MUSIC

Humanities: Art Appreciation

MUSIC

• It is literally defined as the art of organizing sound so as to elicit an aesthetic response in a listener.

• Music moves us ,it makes us feel the tears but cannot trace the source, says Leticia Landen.

• Franz Liszt defines it as the language of the heart.

PROPERTIES OF MUSIC

• • Pitch- highness or lowness of tone

• Duration- longness or shortness of tone

• Volume- loudness or softness of tone

• Timbre or tone color- individual quality of the musical sound

• The human voice is the oldest and still the most popular medium of music. It is the most personal and direct medium as it comes from within the human body.

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The Six Classes of Voices

• 1. Coloratura Soprano- highest female register• 2. Soprano- high register female voice• 3. Mezzo-soprano-medium-register female voice• 4. Alto or Contralto-low-register female voice

• 5. Tenor-high-register male voice• 6. Baritone- medium-register male voice• 7. Bass- low-register male voice

ELEMENTS OF MUSIC

• Duration- refers to the continuance of time wherein a sound can be made to last for a longer or shorter period of time.

• Pitch- it means the location of tone in the musical scale in relation to high or low.

• Melody- it consists of a series of pitches and durations. It displays an overall balance between ascending and descending motion.

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• Harmony- it is simultaneous sounding of two or more tones like when a singer accompanies his melody with the guitar or a piano.

• Timbre- it enables the listener to distinguish one sound from another or one instrument from another.

• Dynamics- it refers to force or percussive effects: degrees of loud and soft. Forte means loud; piano means soft.

• Texture- refers to the number of tones we are asked to comprehend simultaneously.

• Form- is also called structure which is as necessary to a work.

• Color- it is the result of the difference in timbre in the various instruments and voices. . .

• Style- it reflects the composer’s personal idiom which differentiates his work from that of others; he also reflects the style of the period in which he lives.

FAMOUS MUSICIANS

Franz Lizst- he led the awakening of the country’s musical consciousness. He originated the idea of establishing national music schools.

Johann Sebastian Bach

• -One of the great German composer and musicians. He was considered a musical genius of all time. Some of his works are the “Goldberg Variations,” “Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue,” “English Suites” and his greatest passion is “St. Mathew Passion.” His church music were his greatest musical achievements.

Ludwig van Beethoven

A German composer and considered as one of the greatest composers who ever lived. He was also called “The Shakespeare of Music.” His music includes Symphony No. 3 entitled “Erotica”. Symphony No. 5 became a symbol of resistance in German-occupied Europe during World War II.Symphony No. 6 called “Pastoral” reflects his love of nature. Symphony No. 9 , “Chorale,” was considered as peak of symphonic music.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

He was one of the outstanding Austrian composers. A master of classical period and also a musical genius. His first opera was “La finta Semplice.”He produced “The Marriage of Figaro” and “Magic Flute. ”His symphonies were “The Jupiter” “Requiem Mass” a choral work which he had written as if in anticipation to death.