious opera and singspiel which is a lighter form of opera with spoken dialog. A few of his most famous operas were Don Giovanni and The Marriage of Figaro.

Beethoven - Life and Music

Franz Schubert - life and Music

Franz Schubert was born on January 31, 1797 near Vienna, Austria. His father Franz Theodor Schubert was a school teacher and his mother was a housemaid. When Franz was young he was taught violin from his father and piano from his older brother. He possessed an incredible soprano voice which gave him entry to the imperial chapel and school. His teachers were very impressed of his musical talents. After finishing school Schubert tried teaching. However, this didnt work for him and he instead went for lyrical poetry. Schubert then brought together a group of writers, artists and musicians known as the Schubertiads. Even though he was not as well-known as other composers of his era, he was still able to produce one masterpiece after another. He faced many difficulties during the latter part of his life, possibly including syphilis. He had low income and had to sell his music for less than it was worth. Even with all these problems near the end of his life he was still able to write great works like Mass in E flat and String Quintet in C. Schubert lived a short life and died at the age of 31 in 1828. His last wish was to be buried near the grave of Beethoven, and he was. Even with his short life he was able to output a great amount of music. His compositions demonstrate the convergence of the classical and romantic eras. Much of the music he wrote was based on poetry. His melodies had a tender and longing quality that matched the tone of the poems they set. Franz Liszt even called Schubert the most poetic musician that there ever was. His main output was Lieder, which are German songs. He wrote over 600 of them and was able to do so at amazing speeds. One of his most popular Lied including Erlking, which is based on a legend about an elf-king. The accompaniments of many of his songs would paint a picture like a rustling brook or a horse riding through the night. He wrote 3 song cycles including The lovely Maid of the Mill and Writers Journey, both of which are based on poems by Wilhelm Mller. Schubert also wrote Chamber music and piano works. His string quartets and piano trios ended the line of Viennese Classicism. In total, Schubert wrote over 1000 works including, 9 symphonies, 7 masses, 5 operas but no concertos.

Frederic Chopin Life and Music

Chopin was considered the national composer of Poland. His father emigrated to Warsaw, where he married a lady-in-waiting to a countess and taught French to the sons of the nobility. He was a musically gifted child, and was educated at the newly founded Conservatory of Warsaw. He left for Paris at the age of twenty-one, where he lived and worked among the leading intellectuals and artists of France. In the 1830s, Paris was the center of the new Romanticism. Through the virtuoso pianist Liszt, Chopin met Aurore Dudevant, known to the world as the novelist George Sand. She was 34, and he was 28 when their friendship began. She was brilliant and domineering; her need to dominate found its counterpoint in Chopins need to be ruled. For the next eight years, Chopin spent his summers at Sands estate at Nohant where she entertained many of Frances prominent artists and writers. These were very productive years for Chopin, although his health grew worse and his relationship with Sand ran its course from love to conflict, jealousy and hostility. They finally parted in bitterness. The lonely despair of the Romantic artist pervades Chopins last letters. He died of tuberculosis in Paris at the age of thirty-nine. Thousands joined together at his funeral to pay him homage. The world bid its farewell to the strains of Chopins own funeral march, from his Piano Sonata in B-flat minor. Chopin has been called the poet of the piano. His music, rooted in the heart of Romanticism, made this era the pianos golden age. Frederic Chopin is known for being one of the most original artists of the nineteenth century. He had a very unique style and almost his entire musical output was for solo piano. His music is known for frequently using chromaticism and having a unique rhythmic sense with the use of rubato. He originated the modern piano style and was able to use his instruments limitations and turn them to sources of beauty. He used gentle ornaments such as trills, grace notes and runs to prolong single notes and widely spaced chords in the bass. Chopin had a large musical output writing hundreds of pieces throughout his short life. He wrote preludes, etudes, impromptus, waltzes and many other forms of solo piano music. He based his Mazurkas and Polonaises on polish dances that he learnt when he was young. He showed a great deal of nationalism during his life, which was common thing during his era. Some of his greater forms were his 4 ballades, two sonatas and two piano concertos. His music influenced other composers during this time including Robert Schuman, who ended up naming one of his own songs after Chopin. Some of Chopins more popular works are his Funeral March and the

Revolutionary Etude. Currently over 250 of his works are known, with 58 of them being mazurkas.

