Art song: A type of lyrical song popular in Europe at the end of the 18th century and the beginning of the 19th century, commonly known as art song. It includes: (1) lyrics mostly use famous poems; (2) focus on expressing people's inner world; (3) mostly use piano accompaniment; (4) expression methods and composition techniques are relatively complex.
Prelude: It is a short piece with a free structure, often placed as an introduction before a piece of music or a suite with a strict structure. Such as Bach's "Well-Tempered Clavier".
Etude (Studi): divided into two types: (1) A piece of music composed for technical training of musical instrument performance, often with a specific technical purpose, such as Czerny; (2) ) is a concert etude, derived from the former, and gradually evolved into a virtuoso art work, such as Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Striabin, etc.
Polonaise: Originally used as accompaniment for noble salons, it was later transplanted into piano music by urban composers. The genre described by Chopin is three-beat, medium-tempo, symmetrical and rigorous in form, and has a rich piano texture.
Sonata: A multi-movement instrumental suite, also known as "sonata suite". It consists of three or four contrasting movements, played solo by one instrument or in ensemble with an instrument and piano. The basic characteristics and musical structure of each movement are: the first movement is Allegro, in sonata form; the second movement It is Adagio, in variation form, complex trilogy form or free sonata form; the third movement is a minuet or scherzo, in complex trilogy form; the fourth movement is Allegro or Presto, in sonata form or free sonata form. Rondo form.
Concerto (Concerto): One instrument or two instruments compete with the orchestra. The word Concerto has two meanings: one is "competition"; the other is "working together." From this we can see the characteristics of the concerto. There is a cadenza at the end of the first movement, emphasizing the skills of the solo performer.
Church concertos appeared in the 16th century, and solo-instrument concertos were basically finalized at the end of the 18th century. Mozart created concertos for different solo instruments, establishing the concerto structure that is still in use today. At the beginning of the 19th century, Beethoven used a collaborative technique called country music to raise the artistic level of the concerto to a new level. Concertos generally consist of three movements. The first movement is Allegro, in sonata form, often with cadenza sections; the second movement is mostly lyrical Adagio; and the third movement, Allegro, is generally in rondo or sonata form. Between the second and third movements, a cadenza is sometimes inserted. In addition, there are also single-movement concerto works.
Symphonic poem: a single-movement orchestral piece pioneered by Liszt. He advocated the combination of literature and music and used titles to remind the audience. Liszt composed 13 symphonic poems. Later, many composers used this genre to compose, such as Smetana, Richard Strauss, etc. Symphonic tone poems, symphonic tone paintings, symphonic fairy tales, symphonic fantasies, etc. all fall into this category.
Symphony: A large-scale suite that fully utilizes various expected functions and expressions to shape the musical image and is performed by a symphony orchestra.
Overture (Overture): the opening song of opera, oratorio, dance drama, other dramatic music and vocal and instrumental suites. Scarlatti - Italian overture; the tempo is fast-slow-fast; Lully - French overture, the tempo is slow-fast-slow; most post-classical overtures in the 18th century adopt the dramatic structure of the sonata. Romantic musicians in the 19th century developed the overture into an independent title orchestral appreciation.
Variations: It is a musical work composed of a series of changes and repetitions of a musical theme. According to different variation techniques, it can be divided into two categories: strict variations (including fixed bass variations and decorative variations) and free variations. Variations can have one musical theme or two musical themes (i.e. double variations)
Cadenza: a section in which the soloist improvises in the aria in an Italian opera, later in the concerto movement This section is often inserted at the end of the piece and is usually completed by the soloist alone. The cadenza is relatively free to play and more difficult. Players can give full play to their playing skills and the performance of their instruments. The cadenza was originally an improvised performance by the performer, and later became an integral part of the composer's composition.
Suite: an orchestral or piano piece composed of several contrasting movements, each of which is relatively independent. Chinese classical suites usually consist of four Akusaki dances of the same tune. composition. Modern suites are composed of selected pieces of music from operas, dance dramas, drama music or film music, and there are also title symphony suites.
