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viva voce

Sophia He English 89 cards

Cards in this deck (89)

  1. 1Why did you choose this programme?My objective is to show the style of playing in the four musical periods so I chose four pieces from each of the period, composed by outstanding composers in that period. Also, the pieces are different in mood, style and tempo, allowing me to show a variety of technique. I have listened to other pieces in the repertoire and I choose mine according to my preferences and also according to my knowledge of my ability, and my hand size, which in some ways limits my repertoire.
  2. 2Which piece do you like best, and why?I like the Schubert Impromptu best. Its gentle melancholy and cantabile (singable) melody make it a most enjoyable piece to play and listen to, reminding me of a velvety night lit by moonlight.
  3. 3Which piece do you find most difficult, and why?I found the Mozart sonata most difficult as imitating the elegance and charm of the Classical period was a challenge for me. Figuring out which parts to play with a light, carefree touch and which parts to play thoughtfully was also hard.
  4. 4For what instrument was the Bach written?It was written for the harpsichord, a keyboard instrument with horizontal strings which run perpendicular to the keyboard in a long tapering (diminishing in thickness towards one end) case, and are plucked by point of quill, leather or plastic operated by depressing the keys. It was used chiefly in Western music of the 16th to 18th century, before the fortepiano took over in popularity.
  5. 5How is sound produced on this instrument?A plectrum plucks the strings of the harpsichord when the keys are depressed, as opposed to the modern piano, which produced sounds by hammers striking strings
  6. 6Can dynamic different be produced by touch on a harpsichord?No. Dynamic difference can only be produced using mechanical devices. (some single manual harpsichords have two sets of strings: normal pitch and 8ve higher, was expensive and never really satisfactory) Terrace-dynamics (Expressive style typical of some early music in which volume levels shift abruptly from soft to loud and back without gradual crescendos and decrescendos) can be produced, but not gradual dynamics.
  7. 7Can legato be produced on this instrument?As sound is produced by plucking strings, producing legato is impossible. The norm of Baroque articulation on the harpsichord is “non-legato”.
  8. 8here are no dynamic markings in this Baroque piece. How would you organise dynamics?I would organise dynamics according to the chord progressions in the piece and how the mood changes with varying keys and the different sections of the piece. I would also take note of the key, such as when it modulates from a major to a tenser minor. Features in the music like scales, which one would play with a slight crescendo if ascending and decrescendo if descending, and dissonance, which i would play with a heavier touch. Cadences are also important, such as a perfect cadence, the fifth would be louder than the tonic. I would also take into account the mood of different sections of the piece.
  9. 9When would you play legato and when would you play non-legato in a baroque piece?I would play legato when there are many slurs and notes for me to hold for an extended period of time, especially in a piece with slower tempo, such as in the double fugue in this piece. However, if there are many semiquavers and the tempo is relatively fast, I would play non-legato selectively.
  10. 10Should we imitate the sounds of the harpsichord on the modern piano?Although the harpsichord cannot be played in a very legato way, I have decided to not play it completely the semi-staccato way as that would neither effectively convey the sounds of a harpsichord nor bring out the full sound of the modern piano. Though some prefer style authenticity, I think that imitating will never be as good as the real thing and we should instead focus on bringing out the best in the music even with a modern piano. After all, the two instruments produce sounds in completely different ways.
    However, we must not go too far. Although the piano is able to produce a wide range of dynamics, we should not vary the dynamics too much as that the piece loses its Baroque feel and instead sounds, say, Romantic.
  11. 11Should we use the pedal in playing Baroque music? Why?The pedal in the modern piano has several uses. It sustains notes by lifting the dampers. It can make the notes play louder and more legato. Its main function is to help playing expressive and lyric music. I think we may sometimes use pedal in Baroque pieces to play loud chords or notes. Also, if there are phrases in chords or octaves that we cannot play legato, we can use light pedal to make the phrase legato. However, in most cases, we will not use pedal in Baroque pieces. The using of pedal to play expressively and lyric will violate the original Baroque style.