Hector Berlioz - Life and Music

Hector Berlioz was a French composer born in 1803. His father was a physician and he expected his son to follow in the same footsteps. At the age of 18 Berlioz was sent to a medical school in Paris. However, he eventually left medicine for music. This decision shocked his family because of the fact that he had a chance to be a successful and well paid physician. He had been cut off from his parents and ended up giving music lessons and singing in a music chorus to make a living. During this time the Romantic revolution was developing in Paris. Berlioz became a big fan of Beethoven and Shakespeare. He fell deeply in love with an actress from an English troupe while seeing one of Shakespeares plays. He described this girl, Harriet Smithson in his memoirs, saying that he became obsessed with an overpowering sadness. Berlioz won the Prix de Rome in 1830. This scholarship gave him schooling in Rome for 3 years. When he left Rome he commenced a hectic courtship of Harriet Smithson. He attempted suicide but then recovered, and the two got married. Eventually Berliozs love for Smithson died off. He was more in love for her as character from Shakespeare plays. He finished writing most of his works by the age of 40. He ended up dying at the age of 66 in the year 1869. Hector Berlioz had a very unique approach to music. His compositions were wholly individual and he was a bold innovator of the nineteenth century. His works show many literacy influences from the nineteenth century. His Damnation of Faust was inspired by Faust, and The Corsair was inspired by English poet Lord Byron. He also received many inspirations from Shakespeare. Berliozs most important opera is The Trojans. Berlioz created the libretto himself for the opera after the ancient Roman poet Virgil. He also has many vocal works, including Requiem and Te Deum. He expresses great tenderness in his oratorio The Childhood of Christ. His scores called for the largest orchestras that have ever been used and he created many new musical effects. Felix Weigngartner even called him the creator of the modern orchestra.

Claude Debussy - Life and Music

Igor Stravinsky - Life and Music

Igor Stravinsky was born in Oranienbaum, Russia on June 17th 1882. His father was the leading bass singer at the imperial Opera and allowed Stravinsky to take piano lessons. However, his musical education was kept on an amateur level because his parents wanted him to study law. Despite of this, Stravinsky still continued his musical studies while at the University of St. Petersburg. He worked with Russian composer Rimsky-Korsakov for 3 years, after showing him his compositions at the age of 20. He acquired great success when his music attracted the notice of Serge Diaghilev, the legendary impresario of the Paris based Russian Ballet. Diaghilev commissioned Stravinsky to write the score for The Firebird. He also composed Petrushka, a work that put him at the forefront of the modern movement. In 1914, at the start of World War I, Stravinsky and his family took refuge in Switzerland. After 6 years, he left Switzerland and settled for France. He stayed there till 1939 and gave many concerts, preforming his own music as a pianist and conductor. In 1939 he was invited to deliver lectures at Harvard University. He decided to stay in California after World War II began. He gave concert tours around the world and became one of the most famous musicians of the century. He died on April 6th 1971 in New York Stravinskys style of music kept evolving throughout his career. He was a leader in the revitalization of rhythm in European art music as he experimented boldly with rhythm and new instrumental combinations. His musical language explores the percussive use of dissonance as well as polyrhythm. He received great success from composing for ballet, where rhythm is linked with body movement and expressive gesture. He showed Russian nationalism in many of his early works, especially his ballets. Several Major works came from his neoclassical period, including Oedipus Rex, an opera-oratorio whose text comes from a Greek tragedy by Sophocles.

Alexina Louie - Life and Music

Alexina Louie was born in Vancouver, Canada on July 30th, 1949. She started playing piano at the age of 7 and she received her ARCT at the age of 17 while studying with Jean Lyons. In the year 1970 she received a Bachelor of Music in Music History from the University of British Columbia. 4 years later she received a Master of Arts in Composition from the University of California in San Diego. She is married to Alex Pauk and has two daughters. She moved to Toronto in 1980 after teaching piano, theory and electronic composition in Los Angeles. She now works as a freelance composer for concert, dance, television and film. She has composed music for virtually every major genre. One of her earliest compositions was an electronic piece called Molly completed in 1972. She has many piano compositions including Scenes from a Jade Terrace, Distant Memories and Leap through the Sky with Stars. She also has many chamber music compositions including The Distant Shore for piano trio and Edges for string quartet. Orchestral Scores include The Ringing Earth and The Eternal Earth. She composed a full-length opera with playwright David Henry Hwang. Her work has also given her many awards. She was named Composer of the Year in 1986 and received a Juno award in 1988 and 1998.

