MUSIC IN THE MIDDLE AGES

MUSIC IN THE MIDDLE AGES

 In the Middle Ages music began to play an important role in religion. 

 In the monasteries the monks sang their melodies together. 

 This kind of music is known as
  Gregorian Chant.

Vocal music was sung in the monasteries by the monks.

They sang in latin.

A new kind of music was developing in villages,castles and palaces.

 People entertained themselves singing and dancing while minstrels and troubadours played for them.

Instrumental music was very important in the Middle Ages.

Instruments become increasingly more important.

It's a good example of how minstrels used to live and how did they play music.

MEDIEVAL INSTRUMENTS

This crafsman and his wife will show us so many instruments, enjoy the watching !

MANUEL DE FALLA

Manuel de Falla

 

Spanish composer born in Cádiz1876, and died in Argentina in 1946.

With Isaac Albéniz

 and Enrique Granados

he was one of the Spain's most important musicians of the first half of the 20th century.

Works:

"El retrato de Maese Pedro",1923.

"Atlántida",orchetral cantata.

Ballets:

"El amor brujo",1915

"El sombrero de tres picos",1919

"Noche en los jardines de España"

LANGUAGE OF MUSIC QUIZZ

Language of music.

Quizz.

1. The repetition dots that face each other indicate that:

a.we have to repeat the passage between the two.

b.we don't have to repeat anything.

c.we have to repeat from the beginning.

2. The signs that lengthen the notes are:

a.ties,repetition dots and the pause or fermata.

b.dots,pause and bar line.

c.pause,tie and accent.

3.We write the pause or fermata:

a.over or under a note or rest.

b.under the silent rests.

c.over the notes.

4. A tie is:

a.a dot.

b. a curved line.

c.a straight line.

5.The dot is a sign that :

a.divides a note by half its value.

b. makes a note longer by half its value.

c. multiplies by four the value of a note.

6. Fortissimo means:

a.a very loud sound.

b.a very soft sound.

c. a loud sound.

GIUSEPPE VERDI

GIUSEPPE VERDI

Giuseppe Verdi was born in Italy in 1813 and died in 1901.

He became one of the most important Italian composers and amongst the greatest in the world.

He loved the Italian traditinal music.

Italian composer of operas.

"Aida, Triumphal March"

"Nabucco,Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves"

"Rigoletto,La donna é mobile"

"La Traviata,Drinking Song"

Towards the end of his life,Verdi's style changed considerably and became more similar to Wagner´s music.

For further information click on these sites.

http://kidsmusiccorner.co.uk/composers/classical/verdi/

http://www.facts-about.org.uk/famous-people-facts-starting-with-g/giuseppe-verdi.htm

Have a proper look at this kids video.It´s worthy !

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6zTq9ApYno

INSTRUMENTS IN THE CLASSICAL PERIOD

INSTRUMENTS IN THE CLASSICAL PERIOD

The instruments of the Classical Period were constantly changing and evolving.

There're two main developments that are to be pointed out:

The piano.

The piano replaced graduallythe harpsichord because of its ability to play much more softly and subtly.

Enlargement of the orchestra.

The second major development in sound was the expansion of the orchestra.

With huge numbers of symphonies now being composed, the orchestra started to resemble the orchestras we can see in concer halls today.

The French horn now takes on more importance.

Haydn, Mozart, Beeth oven,Rossini,Paganini and many more, all wrote stunning works for the orchestra.

But it was Beethoven who really stretched the Classsical mould and laid the groundwork for the following period- the Romantic.

His symphonies especially grew to mammoth proportions.

Have a listen to the "Fith Symphony",composed between 1804-1808.

For getting deeper into the theme,I suggest you to click on the following site:

http://www.classicfm.com/discover/periods/classical/classical-music-beginners-guide/#PajivlQ8OzP1oQ9t.97

SONATA

Sonata is a musical form in three parts.

It was used in chamber music and music composed for orchestras.

This permitted them to express their feelings and develop the new music techniques emerged in this period.

Piano sonata "Rondo alla turca",Mozart

From the film "Amadeus"

THE CLASSICAL PERIOD TIMELINE AND MAIN COMPOSERS

The Classical Period spanned from the middle of the 18th century to the beginning of 19th century.

Between the the Baroque and the Romantic period.

It is characterized for being a period of freedom.

The best-known composers are F. Joseph Haydn and W.A.Mozart.

JOSEPH HAYDN
 (1732-1809)

The Austrian composer F.J.Haydn wrote as many as 104 symphonies,which include :

"The Surprise" 2nd movement.Andante

"The Farewells"

"The Clock"

WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART

 (1756-1791)

W.A.Mozart was one of the most influential composers of the classical era.
Amongst the most well-known operas  we can name:

"The Marriage of Figaro" Overture.

"Don Giovanni" 

From the film "Amadeus"

"The Magic Flute".Singspiel

BBC Animation.

CONCERTO GROSSO

Concerto grosso is a form of  Baroque music.

The musical material is passed between a small group of soloist-the concertino- and a full orchestra-the ripieno or concerto grosso/big concert.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BmCRCH-D5is

Listen to the opening of Bach's Bradenburg Corcert No4.