Suite: It is a complete set of instrumental or vocal music that includes several pieces of music or movements, using the structure of a suite. Instrumental music suites mainly include classical suites, modern suites, sonatas, symphonies, concertos and symphonic poems, such as the symphonic poetry suite "My Motherland".
The morphological characteristics of ancient Greek music (melody, rhythm, texture, modal system)
Melody and rhythm: Ancient Greek music is based on the trinity of poetry, music and dance. Musical art (in fact, this is basically the case for musical art in its infancy. Music does not exist independently in the form of sound. Such as China's "Ge Tianshi's Music"). Among them, the status of poetry is much higher than that of music, so the melody and rhythm are affected by the cadence and long and short rhythm of the lyrics.
The so-called texture can be divided into three categories, namely monophonic texture (only one single melody), polyphonic texture (two or more melodies appearing at the same time), and tonic texture (Also called harmonic texture, that is, a melody plus harmony). The musical art of ancient Greece and ancient Rome belonged to an extremely preliminary stage, so it was still a monophonic texture.
Modal system: The modes at this time are all named after the name of a tribe, with octave or double-octave syllables arranged from top to bottom, with the four-note column as the basic unit. In the view of ancient Greek music theorists, each mode has different ethical characteristics. For example, Aristotle believed that the Dorian mode is firm and manly, while the Phrygian mode can inspire enthusiasm. , the Lydian mode has a sentimental undertone. (What’s interesting is that ancient Chinese musicians lived in a region far away from ancient Greece and Rome. There was no face-to-face communication between the two, but they also believed that music had ethical characteristics... Later, this characteristic was ignored by people, until now music With the emergence of therapy, people have realized this function of music. Although its importance has not been widely recognized, I believe that in the near future, music therapy, a method that has not been valued so far, will be very popular.)
The main musical genres of ancient Greece (respective formal characteristics; relationship with literature, religious rituals, and life):
The heroic epics of the Homeric era ("The Iliad" and "Odysseus", etc.), religious worship music (such as odes to the sun god and Dionysus), Greek tragedy and comedy, solo lyric poetry, chorus in competitive competitions (essentially not a multi-vocal chorus) and dance music, instrumental music Solo.
Western music uses the lyre as the symbol of music. Lyre, also known as lyre.
Western music mainly refers to European music. Since the ruling class in European history paid more attention to music, many musicians were funded and protected and developed relatively complete music theories. At present, Western music theory occupies a dominant position in the world's music industry, and the notation methods and composition procedures developed by the European music industry are recognized around the world.
Western music is divided into the following 8 stages:
1. Music of the ancient Greek and Roman periods
The time is about 3200 BC to 400 AD. This part of the music data can only come from archaeology. It can be understood from the excavated paintings, sculptures and a small number of poetry, literature and philosophical works that have been handed down, but it is almost impossible to listen and appreciate. According to statistics, less than 10 pieces of music scores have survived from this stage. However, many cultural heritages such as surviving sculptures can show the glory and achievements that once existed. The great philosophers of ancient Greece have discussed music. and research, which is regarded by later generations as the source of Western music.
The two epic poems of the Homeric period from the 12th century BC to the 8th century BC reflect the musical culture of ancient Greece. The epic itself is both a literary work and a musical work. It is sung by a professional singing and playing artist "Aed" with the accompaniment of an instrument called kisara.
In 776 BC, the ancient Olympic Games began to be held. The games were often accompanied by music, and later music competitions emerged.
From the 7th century BC to the 6th century BC, Sparta regarded music as an important means of state activities and education, which led to further development of music.
After ancient Rome conquered Greece after 146 BC, its culture mainly benefited from Greece, and at the same time absorbed the civilizational achievements of Syria, Babylon, Egypt and other countries.
2. Music in the Middle Ages
After the collapse of the Roman Empire in 476 AD, the Greek and Roman civilizations declined. The Germanic people dominated the western half of Europe, historically known as the "Dark Ages", also known as the "Medieval Period".
The church was the focus of people's lives at that time, playing an important role in politics, economy, and culture. Artists lived in religion, so art and religion were closely related at that time.