La Primavera from Le Quattro Stgioni (Spring, Four Seasons) Vivaldi

Messiah - Handel
The Messiah is an English oratorio composed by George Frederic Handel. The work was composed in London during the summer of 1741 and premiered in Dublin, Ireland on 13 April 1742. The libretto was written by Charles Jennens and is taken entirely from biblical verses of both the Old and New Testament. Not only is this piece one of Handels most famous, but its also one of the most popular works in Western choral literature. The composition was repeatedly revised by Handel and eventually reached its most familiar version in the performance to benefit the Foundling Hospital in 1754. The oratorio featured 3 main parts. The first part related to the prophecy and birth of Christ, the second was about his suffering and death, and the last part related to the redemption of the world. The first part of the Oratorio is the Christmas Section. This part is called The Annunciation and has the following 6 scenes: the prophecy of Salvation, the prophecy of the coming of the Messiah, portents to the world at large, prophecy of the Virgin Birth, the appearance of the Angel to the shepherds, and Christ's miracles. The Christmas section starts with a French overture in the key of E minor. The overture begins with a slow introduction section followed by a fast imitative style section. In total the first section has 21 movements, with many of the movements being a chorus, aria or recitative. The Second part of the Oratorio is the Easter section. This section was called The Passion and focuses on the suffering and death of Christ. The section includes a total of 7 scenes. A few of them are Christs death, Christs resurrection and Christs ascension. At the end of this section comes the climax of the oratorio, the hallelujah chorus. This is the 44th movement of the oratorio and the last one of this section. The hallelujah chorus has 4 voices that give the movement lots of fullness. The chorus is in the key of D major and has a homorhythmic texture at first. As the chorus progresses there is imitative polyphony heard and voices start to build from lowest to highest. The next part is the redemption section. This is the 3rd and last part of Handels Messiah. The part is called The Aftermath and has 4 scenes which include: the promise of redemption from Adam's fall, judgment day, the victory over death and sin, and the glorification of Christ. Handel is known for his ability of text painting. This technique is apparent in this work as the melody mimics the text in many places. Messiah was composed for SATB soloists and chorus, as well a few other types of instruments. The score was however later expanded for an orchestra with more types of instruments by Mozart. After a total of 42 movements the oratorio comes to an end with a performance that normally lasts over 2 hours. The piece will certainly be remembered as one of Handels best works.

Prelude and Fugue in C minor - Bach

In 1722 Johann Sebastian Bach wrote his first book of preludes and fugues. The book was comprised of a collection of 24 preludes and fugues, and was named The Well-Tempered Clavier. During his life Bach wrote two of these collections, each having 24 preludes and fugues for every major and minor key. They were written for keyboard instruments and are considered to be one of the most influential works in western classical history. One of his better known preludes and fugues was the second one from his first book, which is the Prelude and fugue in C minor. The prelude starts in its home key of C minor with a time signature of 4/4. The piece is 39 bars long and has a homophonic texture. Up until the presto section of the prelude, only 16th notes were used and almost always the first half of a bar was mirrored in the second half. Up to bar 35 the song had a simple allegro speed and gave out an agitated type of feeling. The prelude then speeds up to presto until the beginning of the adagio section at bar 34. The adagio section starts with a chord in the left hand followed by scales in the right. The prelude then returns back to normal speed and ends with an E natural which gives off a major sound and is almost like a Tierce de Picardie. The prelude is followed by a fugue that has three voices and a time signature of 4/4. The key signature doesnt change as the fugue is in the same key as the prelude. The fugue goes on for a total of 31 bars and is polyphonic because of the multiple voices it has. The 3 voices can be labelled as soprano alto and bass, and the independence of each is maintained until the last two bars. The fugue starts with the exposition where each voice comes in one by one. The first voice that comes in is considered to be the subject and is in the tonic key. It begins on the note C, emphasizes the dominant note G (downbeat of bar 2) and ends on the mediant note. The subject is then followed by a real answer, which is basically the subject transposed up to G. This fugue is quite extraordinary as it has 2 countersubjects and some fugues have none at all. The episodes in this fugue are mainly scalar and appear for a total of 4 times. The song eventually ends with a

pedal point under a series of triads and then finishes with a concluding chord of C major, which means the song has a tierce de Picardie.