  12. 12What is equal temperament?Nowadays, people use equal temperament, where the octave consists of twelve equal semitones and a not so true but acceptable octave.
  13. 13Was equal temperament invented by JS Bach? Who invented it?No. Bach was the first to fully explore the idea in all 24 keys, but the technology had certainly not been put into use nor perfected yet in his time. In Bach's Well Tempered Clavier, although people called it as equal temperament, the 12 pitches were not equally spaced. Each key was a little different, and Bach wrote The Well-Tempered Clavier in all 24 major and minor keys in order to capitalise on those differences, not because the differences didn't exist. Bach actually hated the idea that certain keys were off limits. There was a tale that he played Aflat major sour chords each time his tuner came to his residence! Both Zhu Zaiyu and Simon Stevin are now generally credited with the invention of equal temperament, and they invented it in the 16th century, therefore the concept was there for a long time but wasnt perfected for a long time too.
  14. 14What was the tuning of instruments like before the concept of equal temperament was established?The tuning used was mean-tone tuning. The generating principle behind mean-tone was that it was more important to preserve the consonance of the major thirds than it was to preserve the purity of the perfect fifths. The reason for this is that the notes in a slightly out-of-tune third, being closer together than those in a fifth, create faster and more disturbing beats than those in a slightly out-of-tune fifth. So, composers at that time would avoid using perfect fifth. Also, they would not use non-harmonic triads such as B major and F# major.
    They could also use Pythagorean tuning, which yielded perfectly tuned fourths and fifths, or just intonation, which was any musical tuning in which the frequencies of notes are related by ratios of small whole numbers. Any interval tuned in this way is called a pure or just interval.
  15. 15What is the meaning of notes inégales?t means notes performed by convention in an uneven rhythm though notated as equal in the score, especially in the Baroque and Classical periods.
    The practice was especially prevalent in France in the 17th and 18th centuries, with appearances in other European countries at the same time; and it reappeared as the standard performance practice in the 20th century in jazz.
  16. 16What is concerto style?There are 2 styles of concerto that appeared in the later part of Baroque period: concerto grosso and solo concerto.
    Concerto grosso is where the ripieno, the main body of strings, contrasted with the concertino, a group of soloists supported by the continuo played by a harpsichord/organ which had a cello/bassoon reinforcing the bass line. Many composers wrote concertos in this style, such as Bach, Handel and Vivaldi.
    These same composers developed the solo concerto. These were generally in 3 movements, fast slow fast, and the soloist would first play along with the orchestra and then embellish the melody line by adding a more flamboyant and fancy version above the orchestra.
  17. 17What is the difference between concertos in the Classical period and that in the Baroque period?Baroque concerto: based on contrast between a solo instrument/group and the orchestra
    Classical concerto:
    more emphasis placed on the solo instrument (often piano/violin) and the virtuosity of the soloist is pitted against the orchestra
    generally 3-movement on a fast-slow-fast pattern
    included a new feature near the end of the piece called a cadenza (orchestra stops and soloist, most often the composer himself, shows off his virtuoso talents)
    Beethoven wrote out cadenzas for his later concertos, telling the soloist exactly what to play, neither expects nor encourages soloists to improvise, as was more common earlier in the period
  18. 18Show me the imitative writing and inversion of the subject.There is no imitative writing or inversion of the subject. Imitative writing is the repetition of a melody in a polyphonic texture shortly after its first appearance in a different voice. An inversion of the subject is literally, inverting or playing the subject
  19. 19What is a fuguea fugue is a contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject or theme that is introduced at the beginning in imitation(repetition at different pitches) and recurs frequently in the course of the composition
  20. 20What is counterpoint?It is the technique of writing a melody or several melodies in conjunction with each other. The voices are interdependent harmonically but independent in rhythm and contour. Counterpoint focuses on melodic interaction, only secondarily on the harmonies produced by that interaction.
