Essay 3
The Humanities Through the Arts Tenth Edition
Lee A. Jacobus │ F. David Martin
(NOTE: Pay particular attention to terms in italicized red font)
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Chapter 9
Music
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Introduction
Hearers do not analyze music, just recognize and appreciate a good tune.
They concentrate on associations evoked by music, not by music itself.
Listeners concentrate on form, details, and structure.
Concerned with those details that inform the hearer.
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Elements of Music, 1
Tone: sound with one definite frequency
Consonance: sounds coming together to appear pleasing
Dissonance: sounds coming together which seem unpleasant
Rhythm: accents and stresses of notes
Tempo: speed of sounds
Fig. 9-1. Notes of the piano keyboard
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Elements of Music, 2
Melodic material
Melodic line: vague melody
Theme: melody that undergoes significant modifications in later passages
Motive: powerful but small fragment of a theme (like the first four notes of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5).
Counterpoint: playing multiple melodies against each other
Harmony: notes played simultaneously
Dynamics: loudness or softness
Contrast: use of different instruments, tempos, dynamics
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The Subject Matter of Music: Feelings and Sound
Feelings
Emotions: strong sensations
Passions: intense emotions
Moods: can arise from no apparent stimulus
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Sound and Tonal Center
Sound
Can be subject matter much as color can be subject matter for a painting
Tonal relationships in music are different from nonmusical tones
Tonal Center
A melody written mainly in one scale is said to be in that key (the “key of F,” for example).
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Musical Structures
Theme and variation: clear statement of theme that is then varied
Rondo: The main tune at the beginning is repeated after each of the other melodies.
Fugue: specialized structure of counterpoint (17th and 18th centuries)
Sonata form: movement with three major sections; ideal for revealing the resources of melodic material (18th century).
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Symphony
One of the highest developments in history of Western music
Implies “sounding together”
Depends upon thematic development
Movements are flexible
Tempo can vary between movements
Fig. 9-6. The BBC Symphony Orchestra
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Blues and Jazz
Blues developed in African American communities of the South, particularly the Mississippi Delta region.
“Blue” notes (sharps and flats) gave the music a soulful feeling.
Jazz began in New Orleans, then moved up to Chicago.
Blue notes, playful counterpoint, and improvisation all characterize jazz.
Fig. 9-17. Louis Armstrong and his band
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Blues and Rock and Roll
Rock and roll has its roots in R&B (rhythm and blues).
Rock and jazz are countercultural art forms, often having sex as subject matter.
Les Paul popularized the Gibson solid-body electric guitar, a critical instrument for rock.
The Rolling Stones, as well as other rock groups, began writing their own music instead of performing music written by others.
Fig. 9-20. Mick Jagger and Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.
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Wrap-Up of the Chapter: Terms to Remember
Terms
Hearers
Listeners
Tone
Consonance
Dissonance
Rhythm
Tempo
Melodic line
Theme
Terms
Motive
Counterpoint
Harmony
Dynamics
Contrast
Sound
Tonal Center
Key
Terms
Theme
Variation
Rondo
Fugue
Sonata form
Symphony
Blues
Rock and roll
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