The solo group of violin and two flutes are prominent at the begining and are then joined by the ripieno strings.The harpsichord is playing the continuo.

.

This is in contrast to the solo concerto which features a single solo instrument with the melody line ,
accompanied by the orchestra.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/music/western_tradition/concerto1.shtml

VOYAGER GOLDEN RECORDINGS

They are phonograph records that were included aboard both "Voyager spacecrafts" launched in 1977.

Voyager 2 left the Solar System in 2004.

They contain sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth.

Contents.

The musical selection is very varied.

Featuring artists such as Bach,Mozart,Beethoven,Stravinsky,Guan Pinghu,Blind Willie Johnson,

Chuck Berry,Kersarbai Kerkar and Valya Balkanska.

From Bach was selected "Bradenburg Concert no2, Allegro movement"

For further information click on this site:

http://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/spacecraft/music.html

HARPSICHORD

A harpsichord is a musical instrument  played by means of a keyboard.

It produces sound by plucking a string when a key is pressed.

"Harpsichord" designates the whole family or similar plucked keyboard instruments,including the smaller virginals,muselar and spinets.

Jackson 5 and Bach were funky way before Bruno Mars' Uptown Funk

Virginal

Virginals are smaller and simpler rectangular form of harpsichord with only one string per note.

Muselar

Muselar is a kind of virginal that was made only in northern Europe

They were popular in the 16th and 17th centuries.

Spinet

It's a smaller type of harpsichord.

Spinets were in common use during the sixteenth and seventeeth centuries.

BAROQUE PERIOD RECAP

Test your knowledge

Please, choose an option for the following questions.

1. Opera began in Italy in:

a. the XIX century.

b. the XVIII century.

c. the XVII century.

2. "Music for the Royal Fireworks" was composed by :

a.Beethoven.

b. Mozart.

c. Haendel.

3. The slowest Baroque dance is the :

a.giga.

b.minuet.

c. ballet.

4. In the Baroque Period you could listen to 

a.the saxophone.

b. a harpsichord.

c. a synthesizer.

5. A Grand Concert or Concerto Gross is where :

a. a group of soloists instruments play together.

b. a group of soloist instrument dialogue with the orchestra.

c. a group of soloist instruments dialogue together.

See some pics of beautiful moments spent together on the account of Baroque music.
Carmen and Rocio were hosting the contests.

 It was a rough battle between Vivali's team  versus Bach's team.

On the web you can find many other sites to wide your previous knowledge.
I suggest you the followings:
http://kidsmusiccorner.co.uk/types/classical/baroque/
I recomend this school children site to fill the composer's printout
https://quizlet.com/15032877/music-test-2-baroque-era-flash-cards/
https://quizlet.com/17078793/baroque-music-flash-cards/
https://quizlet.com/2968169/music-101-exam-2-baroque-era-flash-cards/

SIGNS TO LENGTHEN THE MUSICAL SIGNS

The most common signs we use to lengthen the musical signs are the following:

Dot(·)

 The sign we write after a note to make it longer by half its value.

Have a look at these examples on augmentation in notation.

Tie.

 The curved lines that join notes of the same sound that are one next to the other to make one continuous sound.

Pause or Fermata 

The sign we write over or under a note to show where we can lengthen a note or rest.

Let's start recapping some of the most frequent music signs,most of them you already know.

Now why don't we go on playing a joyful memory game in twos?

To end with, I'd like you to spend a challenging time with the "Dum Dum Song"
Don't forget to join them !

MINUET

The minuet as a dance from the Baroque period  was usually danced in 3/4 time .
It soon became popular in the aristocratic circles all over Europe along the17th and 18th centuries.

The word "minuet" was adapted from Italian minuetto and French menuet.

The name may refer to the short steps taken in the dance.

The Minuet in G Major.

This minuet is a musical toy from Ana Magdalena Bach's Album.

This piece is well-known beacause it is one of the first pieces that music students learn when they start learning to play the piano, the recorder or the guitar.

Now,let's get to know the basic steps in the minuet.

Here we are a demonstration of well-danced minuet, performed by our beloved guys Borja and Hugo.

THE BAROQUE PERIOD TIMELINE AND MAIN COMPOSERS

The Baroque period refers to an era that started around 1600 and ended around 1750.

MONTEVERDIcomposed at the beginning of the period.

Listen to this magnificient piece called Savall,from the opera "L'Orfeo"

Bach , Haendel  and Vivaldi composed towards the end of the period.

BACH  1685-1750

Enjoy the 1st movement from the "Bradenburg Concerto No.3 in G major "

HAENDEL

Have the chance to listen this stunning music from the "Music for the Royal Fireworks"HWV351 !

VIVALDI 1678-1741.
His music is often bright and cheerful.
Some great pieces:
"The Four Seasons"( a series of four violin concertos)
A piece of the "Winter" concert.

A piece of the "Spring" concert.1st movement.

"Summer" concert, 3rd movement.

The "Gloria" ( for choir and orchestra)

For further information
.I recommend you to visit these sites:

Time Travel Through Music. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

Baroque Orchestra Quiz  v=http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/quiz/q95234128.