  21. 21Where are the stretti in this fugue?There are no stretti in this fugue, but a stretto is an overlapping of the subject occurs, or when one voice, before completing the subject, is broken in by another, also sounding the subject. This device tends to build up the emotional tension of the Fugue.
  22. 22What type of answer does this fugue have? How different is it from the other type of answer?This fugue has a real answer in a 5th higher. It is different from a tonal answer answer in the way that a tonal answer is modified and is not exact.
  23. 23What are the other fugal devices that can be found in fugues?Subject: the main theme, a short melodic phrase “sung” by the first voice which enters in the tonic key
    Answer: the second voice imitating the subject, entering at a 5th higher or 4th lower. if the transposition is exact, the answer is real, if modified, it is a Tonal Answer.
    Free part: a voice which sings neither the Subject nor the Counter-subject but have fugues derived from them.
    Redundant Entry: A voice which re-enters as Subject or Answer after all the voices have appeared
    Diminution: subject heard in shorter note values
    Augmentation: subject appears in notes of longer values
    pedal point: a note sustained in the bass part below a passage of improvisatory style. If the note is in a higher part, it is called in Inverted Pedal.
  24. 24What is ritornello?A ritornello, Italian for “little return”, is a recurring passage in Baroque music for orchestra or chorus.
  25. 25What other compositions did Bach write for the harpsichord?He wrote many works for the harpsichord. He produced numerous inventions, suites, fugues, partitas, overtures as well as keyboard arrangements of concertos music written by his contemporaries.
  26. 26What non-keyboard compositions did Bach write?He wrote a great deal of chamber music at Cöthen, including violin concertos, sonatas for flute and violin, the Cello Suites and partitas for solo violin. He also wrote 295 cantatas, oratorios and Passions for special days in the religious calendar.
  27. 27Who were Bach’s contemporary composers?Other composers in Bach’s time were George Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, Scarlatti.
  28. 28After Bach, which composers wrote preludes and fugues?In the late Romantic period and early 20th century, Shostakovich (24 preludes and fugues, imitates Bach's WTC in many ways) and Skryabin (modelled after Chopin's 24 preludes) wrote preludes and fugues. Liszt also wrote fantasies and fugues.
  29. 29What works do you consider as Bach’s greatest?I consider his WTC the greatest. It is considered the pianist’s bible, this being the old testament and Beethoven’s sonatas being the new. This is because it is an encyclopaedic catalog of the keyboard styles and techniques of Bach's lineage and of his day. The preludes exhibit an extraordinary range of colours and styles, and the fugues are marvels of compact and thorough contrapuntal exploration and expression. It was written to promote the relatively new idea of equal temperament, and was as much a theoretical work as pieces of music for enjoyment. His intellectual capacity which he readily applies into his music makes me consider this piece of music Bach’s greatest.
  30. 30Name Bach’s sons who were also composers.Bach had four sons who were also composers, namely Wilhelm Friedemann, his eldest son, an organist and composer who became an alcoholic and died in poverty, CPE Bach, his third son, who was very successful and employed by Frederick the Great, was one of the creators of sonata form, and paved the way into the Classical period. Johann Christoph Friedrich, his ninth son, was a composer and concert master and wrote in the Classical style. Johann Christian Bach, his 11th and youngest son, settled in London where he was very popular, and befriended and performed with Mozart.
  31. 31What is the meaning of the term “Baroque”?Baroque originally meant grotesque/odd, first used as criticism of Baroque architecture (used curving lines and ornate decoration), but now describes anything extravagant, florid and convoluted. Baroque music is also highly ornamented.
  32. 32What are the characteristics/features of Baroque music?There were a lot of ornamentation, which performers often added in themselves, improvising and showing off their skills. Therefore, Baroque music is written differently from the way it sounds in performance.
