Baroque Period (1600-1750)

Baroque Period (1600-1750)

• Johann Sebastian Bach was a master of counterpoint and form
• Bach is known for works like The Well-Tempered Clavier and Brandenburg Concertos
• George Frideric Handel is known for oratorios like Messiah and operas like Giulio Cesare
• Antonio Vivaldi is famous for The Four Seasons and numerous concertos for violin
• Domenico Scarlatti is known for keyboard sonatas with Spanish influence
• Henry Purcell was an important English composer, and is noted for Dido and Aeneas and The Fairy Queen
• Basso Continuo involves a continuous bass line often played by cello/bassoon and harpsichord
• Ornamentation: Heavy use of trills, appoggiaturas, and mordents to embellish melodies
• Contrast: Sudden shifts exist between different textures
• Counterpoint involves the use of independent voices that intertwine, seen in fugues and canons
• Terraced Dynamics are abrupt changes in volume
• Small Vibrato: A more restrained, subtle vibrato compared to later periods
• Detached Bowing involves an emphasis on light, separated strokes, especially in fast movements
• Frequent Ornaments: Trills, mordents, and appoggiaturas are often used as part of the melody
• Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 was written by Bach
• The Four Seasons was written by Vivaldi
• Messiah was written by Handel
• Violin Sonata in D Minor was written by Scarlatti

Classical Period (1750-1820)

• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is known for symphonies, operas, and chamber music
• Eine kleine Nachtmusik and Don Giovanni are iconic works
• Ludwig van Beethoven's early works, like his Symphony No. 1 and Piano Sonatas, paved the way for Romanticism
• Joseph Haydn is known as the "Father of the Symphony" and "Father of the String Quartet"
• Haydn wrote Symphony No. 94 (“Surprise”) and String Quartet Op. 33 No. 2
• Christoph Willibald Gluck reformed opera, and is known for Orfeo ed Euridice
• Clear Melody & Accompaniment focuses on the melody, with a clear, simpler accompaniment
• Sonata Form includes a common structure with exposition, development, and recapitulation
• Sonata Form is used in symphonies, sonatas, and quartets
• Balanced Phrasing is symmetrical, with easily recognizable phrases with cadences
• Lighter Textures place a focus on homophonic textures rather than contrapuntal
• Clear Articulation uses bowing techniques for precise, clean sound, especially for fast passages
• Fast Bow Strokes are light and fast, with a focus on agility and clarity
• Expressive Vibrato enhances lyrical passages but is more restrained than later periods
• Eine kleine Nachtmusik was written by Mozart
• Piano Sonata No. 8 “Pathétique” was written by Beethoven
• String Quartet Op. 33 No. 2 (“The Joke”) was written by Haydn

Romantic Period (1820-1900)

• Franz Schubert is known for his lieder (art songs) and symphonies
• Schubert wrote Symphony No. 9 ("The Great") and Ave Maria
• Johannes Brahms was a master of symphonic and choral music
• Brahms wrote Violin Concerto and Hungarian Dances
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky is known for his ballets and symphonic works
• Tchaikovsky wrote Violin Concerto and The Nutcracker
• Giuseppe Verdi was a renowned opera composer
• Verdi wrote La Traviata and Aida
• Richard Wagner was a key figure in opera
• Richard Wagner wrote The Ring Cycle and Tristan und Isolde
• Emotional Expression sees music explores intense emotional states
• Larger Orchestras expanded brass and percussion sections to create a richer, more dramatic sound
• Rubato lets the performer subtly speed up or slow down the music for expressive purposes
• Expansive Melodies create long, sweeping phrases that carry the emotional weight of the piece
• Chromaticism describes a greater use of notes outside the key, creating a sense of instability and tension
• Wide Vibrato is a more expressive vibrato that adds warmth and drama to the sound
• Expressive Rubato provides slight tempo variations to enhance the emotional content of the music
• Fuller Bowing sees use of the whole bow, especially in slower movements, to create a broader sound
• Violin Concerto was written by Tchaikovsky
• Symphony No. 5 was written by Brahms
• The Valkyrie was written by Wagner