Music activities during this period were greatly influenced by Christianity. The music was mostly based on religious rituals or singing hymns, with emphasis on function, such as Gregorian chants. Most of the lyrics are taken from the Bible.
The characteristic is that the melody has little ups and downs, lacks a harmonious foundation, and is simple in performance.
The greatest contributors to medieval music were Bishop Ambrose of Milan and Pope Gregory I.
Around 390 AD, Ambrose promoted the double chorus of hymns, introduced harmony, and allowed lay people who were not monks or priests to participate in singing. It was church music that developed and became popular.
Pope Gregory I, who reigned from 590 to 604 AD, compiled a set of repertoire for solemn worship, and legally stipulated that music must be included in the prayer ceremony, forming a complete set of Gregorian Psalms became a model of religious creation, and later notation was developed. Although there were no bar lines and staff notation yet, the method of using high and low positions notation provided the basis for the invention of staff notation. This notation only had four lines. , there are three diamond clefs in front of each line, and a diamond clef at the end to indicate the pitch of the next line. It is basically the prototype of the staff, but it cannot express the rhythm. Schools were also established to train singers, and music was vigorously promoted within the church's sphere of influence, making church music the main music form in Europe before the 10th century.
3. Music of the Renaissance
The Renaissance period was about 1450-1600 AD. Based on the "new art" of the Middle Ages, it pursued the liberation of human nature and the understanding of human nature. The expression and expression of inner emotions. At this time, musicians, driven by the humanistic trend of thought, developed and reformed polyphonic music, and vocal music and instrumental music gradually separated and developed independently. During this period, the staff had been perfected, and printing was also applied to music scores, which made the dissemination of music more convenient and widespread. During this period, there were the following more influential music schools:
Netherlands School
A group of musicians whose main musical activities were in the Netherlands. The creative content is mostly religious music such as masses and motets, as well as secular music. Representative figures include Di Fei, Ruoskan, Bian Shua, Okegemu, etc.
The Venetian School
An instrumental music school between 1530 and 1620, it is characterized by broad and grand sound and sharp contrasting effects. His compositions include ensembles for brass and strings, organ preludes, fantasies and toccatas. Representative figures include Virat, A. Gabrielli, etc.
Roman Music School
A music school of this period that specialized in creating religious works, mainly in the form of a cappella singing. Representative figures include Palestrina, G.M. Nanino, F. Soriano, etc.
4. Baroque music
Baroque music refers to the type of music that began to rise in Europe after the Renaissance and was popular before the formation of classical music. It lasted from about 1600 to 1750. 150 years between.
The word Baroque comes from the Portuguese "Barocco", which means pearls that are not round enough or imperfect in shape. It was originally a term in the field of architecture and was later gradually used in the field of art and music. In the field of art, the Baroque style is characterized by exquisite decoration and gorgeous style. The main reason for this phenomenon is that the Baroque period was an era when aristocrats were in power, and the luxurious ostentation in the magnificent palace was the new culture and It is the development center of art, and changes in this environment have directly affected the creation of musicians. Most of the musical works written by court musicians in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were for the social needs of the upper class. In order to show off the power and wealth of the nobles, the court music at that time must present showy music and extraordinary demeanor. , to create a pleasant atmosphere.
Baroque music is characterized by extreme luxury and a large number of decorative notes. The rhythm is strong, short and rhythmic, and the melody is exquisite. Polyphony (polyphonic music) remained dominant, with major and minor replacing ecclesiastical modes, while tonic music also flourished. As a result, the harmonic nature of polyphony became more and more obvious. Polyphony reached its peak in the time of J.S. Bach.
Digital bass and improvisation are important parts of the Baroque, and orchestral arrangements have not yet been standardized.
5. Classical music
Classical music refers to the European mainstream music from 1730 to 1820, also known as the Vienna Classical School. The three most famous composers of this school are Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.
Classical music inherits the development of Baroque music and is a music style or era in the history of European music. This era saw the emergence of multi-movement symphonies, solo concertos, string quartets, multi-movement sonatas and other genres. The sonata form and rondo form became the most common musical forms in the classical and romantic periods, and their influence was profound until the twentieth century. The size of the orchestra has increased compared to the Baroque period, and it has gradually become a norm for the orchestra to be led by a conductor. The modern piano appeared in the classical period and gradually replaced the harpsichord.