Quinten (String Quartet) - Haydn

The Quinten is a string quartet written by Franz Joseph Haydn. The work was written in 1797 and is the second quartet from a total of 6 from Haydns Opus 76. The name Quinten refers to the interval of a fifth thats heard prominently in several themes. The First movement is in a sonata-allegro form, in D minor. The movement begins with the falling 5ths that give the quartet its name and then continues with a tight, economic style containing lots of imitation among the four instruments. The second movement is in a theme and variations form. It starts off in D major but switches to D minor halfway through. This movement has a graceful theme as well as graceful variations. The third movement is a minuet and trio in D minor. This movement has a strict imitative texture. Sometimes its called the Witches Minuet because of the harsh harmonies it has. The trio section also maintains the tension. The Fourth movement is in sonata-allegro form. It has a quick tempo and folk like character. It starts off in D minor but then changed to D major half through. The first theme has strong syncopations and is reminiscence of a Hungarian dance tune. Its played by the first violin and is made up of two parts, each stated twice. The second theme is a gentle duet between the two violins in the key of F major. The Exposition then closes with a more animated and disjunct theme played over a pedal point in the cello. The development is short and is based on the second theme and also contains a pedal point played on the note A. The recapitulation starts off with the first theme in D minor but then is played softly in D major by the first violin. Then the second theme is heard in D major and the song finishes with a coda that builds up to fortissimo chords to end the song.

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik - Mozart

Symphony No. 5 - Beethoven

The symphony was written by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven, starting in 1807 and finishing in early 1808. Now it has become one of the most popular works from the classical era. Beethoven wrote 9 symphonies in total. This one was from his middle period which contained many large-scale works. The symphony has the opus number 67 and is comprised of 4 movements. It premiered in Vienna on December 22, 1808. The piece starts with its first movement, allegro con brio in the key of C minor. The movement is in sonata-allegro form and has a 2/4 time signature. The first theme starts off with the famous short-short-short-long motif, first played on short Gs and a long E-flat, and then short Fs and a long D. The second theme, played by the woodwinds in E-flat major is much more lyrical and peaceful then the first. The closing theme finishes the exposition which is played twice before moving on to the development. The development begins with the horns and contains lots of manipulation of the 4 note motif. The recapitulation starts with the first theme played in C minor and then the second theme played in C major. The movement now ends with a powerful coda in the key of C minor containing many fortissimo chords based on the 4 note motif. The second movement is in a theme and variations form with a 3/8 time signature and a key of A-flat major. The first theme has a broad, flowing melody, heard in the low strings. The second is based on an upward-thrusting motif. Some of the variations of the first theme include embellishment with 16th notes, embellishment with 32nd note, and shifting into a minor key. The movement ends with the coda which is played faster. The third movement is a scherzo and trio in C minor. This movement is in 3/4 time and continues to use the 4 note rhythmic idea from the first movement. The Scherzo consists of a rising rocket theme heard in the low strings whereas the trio theme is in C major and in double basses. The scherzo gets played again but this time with varied orchestration. The movement ends with the motif rhythm played on the note C by the tympani. The 4th and last movement is an allegro-sonata form in the key of C major. The first theme has a powerful melody based on a C major chord and then has a lyrical transition played by the French horns. The second theme is in G major containing a vigorous melody made up of triplets. The exposition then ends with a closing theme featuring clarinets and violas. The development brings back the 4 note motif and has brief recurrence of scherzo. The recapitulation has both themes in C major and then ends with an extended coda.

Erlking - Schubert
In 1815 Franz Schubert composed Erlking. The work is a through-composed Lied, meaning it has no repetition or form. It was written for piano and a solo voice, and starts in the key of D minor. The song is based on the Erlking legend, where anyone who is touched by the king of elves dies. The story consists of 4 characters, each sung by one vocalist. The narrator, which is sang in the middle register and a minor key; the father, which sings in the low register and minor key; the son, which sings in a high register and a minor key; and the Erlking, which sings in the medium range and a major key. The song starts off with a piano introduction in the minor key. The piano consists of fast repeated octaves in triplets, simulating a horses hooves. The octaves start on Gs and continue to different notes. The narrator voice starts singing about the father and son riding through the night. The father voice then asks the son why he hides his face in fear. The son tells him about the Erlking, but the Father says its just his imagination. The Erlking voice then comes in in a major key, giving a false sense of security. The Erlking tries to calm the son down and tells him that they can play games together. The son, now very frightened tells the father what he saw, but the father says its just the wind rustling in the dry leaves. The Erlking comes in again and tells the son that its daughters will take care of him. Once again the son cries out My Father, my Father but the father replies that its just the gray sheen coming from the trees. The Erlking speaks to the son for the last time. This time, in a very terrified voice the son tells the father that the Erlking has hurt him. The narrator ends in a speech-like voice saying the son died in his fathers arms.