Impressionist Period (1875-1925)

• Claude Debussy lead the French Impressionist movement
• Debussy wrote Clair de Lune and Prélude à l'après-midi d'un faune
• Maurice Ravel is known for his impressionistic works
• Ravel wrote Boléro and Daphnis et Chloé
• Erik Satie is known for his minimalist and atmospheric works
• Satie wrote Gymnopédies and Gnossiennes
• Tone Color focuses on the colors of sound rather than traditional harmony or melody
• Non-traditional Scales uses whole-tone scales, modes, and chromaticism to create unique textures
• Fluidity creates a lack of rigid structure, with music often floating or meandering
• Unresolved Harmonies occur when chords and melodies do not resolve in the traditional sense
• Light Bow Strokes provide delicate, airy, and gentle sounds, often used in creating a shimmering texture
• Portamento describes sliding between notes to create a smooth transition
• Pizzicato involves frequent use of plucking strings to create different textures and colors
• Clair de Lune was written by Debussy
• Boléro was written by Ravel
• Gymnopédies was written by Satie

20th Century/Modern Period (1900-present)

• Igor Stravinsky is known for his ballets and orchestral works
• Stravinsky wrote The Rite of Spring and Firebird Suite
• Arnold Schoenberg pioneered atonality and twelve-tone technique
• Schoenberg wrote Suite for Piano, Op. 25
• Béla Bartók integrated folk music with modernist techniques
• Bartók wrote Concerto for Orchestra and Six String Quartets
• Dmitri Shostakovich is known for his symphonies and chamber music
• Shostakovich wrote Symphony No. 5 and String Quartet No. 8
• John Adams is a key minimalist composer
• Adams wrote Short Ride in a Fast Machine and Harmonielehre
• Atonality describes music that does not center around a key, creating dissonance and unpredictability
• Polyrhythms use the simultaneous use of contrasting rhythms, creating complexity
• Serialism uses a fixed series of notes or rhythms in place of traditional harmony
• Extended Techniques use unconventional sounds or methods of playing instruments
• Jazz and Folk Influences: The incorporation of popular music styles into classical forms
• Extended Techniques: Harmonics, sul ponticello (playing near the bridge), left-hand pizzicato
• Fast, Irregular Bow Strokes are required in faster, more dissonant music to produce the unique textures of modernism
• Varied Vibrato is used to an extreme degree for emotional effect
• The Rite of Spring was written by Stravinsky
• Suite for Piano, Op. 25 was written by Schoenberg
• Concerto for Orchestra was written by Bartók
• Double Stops involve playing two notes simultaneously on different strings
• Tremolo involves rapid bowing of a single note to create a dramatic effect
• Col legno describes striking the strings with the wooden part of the bow
• Left-hand Pizzicato involves plucking the string with the left hand while still holding the bow with the right