    Baroque music used a steady pulse that gave their music a driving energy. The composer would maintain a single rhythm through the piece.
    All Baroque music had a very strong bass line, or Basso Continuo. It provided support for harmonies and keeps the rhythm moving, and was the driving force for everything. It was played by low instruments with addition of harpsichord or organ. It was also called figured bass from the numerical shorthand telling musicians which chord to play.
    Baroque music reflects the pomp&splendour of a time when people had absolute power.
  33. 33What are the main differences between a harpsichord and a fortepiano?A harpsichord produced sound by plucking the strings with a plectrum. Therefore, it cannot produce dynamic difference by touch nor produce a very legato sound but has a very clear and brilliant tone. A fortepiano produced sound by striking the strings with a hammer covered by leather or felt. It is able to create a much greater range of dynamics and expression, and also able to produce both legato and detached sound.
  34. 34What are the main differences between Baroque and Classical music?Baroque music was emotionally charged and heroic, whilst Classical music was more idealised and less complex. The long melodic lines in Baroque music were replaced by short balance phrases, polyphony was replaced by homophony, the driving, unchanging rhythm of Baroque music was replaced by music with greater variety without unflagging predictability and there was a greater variation of dynamics with the development of the fortepiano, gradually replacing the harpsichord.
  35. 35What is the function of an “exposition”?Its function is to introduce the subject and the contrasting key, and set the mood for the rest of the piece.
  36. 36What is the function of the development?As its name suggests, the development develops the Subject, often bringing in other keys and modulating from one key to another, but mainly toying with the two contrasting keys introduced in the exposition and working out their conflict.
  37. 37What is the main difference between Exposition and Recap?The main difference is that the Recap has the second subject in the home, or tonic key, and the contrast between the two keys in the Exposition has been resolved.
  38. 38Did Mozart write any cadenzas in his piano sonatas? Which ones?Mozart generally did not write cadenzas in his piano sonatas, cadenzas appeared more in concertos as a chance for the performer, often the composer, to show off his virtuoso skills. However, he wrote a cadenza into the final movement of Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, K333.
  39. 39In what other works would you find cadenzas?Cadenzas can be found in the Classical concerto. It was a new feature where the orchestra stopped and the soloist, often the composer himself, showed off his virtuoso skills.
  40. 40What are the characteristics of Classical music?The characteristics are:
    clear, accessible music by using short phrases that occur in regular patterns and lyrical melodies accompanied by chords emerging from the major/minor system,
    short balance phrases with composers favouring 2 or 4 bar phrases instead of the long lines in Baroque music, and balanced the phrases by making it seem that the first phrase was opening and the second was closing
    repetitions and signposts, such as themes that were introduced and repeated immediately such that audiences were familiar with them, bridge passages that lead into a theme and suggest something important, and cadences that tell audiences something has ended.
    There were also lyrical melodies with harmonic accompaniment, popularising homophony, with elegant, lyrical lines of music and harmonies, often chords, acting like vertical columns of sound which held the melody up.
  41. 41How different was Chopin’s piano from Haydn’s?During Haydn’s time, the fortepiano had just been invented and its sound had been too soft and its touch was heavy. The piano only had single escapement action and was dampened by hand stops, then knee pedals. It’s size was only about 5 or 5.5 octaves. However, pianos in Chopin’s time had hammers covered with more and more layers of felt or soft leather to produce a soft tone for romantic expression. Double escapement action enabled Chopin to write pieces and studies with rapid repeated notes. The size of the piano also increased to 7 octaves.
  42. 42How different was the late 19th century piano different from Chopin’s?the late 19th century piano had a metal frame and cross-stringing, which greatly increases resonance and saves space in the piano, otherwise the grand piano and the upright would have to be longer. Chopin’s piano did not have either of the above.
  43. 43Where are the passages of canonic imitation?There are no passages of canonic imitation. Canonic imitation is a strict imitation, much like a canon, and is usually found in inventions. A canon is a technique to develop the music and it being an imitation means that the imitated part has to appear in a different register.