Polonaise in A major - Chopin

Chopins Polonaise in A major (op. 40, no. 1) for solo piano, written in 1838, is nicknamed Military as it personifies military splendour, which was also recognized by Liszt. It contains a triple-meter rhythm in allegro con brio that derives from the traditional dance and is in ternary dance form, as it is in 3-part dance from with short repeated sections and variations. This work can be characterized by its use of traditional polonaise rhythm and marvellous writing in martial style. The opening section consists of a dotted-rhythm, martial theme in A major that also involves triplets. It is and 8-measure phrase that is repeated, leading to an alternation of the original motive, followed by a repeat of the opening team. These two small sections are once again repeated, leading to the trio. The trio section is characterized by bold rhythmic chords and displaced octaves in D major. It begins with a disjoint, descending right-hand melody with the polonaise rhythm accompanying in the left hand. This opening section is then repeated. The second section of the trio consists of trills in the bass that alternate with dense, strong chords in the polonaise rhythm in both hands. The rhythm continues to build to a fortissimo climax. The second part of the trio is also repeated. The original theme returns once again in A major, but this time without repeats. Chopins music also involves temp rubato, translated as robbed time, which is a Romantic characteristic that allows certain liberties be taken with the rhythm without affecting the basic beat. Chopin favoured playing the left hand in strict time and hesitating or hurrying the right hand. When done effectively, tempo rubato becomes essential to Chopins music.

Symphonie Fantastique - Berlioz

The program symphony was written by Hector Berlioz in 1830. The symphony takes its story from Berliozs life. The program is about a young musician who poisoned himself with opium. But the opium was too weak to kill the musician and plunges him into a heavy sleep where he sees strange visions. The symphony contains the ide fixe, French for fixed idea which symbolizes the musicians beloved. The symphony is made up of 5 movements, with the first being Reveries, Passions. In this movement the musician remembers the weariness of soul he knew before meeting his beloved, the volcanic love that she inspired him with and the delirious suffering of his religious consolation. The fixed idea is seen as a soaring melody in the allegro section. The second movement is called A Ball. This movement is in a ternary form with the fixed idea appearing in the middle section. Here the musician sees his beloved during the exciting dance. The third movement is called Scene in the fields The program depicts a summer evening where the musician hears two shepherds piping, and then his beloved appears again and painful forebodings fill his soul. In this movement the composer tries to establish a mood of sorrowful loneliness. The fourth movement is called March to the scaffold. In this part of program the musician dreams that he kills his beloved, and then is condemned to die by a scaffold. The fixed idea appears for an instance, representing a last thought of love before his death. This movement is a march in minor mode, with a duple meter. The fixed idea is heard at the very end played by a clarinet but is cut off by a fortissimo chord. The head rolling on the ground can be heard as well as the cheers of the crowd. The last movement is called Dream of a Witches Sabbath. It starts with a larghetto. The religious chant Dies Irae (Day of wrath) heightens the mood. The

Dies Irae is scored for bassoons and tuba but was originally written for an ophicleide which is now a no longer used instrument. The Dance of the Witches can be heard and begins with low strings and then ends up fading out. The movement over all has a very nightmarish mood and is filled with unusual instrumental effect.

