Art Appreciation Preliminaries I: Music as an Art

Definition and Origins of Music

• Music is defined as an art form that organizes sound and silence in varied patterns and contexts.
• The term 'mousike' originates from ancient Greece, referring to the art of the Muses, encompassing music, dance, and poetry.

Elements of Music

• Rhythm in music is characterized by patterns of beats and the timing of sounds and silences.
• Melody denotes the part of music that can be sung or played, often forming the main theme.
• Tempo refers to the speed of a piece of music, indicating how fast or slow it is played.
• Harmony involves the combination of melodies and chord structures, creating depth and richness in music.

Musical Genres and Types

• OPM stands for Original Pilipino Music, signifying songs created in the Philippines.
• The relationship between melodies and harmonic elements is known as texture in music.
• Kundiman is a musical genre that emerged during the Spanish Tradition period (1521-1898).

Instrument Classification

• A chordophone is a class of musical instruments that produces sound through vibrating strings.
• 'Idiophones and membranophones' categorize instruments that generate sound through the material of the instrument itself or through membranes.

Musical Structure and Characteristics

• The overall plan or structure of a piece of music is referred to as its form.
• Dynamics describe the loudness or volume of a tone, contributing to the emotional expression of the music.

Vocal Ranges

• The voice type with a high register male voice is called a tenor.

Instrument Specialization

• The term 'labrophones' refers to instruments that produce sound through vibrating lips, such as brass instruments.

Notable Composers

• The composer known for Kundiman songs before World War II is Nicanor Abelardo.