  44. 44What is the formal structure of this piece?Bach: it is a toccata, encompassing a short prelude, a double fugue, a improvisatory part, and a final fugue.
    Mozart: the first movement uses the sonata form, the second is a rondo, and the third an altered rondo with three sections in the form A-B-A-C1-C2-A.
    Schubert: it is an impromptu in ternary form
    Gershwin: The Man I Love consists of three sections, and is in the form A-A1-B-A, whilst I Got Rhythm is in four sections, all based on one main tune.
  45. 45What are the characteristics of American music?There are many types of American music that sprang up around the 20th century, as there is rarely any American serious music. These include ragtime, blues, Broadway musicals, jazz, and rock, in the order of their emergence. (con't)
  46. 46Talk about ragtime.Ragtime first appeared in late 19th century and was popular until the 1930s. Wandering black pianists playing throughout Midwestern US blended European structures and harmonies with African rhythms to create the first African-American music. “Ragging”refers to taking an existing tune and syncopating it while the left hand plays a steady, regular march-like accompaniment. One of it’s main developers is Scott Joplin, composer of Maple Leaf Rag and The Entertainer amongst others.
  47. 47Talk about blues.Blues was drawn from the music of the rural black south and came to the notice of white audiences between 1912 and 1920. It became a dominant part of the jazz movement in the next 30 years and continues to influence jazz music. It was originally unaccompanied but performers began to add a banjo or guitar accompaniment to their songs of disappointment in love, betrayal and abandonment. Generally in a 3-line stanza with the first 2 lines being the same, each line is 4 measures long so the verses form a 12-bar pattern, unlike ragtime’s 8 or 16 bar patterns. The tempo is generally slower and rhythm smoother, with simple chord progressions. The term “blues” comes from “blue notes” meaning the deliberate flattening of the 3rd and 7th notes of the scale.
  48. 48Talk about musicals.American musical comedies were derived from European operetta, which is light opera with spoken dialogue, silly plots and attractive tunes. American audiences wanted stories more reflective of the American experience and songwriters then produced musical comedies or musicals and filled them with great tunes with sophisticated lyrics. in the 1920s, many popular songs were originally meant for musicals. Some important early musical composers include Jerome Kern and George Gershwin.
  49. 49Talk about jazz.Jazz grew out of ragtime and blues, and there are so many ways of playing jazz that it is hard to generalise. However, there are a few constants in all types of jazz music, being improvisation and the 32-bar form made up of 4 8-bar sections, although they may also adopt the 12-bar blues form. Written scores were merely the most basic structure of the piece, and musicians would have a chance to improvise new melodies based on the chord progressions given to them. Jazz bands are made up of a rhythm section, piano, bass, drums, maybe guitar and a combination of wind instruments: trumpets, saxophones, trombones. (bands in the 1920s grew bigger, ushering the swing era of the 1930s. However, in the 1940s, big bands declined and created bebop. Both bebop and cool jazz flourished through the 1940s and 1950s. In the 1960s, jazz declined in popularity, as younger people followed rock whilst older fans were turned off by its abstract quality)
  50. 50Talk about rock.Rock came from is a type of blues with a tough, driving accompaniment that was called rhythm and blues. There are many different rock styles, but common to all styles is the electric guitar, call and response pattern and syncopated rhythms. It benefited from electronic technology, but the rock’n’roll era only really lasted from 1955-1959. In the 1960s, the Beatles arrived in North America from Britain, and rock music ceased to be all American/ In the late 1970s, punk rock bands emerged with outrageous costumes and violent lyrics, whilst in the 1980s, development of music tv expanded the market for popular music and rap music was founded.