With the impact of the French Revolution on society, the composer's livelihood was also affected, and he changed from initially relying on the palace and church for support to becoming an independent operator.
6. Romantic Music
Romanticism is mainly used to describe literary creation between 1830 and 1850, and music creation between 1830 and 1900.
Romantic music is the continuation and development of classical music (Vienna Classical School). It is a music style or an era in the history of Western music.
Compared with the previous music of the Viennese Classical School, Romantic music pays more attention to the expression of emotions and images, and relatively underestimates the considerations of form and structure. Romantic music is often full of imagination, and a lot of romantic music is influenced by unrealistic literary works, and has a considerable composition of title music.
The elements of romanticism are included in music creation from ancient times to the present, and are not limited to a certain era, because music creation itself is an expression of imagination, and romanticism is the best embodiment of imagination.
Beethoven is the master and terminator of classical music and the forerunner of romantic music. Romantic music abandons the melody-based unity of classical music and emphasizes diversity, development and The role of voice is used to depict the special qualities of the character's character, and more use of modulation techniques and semitones is used. The representative of romantic opera is Weber, and the representative of music is Schubert.
Romantic music reflects the tendency of widespread influence and national differentiation. In France, Berlioz, Italian Rossini, Hungarian Liszt, Polish Chopin and Russian Tchaikovsky appeared. . Romantic music gradually went into history during the era of Wagner and Brahms.
7. Modern music
Modern music, also known as modern classical music (20th century classical music), refers to a genre that has inherited European classical music since 1900 to the present. In the music era, there are many music schools and styles. Prior to this, there were two major sources of modern music: the post-romantic music of Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss, and the Impressionist music of Debussy. There are even more types of music under its division, including Boulez's sequential music and minimalist music, Steve Reich and Philip Glass' use of simple three-note chords, Pierre Schaeffer's concrete music, and Harry Partch, Alois Hába and others' differential music. Sound music, and John Cage’s music of chance.
Before modern music, European classical musicians such as Bartók Béla, Mahler, Richard Strauss, Puccini, Debussy, Ive and others were the successors. Sir, Elgar, Schombek, Rachmaninov, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Britten, Copland, Nelson and others. At that time, classical music and jazz also influenced each other, and there were musicians who could compose in both fields at the same time, such as Gershwin and Bernstein.
A very important feature of modern music is that there is a distinction between the so-called traditional and the avant-garde. Their musical principles are extremely important in one side, but are often not so important or accepted in the other side. For example, Weiburn, Carter, Varris, Milton Babbitt and others made important contributions to the avant-garde field, but they were often attacked outside this field. Over time, the concept of the avant-garde has gradually become more accepted, and the distinction between the two fields is no longer so clear-cut, and surprisingly, these pioneering techniques are often cited in popular music: The Beatles, Pink... Freud, Michael O. Field, Transcendence, Radiohead and other well-known singers, as well as the soundtracks used in many movies.
It must be noted that this article only provides an outline of twentieth-century music. The fact that the musicians mentioned have made contributions in one aspect does not mean that they only performed in that field. For example, Stravinsky was considered a member of the Romantic, Modern, Neoclassical, and Sequential music schools at different times in his career as a composer.
The economic and social patterns of the 20th century also had a major influence on music. In the era of industrialization, the world had gradually improved recording and playback equipment, from tapes to CDs to DVDs, as well as radio and television. , and the embeddedness of the entire capitalist context. People in the nineteenth century mostly composed their own music or heard it at concerts.
8. New Age music (English: New Age music), also translated as New Age music, is a form of music that appeared in the 1970s. It was first used to help meditate and clean the mind, but many Later creators no longer have this starting point. Another way to say it is: because it is rich, colorful and changeable, it is different from any previous music; it does not refer to a single category, but a category. All improved music that is different from the past and symbolizes the change of the times and interprets the spiritual connotation can be It belongs to this, so it is named New Age, that is, new century music.