HW

Listening Profile for Art of Listening Karl Middleman

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Musical Profile - Detailed 1. TITLE OF MUSIC AND NAME OF COMPOSER

2. FORM – When the form changes, other key elements frequently change, too. Identify the major sections using A, B etc. and identify what the major changes are with each section (change of instruments, dynamics, melody, etc.) BASIC FORMS A. Strophic Form: a design in VOCAL music, in which the same music is used for several different verses (strophes) of

words. [Example: "Deck the Halls" has many verses of words sung to the same music.]Verse 1 . . . Verse 2 . . . Verse 3 (etc.)

B. Through-composed: a structure in which there is no repeat or return of any large-scale musical section. [Example: Schubert's "Erlkönig".]ABCDE . . .

C. Binary Form: a two-part form in which both main sections are repeated (as indicated in the diagram by "repeat marks"). The basic premise of this form is contrast. It will usually appear as either: A B, or AA BB

D. Ternary Form: a three-part form featuring a return of the initial music after a contrasting section. Symmetry and balance are achieved through this return of material. It will often appear as A B A, or AA BA BA

3. PROMINENT INSTRUMENTS Woodwinds Flutes, Oboes, Clarinets, Bassoons Brass French horns, Trumpets, Trombones, Tuba Strings 1st Violins, 2nd Violins, Violas, Cellos, Basses, Harp Piano Harpsichord Timpani (Kettle drums) Percussion - Pitched Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Marimba (like a xylophone, but deeper and more mellow – often used in Latin and African music) Percussion – Non-pitched Snare Drum, Bass Drum, Tambourine, Triangle, Cymbals, Gong, Maracas, Guiros, Latin drums

4. MELODY a. Stepwise or arpeggiated (characterized by leaps) b. Phrases – regular (predictable, often with in regular groups) or irregular (unpredictable) c. Legato (notes connected) or Staccato (short notes that are disconnected) d. Sequences – repetitive patterns or no discernible patterns e. Cadences - points of rest

5. RHYTHM Regular or Irregular beat pattern Accelerando (speeding up) or Ritardando (slowing down)

Listening Profile for Art of Listening Karl Middleman

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6. METER

a. Is it counted in 2 or 3 b. Is it a compound meter (a larger umbrella-rhythm that includes smaller groupings of 2 and 3) such

as 4 (2 x 2) and 6 (2 x 3, or 3x 2). Or does it vacillate between groups of 2 and 3? Example: Leonard Bernstein’s America has two groups of 3 followed by three groups of 2. Both groupings fit within a larger umbrella-rhythm of 6.

c. Is the meter consistent or unpredictable

7. TEMPO – the speed --- slow or fast From slow to fast: Adagio, Andante, Moderato, Allegretto, Allegro, Vivace, Presto

8. HARMONY a. Major b. Minor c. Alternating between Major and Minor

9. TEXTURE A. Type of Texture

Monophonic – one voice or instrument, or multiple instruments playing the same melody line with no harmony – Ex. Chant, some Irish music, Call and Response

Homophonic – one main melody accompanied by chords – Ex. Star Spangled Banner

Polyphonic – Two or more melodies at the same time doing different things of relatively equal interest – Ex. Bach Fugue, School children’s rounds such as Row, Row, Row Your Boat

B. Is the texture thick or thin, consistent or changing

10. DYNAMICS (Note whether the dynamics change)

Piano (soft)  Forte (loud) ppppp...pppp…ppp...pp …mp…mf…f…ff…fff…ffff…fffff extremely soft medium soft/loud extremely loud Crescendo (getting louder) Decrescendo (becoming softer)

11. DESCRIBE THE MUSIC… What is its character, its most striking elements? Does the music have a

message? Does it have a unifying idea?

Listening Profile for Art of Listening Karl Middleman

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