  51. 51Is all 20th century music atonal?No. Apart from modernism which took the atonal approach, there were other styles alternative to modernism, such as post-Romanticism where composers mainly worked with influence from the great Romantic composers (Richard Strauss, Mahler), Neoclassicism where composers strived to revive the detached objective style of the 18th century and get rid of the story-and-image-based music of the 19th by working within Baroque and Classical forms but using 20th century ideas like increased dissonance and complex rhythms (Igor Stravinsky) . Lastly, there was folk traditionalism where composers aimed to preserve folk songs by using their elements in their own works (Bartok).
  52. 52Talk about the history of Jazz.jazz grew out of ragtime and blues, and all three have their roots in the African-American experience, originating from the spirituals and work songs of the black south, along with music developed in their churches and as they worked. it was a blend of African music, Christian religious music and “white” songs.
  53. 53Have you heard of “prepared piano”? What is it? Who wrote music for it?Yes. Prepared piano is a piano that has had its sound altered by placing objects, called preparations, between its strings. John Cage was the first person to use this in his compositions extensively, and is credited with invented it too.
  54. 54What are the important factors in a successful performance, apart from accuracy?Apart from accuracy, I feel that it is crucial to understand what you are playing, and not just hit notes with your fingers. One has to understand the style of the period, the composer,etc and then fully immerse oneself into that musical period and play as pianists would play then.
    It is also important to know how to cover up one’s mistakes. There will definitely be miscalculated notes and one must know how to cover it up whilst allowing the song to flow on.
    Communication is also very important. One must maintain an air of confidence, and an easy, unstressed manner with serious focus, and establish stage presence. A slight appreciative smile towards applause is also good!
  55. 55What characterise 20th century music?20th century music did not really have a certain common characteristic, although serious music developed to be generally more dissonant, rebelling against the strict harmonies of earlier periods, sudden emergence of advanced technology for recording and distributing music as well as dramatic innovations in musical forms and styles. Ragtime, blues, musicals, jazz, rock all emerged along with wildly varying sub-groups, like acid-rock, etc and non-serious music gained popularity. All music became more accessible with the development of technologies like the radio and the television, and amplification allowed those even with cheap tickets to hear concerts.
  56. 56What are the characteristics of Romantic musicRomantic music was more subjective and saw everything in terms of what they felt, and called on fantasy and imagination, awe and exhilaration, and was not confined by form of music. They were more flexible, musical phrases were longer and less distinct from each other, and did not mark the end of musical ideas with cadences. They greatly extended the range of dynamics, whereas classicists did not go further than p/f, in Romantic music one could see fff markings and dynamics changed more often, sometimes unexpectedly. Rubato now applied to almost every score and a performer's sensitive use of it became a mark of his artistry. They had a more lyrical quality, and themes became very singable. The increased chromaticism created greater dissonance and tension, and the idea of a stable central key became less important. Composers became to incorporate folk music and nationalism into their works whereas it had been generally ignored before, not considered important enough for the aristocratic.
  57. 57The development of the piano: Stage 1 (the problematic harpsichord)Before the piano, the main keyboard instrument was the harpsichord. the earlier development of the harpsichord is somewhat mysterious, but it can be traced back to 1503, with principle of plucking strings using flexible crow quills started by Giovanni Spinetti of Venice. However, by the time of Alessandro Scarlatti (1659~1725), the harpsichord had settled down into a more or less perfected standard product, present in considerable numbers throughout Europe.
    The harpsichord had 2 prominent problems: its inability to produce dynamics and its hard, twanging sound. These problems could be somewhat partially resolved by adding manuals and varying the stiffness of the quills. However, as harpsichord makers struggled to resolve these two problems, they had failed to notice the dulcimer, an ancient instrument, played like a xylophone, with the strings struck by little soft-headed hammers held in the hand. Its pleasant tone and great possibilities of musical expression were well known, so it is hard to understand to why 200 years passed without anyone noticing its potential.
