Chapter 3: Color, Texture, and Form

Dynamics: How loud or soft the music is Terminology in Italian TermMusical SymbolDefinition FortissimoffVery loud FortefLoud Mezzo fortemfModerately loud Mezzo pianompModerately soft PianopSoft PianissimoppVery soft

ColorColor Color / Timbre Voice: Classified by range into 4 parts – Soprano, (Mezzo soprano), Alto, Tenor, (Baritone), Bass

Musical Instruments Instrument families have the same basic shape and are made of the same materials – Strings, woodwinds, brasses, percussion, keyboard

Strings Violin, Viola, Cello, Bass (Listening Guide, p. 36) – Core of the Western symphony orchestra – Different string playing techniques Vibrato: Pizzicato: Tremolo: Trill:

Harp: Glissando: Arpeggio:

Woodwinds Flute: Piccolo: Clarinet: Oboe: English horn: Bassoon: – Contrabassoon: The lowest instrument of the orchestra Saxophone: Listening Guide: pg

Brasses Trumpet: Mute: A plug placed in the bell of the instrument to lessen the sound Trombone: French horn: Tuba: Listening Guide, pg. 38

Percussion Some percussion instruments are pitched – Timpani: percussion instrument most often heard in classical music Non-pitched percussion instruments: – Snare Drum, Bass drum, Cymbals

Keyboard Instruments Pipe organ: – Stop:

Keyboard Instruments Harpsichord Most popular during the Baroque Era Piano Invented around 1700

The Symphony Orchestra Originated during the seventeenth century Early 18th century: musicians Late 18th century: musicians 19th century: around 100 musicians Around 1800, a conductor became necessary as ensembles expanded and pieces became more complex – Orchestral score: Listening Cue: Practice identifying instruments of the orchestra on CourseMate Listening Exercise 3.1

Texture Texture: Vincent Van Gogh’s Branch of an Almond Tree in Blossom (1890)

Three Primary Textures in Music Monophony: Unison: Homophony:

Polyphony: Counterpoint:

Identifying Texture The “Hallelujah” chorus from The Messiah by George Frideric Handel (pg. 45)

FORM Form: Use of statement, repetition, contrast, and variation

Five Favorite Musical Forms Strophic Form: AA – Listening example: pg. 47 (“Lullaby” by Brahms”) Theme and Variations: A A 1 A 2 A 3 A 4 – Listening example: pg. 48 (“Variations on Twinkle Twinkle” by Mozart)

Binary Form: A B – Listening example: pg. 48 (“Andante” from The Surprise Symphony by Haydn) Ternary Form: A B A – Listening example: pg. 49 (“Dance of the Reed Pipes” from The Nutcracker by Tchaikovsky)

Rondo Form: ABACA or ABACABA – Listening example: pg. 50 (“Rondeau” by Mouret)