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Guido of Arezzo (990-1050) published Micrologus in 1030. This treatise included his version of sight-singing syllables/solfege called Solimization. This prompted the use of the Hexachord system (ut, re, mi, fa, sol), the four line staff, relative pitch, the round b (flat), and the square b (natural).
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Ars Nova (New Art) was a style of music that came to be in 1323 in France. It opposed the previous style of music known as Ars Antiqua (Old Art). This treatise set up the basics of meter that we know today, as it introduced the breve, semibreve, and minum. These note values allowed for syncopation in music.
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"A Mighty Fortress is Our God"
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Palestrina is credited with saving polyphony from the Council of Trent. His Pope Marcellus Mass was dedicated to the pope and demonstrated that sacred text could be understood while sung in polyphony with six voices. This piece became a strong example for counterpoint, and includes prime examples of the "Palestrina Arch" (leaps followed by stepwise motion).
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Venice, Italy
Gabrieli's "Sonata Pian E Forte" was significant in the Renaissance Period for two reasons. It was one of the first pieces to specify what instruments play what part, and the two instruments were the cornetto and the sackbut. The other reason was that it was the first piece of music to designate dynamics throughout, hence the title translating to "Sonata for Soft and Loud." -
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"L'Orfeo" was the first opera to enter the "standard" repertory. It was commissioned by the Duke of Mantua for his daughter's wedding. Only men attended the first performance, and they were given a libretto to follow along with the performance.
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England began holding public concerts in 1670, which was the result of three trends:
1. The middle class people's desire to listen to music
2. More musicians serving in the royal court and in the theaters
3. Musicians needed additional income due to poor wages from royal services -
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With Vivaldi starting the trend of the Mature Baroque Concerto, "L'estro armonico" is still one of his most famous compositions. It was the most influential piece of music in the 18th century because it popularized Italian concerto style music throughout Europe.
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The first volume of J.S. Bach's "The Well-Tempered Clavier" showed the possibilities for playing in all keys and how to tune a clavier in near-equal temperament. Equal temperament was a new tuning system in the late 17th and early 18th centuries that allowed for an instrument to be tuned to all keys. This meant that thirds and sixths were more in tune than fourths or fifths. Volume 2 was later published in 1740.
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Rameau was a theorist and a composer during his lifetime. "Traité de l’harmonie" eventually became the most influential theoretical work, as it provided the basis for teaching functional harmony (listed below).
- Triad & 7th chord importance
- Defined root of the chord and its inversions
- Fundamental bass line
- Consonance vs. Dissonance
- Tonic, dominant, and subdominant were established and used to describe harmony.
- V7-I progression
- Each piece has a central tonic key despite modulations -
The Pre Classical Period coexisted with the late Baroque period.
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George Frederic Handel (1685-1759) was completed in 1741 and first performed in 1742 in Dublin during Lent. The libretto was taken from the Bible and it presents thoughts and ideas of the Christian faith from the prophecies of a messiah through the resurrection.
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The Viennese Classical Period created an international style of classical music in which many styles of classical music came together.
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Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges (1745-1799), was the Music Director of Concerts des Amateurs from 1773 to 1781. He was called "Le Mozart noir," and one of France's best composers, conductors, and violinists. U.S. President John Adams called him "the most accomplished man in Europe."
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With a libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte, "Don Giovanni" was based on the legend of Don Juan. It is set in Seville, Spain, however it is sung in Italian as decided by Mozart and Da Ponte. It is a dramma giocoso/jocular drama.
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Haydn's Symphony No. 94 - "Surprise" premiered in London in 1791.
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