Music Appreciation: Chapter 12

Summary

This script explores the diverse relationships between music and culture globally. It highlights the integration of music in society beyond professional musicians, the distinction between sacred and secular music, and the importance of genre and form. The discussion covers musical aesthetics, oral transmission, and the study of music by ethnomusicologists. It emphasizes the focus on Western art music, the concept of style, and the characteristics of different historical periods, including a guide to understanding music through nine elements.

Takeaways

• 🌏 Different cultures have unique relationships with music, with some integrating music into daily life to the extent that everyone participates in music making.
• 🎼 Despite the diversity of musical genres globally, there are commonalities, such as the distinction between sacred and secular music, which transcends cultural boundaries.
• 🎵 The concepts of genre and form are important in music; a genre indicates the character and function of a work, while form refers to the structure within a genre.
• 📚 Musical works can be identified by titles that may indicate genre, key, or cataloging systems like opus numbers, which help in classifying compositions.
• 🎶 Aesthetic judgments in music vary by culture; for instance, Chinese opera favors a thin, tense vocal tone, while Italian opera prefers a full-throated, robust sound.
• 🎵 Not all music is written down; many cultures, including some Western styles, rely on oral transmission, performing music from memory.
• 🔍 Ethnomusicologists study music in its historical context and work to capture music that has never been written down through field recordings.
• 🎻 The focus of the class is primarily on Western art music, which is notated and cultivated from European and Euro-American societies, often labeled as classical or serious music.
• 🎷 Vernacular music, such as rock and jazz, is considered by many to be new art forms, but they are not the main focus of this class.
• 🎼 Musical style is characterized by the way an artwork is presented, allowing us to recognize composers by their unique musical fingerprint.
• 🎶 Western musical canon is melody-oriented and based on a particular system from which underlying harmonies are built, differing from other cultures that may not emphasize harmony.
• 📈 Complex rhythmic procedures and textures distinguish some world music from Western styles, but basic formal considerations like repetition and variation bring them closer to our own.
• 📚 Historical styles in music are indicative of the period's total language as artists react to various societal forces, and understanding these styles helps place a work within its context.

Q & A

What is the relationship between music and culture as described in the script?

The script describes that in the Western world, music is often the domain of professional musicians, but in many other cultures, music is integrated into society with everyone participating in music making. This integration leads to a variety of genres that are not the same globally, yet can have similarities.

How does the script differentiate between sacred and secular music?

The script differentiates sacred music as being for the purpose of religion, while secular music is for the purpose of entertainment. This distinction crosses cultural boundaries.

What is the difference between genre and form in music, according to the script?

Genre is a more general term that suggests the overall character and function of a musical work, such as 'song' or 'symphony'. Form, on the other hand, refers to the specific structure of each movement within a work, like the four movements of a symphony.

How are musical pieces often identified in the script?

Musical pieces can be identified by titles that may indicate the genre and key, like 'Symphony No. 94 in G Major' by Joseph Haydn. They can also be identified through cataloging systems, often described by opus numbers, such as 'Nocturne in C Minor, Opus 48, No. 1' by Frédéric Chopin.

What is oral transmission in the context of music?

Oral transmission refers to the preservation of music without the aid of written notation, where music is transmitted by example or imitation and performed from memory.

What role do ethnomusicologists play in modern times as described in the script?

Ethnomusicologists study music in its historical context and attempt to capture music that has never been previously written down through field recordings made in the context of natural music making.

What is the focus of the listening guides in the script?

The listening guides focus primarily on Western art music, which is notated music cultivated from European and Euro-American societies, often labeled as classical or serious music.

How does the script define 'style' in music?

Style in music is defined as the characteristic way an artwork is presented, making one musical work sound similar to or different from another. It can be recognized by pitch, time, timbre, and expression, creating a sound that each culture recognizes as its own.

What are the nine relevant elements of music that the script mentions?

The nine relevant elements of music mentioned in the script are melody, rhythm and meter, harmony, texture, form, expression with tempo and dynamics, text, timbre, and the performing forces.

How can the timeline on page 59 of the book help in understanding music?

The timeline on page 59 provides historical periods and their dates, along with descriptions of the basic styles represented in each era, and a list of featured composers, which helps place a musical work within the context in which it was created.

What is the importance of the 'what to listen for' sections in the listening guides according to the script?

The 'what to listen for' sections are imperative for understanding the musical concepts in the course, as they focus the listener's attention on the most prominent and relevant features of a particular work, and guide them to listen for different elements during multiple listenings.