Music Terms

• Allegro: Fast, lively tempo
• Andante: A moderate, walking tempo
• Adagio: Slow tempo
• Presto: Very fast tempo
• Pianissimo (pp): Very soft
• Piano (p): Soft
• Forte (f): Loud
• Fortissimo (ff): Very loud
• Crescendo (cresc.): Gradually getting louder
• Decrescendo (decresc.): Gradually getting softer
• Sforzando (sfz): A sudden, strong accent on a note or chord
• Rubato: Flexible tempo, where the performer can slow down or speed up the rhythm for expressive purposes
• Legato: Smooth and connected notes, without noticeable separation
• Staccato: Short, detached notes with a distinct separation
• Accent (>): Emphasis on a note, usually making it louder or more pronounced
• Marcato: Marked, with a strong emphasis
• Tenuto (–): Held note, sometimes slightly longer than its normal duration
• Fermata (𝄐): A symbol indicating that the note or rest should be held longer than its usual value
• Dolce: Sweetly, with a soft, tender expression
• Espressivo: Expressively, with feeling
• Con brio: With vigor, lively
• Con moto: With movement, often used to indicate that the tempo should have some momentum
• Pizzicato (Pizz.): Plucking the strings of the violin with the fingers rather than using the bow
• Sul ponticello: Playing close to the bridge of the violin, producing a glassy, ethereal sound
• Chromatic involves Using notes outside the key or scale, often producing dissonance
• Dissonance: A harsh, unstable sound, often leading to resolution
• Consonance: A stable, harmonious sound
• Modulation: Changing the key within a piece
• Tonic: The first note of a scale, which serves as the home or root note
• Dominant: The fifth note of the scale, creating tension that resolves back to the tonic
• Subdominant: The fourth note of the scale, often leading to the dominant or tonic
• Sonata Form: A structure used in symphonies, sonatas, and concertos, typically consisting of three sections: Exposition, Development, and Recapitulation
• Theme and Variations: A musical form where a theme is repeated and altered in each variation
• Rondo Form: A form where a main theme alternates with contrasting sections (ABACABA, for example)
• Fugue: A type of counterpoint, where a theme (subject) is introduced and imitated in different voices
• Binary Form: A musical structure with two contrasting sections (AB)
• Ternary Form: A structure with three parts, typically in an A-B-A pattern
• Minuet and Trio: A dance form with three sections, often used in Classical symphonies and sonatas
• Clef: A symbol at the beginning of the staff that indicates the pitch range (e.g., treble clef, bass clef)
• Key Signature: A set of sharps or flats at the beginning of the staff indicating the key of the piece
• Time Signature: Indicates the number of beats in a measure and what note value gets one beat (e.g., 4/4, 3/4, 6/8)
• Accidental: A symbol that alters the pitch of a note (sharp (#), flat (b), or natural)
• Tie: A curved line connecting two notes of the same pitch, indicating they should be played as a single, sustained note
• Double Stop: Playing two notes simultaneously on different strings
• Harmonics: A technique where the violinist lightly touches a string at specific points to create a bell-like, high-pitched sound
• Trill: A rapid alternation between two notes, usually a half-step or whole-step apart
• Spiccato: A bowing technique where the bow bounces off the string to create a light, detached sound
• Col legno: Playing the strings with the wood of the bow instead of the hair
• Glissando: A continuous slide from one pitch to another, often used for expressive purposes

Time Signatures and Rhythmic Notes

• 4/4: Common time has four beats per measure, and a quarter note gets one beat
• 3/4: Used for waltzes, there are three beats per measure and the quarter note gets one beat
• 2/4: Used in marches, there are two beats per measure and the quarter note gets one beat
• 6/8: Compound time has six beats per measure, and the eighth note gets one beat
• 9/8: Compound time has nine beats per measure, with the eighth note getting one beat
• 12/8: Compound time has twelve beats per measure, with the eighth note getting one beat
• 5/4: Complex time has five beats per measure, with the quarter note getting one beat
• 7/8: Complex time has seven beats per measure, with the eighth note getting one beat
• Whole Note (Semibreve): Lasts four beats
• Half Note (Minim): Lasts two beats
• Quarter Note (Crotchet): Lasts one beat
• Eighth Note (Quaver): Lasts 1/2 beat
• Sixteenth Note (Semiquaver): Lasts 1/4 beat
• A dot next to a note increases its duration by half of its original value
• Dotted Whole Note: 6 beats (4 + 2)
• Dotted Half Note: 3 beats (2 + 1)
• Dotted Quarter Note: 1.5 beats (1 + 0.5)
• Transposition refers to changing the key of a piece of music, or moving the notes up or down to a different pitch level
• Transposition: Shifting the notes by a specific interval
• B♭ instruments transpose up by a major second
• F instruments transpose up by a perfect fifth
• C instruments do not transpose
• Beams connect notes to show they should be played as part of a continuous rhythm
• One beam represents eighth notes (2 per beat)
• Two beams represent sixteenth notes (4 per beat)