4.6 Music & Instruments of Europe

​Welcome to Discovering Music!

By Ellen Perkins

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Multiple Choice

Which instrument family is this African instrument in?

• Percussion

• String

• Wind

Multiple Choice

Which instrument family is this African instrument in?

• Percussion

• String

• Wind

• J.S. Bach

• Baroque Period

• Beethoven

• Classical Period

• Fugue

• Gregorian Chant

• Lute

• Middle Ages

Vocabulary

• Analyze listening examples from Europe

• Compare the music of Europe from different time periods

• Identify important composers from the Baroque, Classical, and Romantic periods

Learners can...

4.6 Music & Instruments of Europe

• Monophonic

• Mozart

• Opera

• Polyphonic

• Recorder

• Renaissance

• Romantic Period

At a glance...

• 500-1400: Middle Ages (Medieval Times)

• 1400-1600: Renaissance

• 1600-1750: Baroque Period

• 1750-1825: Classical Period

• 1780-1920: Romantic Period

Music of the US, Canada, Europe are considered "Western" music. They developed from these European musical periods then expanded as European settlers traveled throughout the world.

Music of the Middle Ages

Spanned years 500-1400

The church was the main governing power in Europe! Almost all aspects of life, including music, centered around the church

• Singing was mainly for religious purpose

• Instrumental music was mainly for entertainment

• Typically only men could sing in church and write music

Gregorian Chant

Style of monophonic religious singing, typically in Latin, for Catholic Mass

• Monophonic: one melody with nothing else!

• No instruments, no harmony. Everyone sings one thing.

Life in the Renaissance

Spanned years 1400-1600

• Renaissance means "rebirth"

• Science and the arts became very important in society

• Many new inventions like the printing press, eyeglasses, telescopes, flushable toilet, and the pencil!

• Sacred (religious) music still very common, but more secular music (non-religious)

• Secular was often about love, nature, work, daily life

Music of the Renaissance

Spanned years 1400-1600

• Music became more complex by adding harmonies and instruments

• Polyphonic: music with both a melody and harmonies

• Musicians would travel from town to town to perform music on the streets for money

• Pear-shaped string instrument (15 strings)

• Often played to accompany singing or other instruments

• Ancestor of the guitar!

Lute

• Small wooden wind instrument

• Often played with other recorders or instruments

Recorder

Instruments of the Renaissance

Opera

• created in the late 16th century

• dramatic work that includes singers and instruments

• revive ancient Greek drama

• reflect dramatic stories

• First opera: Dafne (1597-1598)

  • About Greek god Apollo and nymph Dafne

Music of the Baroque Period

• Baroque refers to the style of art, music, architecture

• Big! Bold! Extravagant! Wealthy! Ornate! Detailed!

• Music became very complex to match the splendor of the times

• Harpsichord, violin, and piano were popular during this time

Spanned from 1600-1750

• Type of music which Bach was well-known for

• A melody is played, then that melody is layered on itself many times

• Very complex!

Fugue

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

• German, played harpsichord, organ, piano

• Employed by churches and royal families

J.S. Bach

J.S. Bach & Fugues

Multiple Choice

Which time period is this music from?

• Middle Ages (Medieval Period)

• Renaissance

• Baroque Period

Music of the Classical Period

• Concert halls were more common now so everyday people could have access to musical performances

• Many learned to play music in their homes

• Three basic musical principles

  • simplicity of melody

  • balance of the instruments

  • proportion of the form of the piece

​Spanned from 1750-1825

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

• Austrian classical composer (1756-1791)

• Child prodigy, began writing music at 5 years old

• Composed hundreds of musical pieces that are now defining pieces in the Classical Era

• His music is even said to help with development of babies, improve scores on testing, and improve language

• Wrote for symphonies, operas, solo instruments

Eine Kleine Nachtmusik

Mozart's Requiem: Lacrimosa

"Queen of the Night" aria from The Magic Flute

Music of the Romantic Period

• Music moves from simple to being emotional and rich

  • NOT LOVE SONGS!!

• Overlapped with the Classical Period which ended in 1825

• Music often now told stories and was about specific events, places, people, or things

Spanned from 1780-1920

Ludwig van Beethoven

German composer (1770-1827)

• "Bridged the gap" between the Classical and Romantic Era

• Pianist who began playing and composing very young

• Made a living on his own without regular employment from the church or royalty

• At 30 he began losing his hearing and was completely deaf near the end of his life

Fur Elise

Symphony No. 9: Ode to Joy

Moonlight Sonata

Symphony No. 5, First Movement

Multiple Choice

Which era was centered around simplicity and balance?

• Classical

• Baroque

• Romantic

Multiple Choice

Which era was centered around emotional richness?

• Classical

• Baroque

• Romantic

Multiple Choice

Which era was centered around complexity, lavishness/wealth, detail?

• Classical

• Baroque

• Romantic