Carmen Summary - Bizet

Acts I and II The story starts off with Don Jos, a soldier who falls in love with a beautiful, gypsy girl named Carmen. Don Jos has been planning to marry Micaela, but the desire for Carmen grips him with obsessive force. Don Jos then arrests Carmen for fighting with another woman but Carmen seduces him with a Sequidilla and he lets her escape. Carmen tries to lure him into her band of smugglers but he refuses. Joss superior officer, Lieutenant Zuniga, tires making love to Carmen, which results in Jos attacking him and eventually joining the group of smugglers. Acts III While in a hideout, Jos reflects on his life and how Carmen left him for the handsome bullfighter Escamillo. Carmen and her friends open a deck of cards and tell their fortunes. Carmen draws the ace of spades which means death. Micaela comes looking for Jos hoping to rescue him from his madness. Escimillo and Don Jos fight but MIcaela persuades him to leave. Jos Warns Carmen that they will meet again. Acts IV Outside the bullring in Seville, Escimillo enters with Carmen on his arms. Carmen faces Jon Jos with a tense and volcanic encounter. He begs her to go with him but he refuses. He then stabs Carmen and kneels beside her body.

Carmen (Quand Section) - Bizet

This is a small section of Carmen, an opera written by George Bizet in 1875. The section is short, lasting only 30 seconds. It brings an end to the 4th scene and is preceded by the 5th scene, which is started with the Habanera. The section begins with Carmen having a quick look in the direction of the unaware Jose. She then starts singing with the line Quand je vous aimerai?, which is French for When I shall love you? . She continues singing about how she doesnt know when she will love him. Perhaps never, perhaps tomorrow, but not today, thats certain she says. The section is lightly accompanied by strings, giving off an agitated feeling and prepares for the Habanera.

The Rite of Spring - Stravinsky

The rite of spring was written by Russian composer Igor Stravinsky. The piece is a ballet but its often performed as a concert piece for orchestra. It was choreographed by Vaslav Nijinsky and premiered in Paris on May 29 1913 at the Thtre des Champs-lyses. It has the subtitle "Pictures from Pagan Russia". The work is divided into 2 parts, each with an introduction and several scenes. The piece has violent rhythmic conflicts created by changing meters and shifting accents. Many of its melodies are based on folk songs and it contains blocks of sound that alternate and merge together. The introduction of the Part 1 has a slow tempo and no key signature. The time signature starts in 2/4 but switches between 2/4 and 3/4 during the section. The main instruments of the section are the, clarinets, pizzicato violins and bassoon. The bassoon starts with a folk tune melody played in its uppermost range. This depicts the awakening of the Earth in spring. The introduction is concluded with the same melody played once again by bassoon. The string then follow with a quiet 4 note motive played pizzicato. The Introduction is then followed by the first scene called the Dance of the Youths and Maidens. The tempo is twice as fast as in the introduction and the key signature is now 3 flats. The strings, woodwinds and brass now form the principal instruments. The strings begin with harsh, strong, percussive chords with

unpredictable accents. The English horn then plays the pizzicato motive from the introduction. The opening chords briefly return and then the bassoons play the syncopated folk melody over the accented string chords. The English horn and trumpet then alternate with a 4-note motive and flutes later repeate this theme. The scene ends with the first theme coming back with the texture being abruptly reduced. The second scene of the first part is much faster than the first. It has a presto tempo and added timpanis. The scene starts with sustained chords, scurrying string sounds and syncopated accents. The woodwinds and piccolo trumpet play a folk theme with a dense texture and constantly changing timbres. The horns then introduce a new motive consisting of an alternating interval of a fourth. A new thematic idea is then seen with changing meters and a homorhythmic texture. The horn motive returns and eventually a series of loud chords and a sustained trill end the scene.

West Side Story - Leonard Bernstein

Distant Memories - Alexina Louie

French Revolution
The French revolution started in 1789 and ended in 1802. The revolution took place in France and drastically changed the government, administration, military and culture of the nation. The upheaval plunged Europe into a series of wars but also inspired many artists during that time. It all started with the formation of the National Assembly on 17 June 1789. The French people wanted to end tax exemptions and special privileges given to the upper class, and the civil unrest grew in size. Less than a month later, a crowd stormed Paris' Bastille prison and released many of the prisoners there. Eventually the fighting stopped as Napoleon was becoming Emperor of France. It is believed that more than 40,000 people died during the Terror.

Industrial Revolution
The Industrial Revolution started in the 18th century and carried on to the 19th century. Many major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, transportation, and technology took place. The changes had a profound effect on the social, economic and cultural conditions of the times. The revolution began in the United Kingdom, and then spread throughout Europe, North America, and eventually the world. This period in time was a turning point in history and had an influence on almost every part of human life. The standards of living were increased and there was a large rise inaa population.