A Journey Through Early Music and Medieval Drama
Monody and Polyphony: Core Concepts
Monody is a musical composition for a single voice or melody, a significant development during the eighth and thirteenth centuries. This contrasted with earlier practices where multiple voices often sang in unison or an octave range. Generally, the term refers to any melody for one voice and is opposed to polyphony.
Polyphony is recognized as a set of simultaneous sounds, where each expresses a distinct musical idea, retaining its independence while forming a harmonious
Read MoreMusical Eras: Baroque, Renaissance, Classicism, and Medieval
Baroque Period (17th – Early 18th Century)
Features:
- Music aims to surpass the word, prioritizing harmonic systems.
- Voices have varying importance; a primary melody is accompanied by others (melody and accompaniment).
- Use of dissonance.
- Well-defined rhythm.
- Instrumental and vocal music are distinct.
Periods:
- Early Baroque (1580-1630): Focused on dissonance.
- Mid-Baroque (1630-1680): Rise of opera and vocal music.
- Late Baroque (1680-1750): Concert style.
Late Renaissance (14th-16th Century)
Features:
- Polyphonic
Music Genres, History, and Cultural Forms
Types of Music
Religious or Sacred Music
Is about religious matters or related to any religion.
Secular Music
It is all nonreligious music and, therefore, about any other topic regarding human beings and their concerns.
Art Music
We usually understand this as “classical” music.
Popular Music
It is a type of music targeted for a wider audience and is generally more widespread and accepted. We have to distinguish between traditional or folkloric music and pop or easy listening music.
Descriptive Music
It is
Read MoreClassical and Baroque Music Eras Compared
Classicism
Historical period comprising the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Historical and Social Context
- Society remained strongly divided into classes.
- The social order was disrupted by the outbreak of the French Revolution (1789).
- The bourgeoisie also organized their demonstrations.
Cultural Context
Culture in this era was more rational than in the Baroque period. In France, the philosophical and cultural movement known as the Enlightenment emerged.
The term Classicism comes from the tendency of
Read MoreCantar del mio Cid and Medieval Spanish Poetry
Cantar del mio Cid: Epic Poem Analysis
Cantar del mio Cid is an epic poem consisting of 3,700 verses. It tells the exploits of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar. The poem consists of 3 parts or songs:
- The Song of Exile: The Cid is accused of false crimes and banished by King Alfonso VI. In his exile, the Cid and his men fight against the Arabs.
- The Song of the Wedding: El Cid conquers Valencia and gains the pardon and favor of the king, who offers his daughters’ weddings to the Infantes of Carrión.
- The Song of
Spanish Renaissance & Baroque Poetry: Key Figures & Styles
Renaissance Lyric: Garcilaso de la Vega
In Renaissance lyric poetry, there is a separation between the natural and the supernatural; poets clearly distinguished the human from the divine. Most metrical forms used by Renaissance poets originated in Italy.
Garcilaso de la Vega (1501-1536) belonged to a noble family. He was both a knight and a poet. He masterfully expressed his feelings of love for his muse (Isabel Freyre). He traveled often to Italy and introduced the most common Italian metric forms
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