  58. 58The development of the piano: Stage 2 (cristofori and his unsatisfactory pianos)Finally, in the 18th century, Bartolomeo Cristofori (1683-1731) found the time to try out the dulcimer idea and completed his first instrument in 1707. It was far from satisfactory, and he made another, fancier one in 1711, and his first, real piano in 1720, with single escapement.
    There were several obvious things still needed; a sustaining pedal (although this is a triviality that Cristofori could have added at any time); better materials for strings, which were not available then, better materials for hammers (this required a major research effort with results that are not yet 100% satisfactory), a stronger and more stable frame, so that it could stand a higher tension on the strings and stay in tune when the weather changes; but most of all, a faster, more reliable repeating action.
  59. 59The development of the piano: Stage 3 (Silbermann, Johann Stein, Mozart and the Viennese escapement)Next, Silbermann made several fortepianos for Frederick the Great, which Bach tried and found unsatisfactory. He had four apprentices, one of which was Johann Stein, whose pianos Mozart found absolutely splendid. Mozart’s piano used the Viennese escapement, which died out after 100 years as it could not produce strong, rich tones and sounded very dry.
  60. 60The development of the piano: Stage 4 (more keys, pedals, seats, and the limits of repetition)During and after Beethoven’s time, the piano grew to have more keys, stretching from 5 octaves to 6.5 octaves, and having up to 6 pedals. Beethoven’s piano had 4 pedals. Pianos were then incorporated into orchestras, and concert halls were built bigger with more seats. The soft pedal, or the una corda pedal, was invented in 1820. The rapid repetition of notes was made possible by double escapement, invented by Erard, and Liszt incorporated into his Hungarian Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra, where we can hear repeated notes at the limit of possibility of the Erard action. The Erard action has also reached the limit of the limit of possibility of both human ngers and human ears, as any faster and all one would hear would be clicking noise.
  61. 61The development of the piano: Stage 5 (Steinway)The main bottleneck remained: the wooden frame could barely sustain all the tension of the strings and prevented any further increase. Furthermore, wood absorbs moisture and expands, so changes in temperature and humidity could throw the instrument out of tune. The Steinways, in New York, developed a better cast iron frame design with cross-stringing, heavier strings under greater tension, producing a stronger sound with greater resonance. It was an immediate success, and piano factories all over the world adopted the practice, giving us the piano that we have today.
  62. 62Talk about toccatasToccata, originating from the Italian word toccare, meaning "to touch", is a virtuoso piece of music typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument featuring fast-moving, lightly fingered or otherwise virtuosic passages or sections, with or without imitative or fugal interludes, generally emphasising the dexterity of the performer's fingers.
  63. 63The development of toccatas: Stage 1 (Renaissance and Germany)The form first appeared in the late Renaissance period. It originated in northern Italy. The form was then brought to Germany by Hans Leo Hassler, where it underwent its highest development, culminating in the work of Johann Sebastian Bach more than a hundred years later.
  64. 64The development of toccatas: Stage 2 (the Baroque toccata)The Baroque toccata, is more sectional and increases in length, intensity and virtuosity from the Renaissance version, reaching heights of extravagance equivalent to the overwhelming detail seen in the architecture of the period. Often it features rapid runs and arpeggios alternating with chordal or fugal parts. Sometimes there is a lack of regular tempo, and almost always an improvisational feel.
    Other Baroque composers of toccatas, in the period before Bach, include Johann Pachelbel, Frescobaldi, Alessandro Scarlatti and Dieterich Buxtehude.
  65. 65The development of toccatas: Descriptions of BUXTEHUDE'S and FRESCOBALDI'S toccatas, and how they compare to Bach'sBuxtehude’s toccatas are more polyphonic, with free counterpoint and imitative style. They shorten the improvisational passage and have a longer fugal section. Frescobaldi’s toccatas commonly contain only one subject and create many variations based on it, abandoning virtuosity and instead putting a lot of deep thinking into the piece.
  66. 66The development of toccatas: Stage 3 (Bach's toccatas)Bach's toccatas are among the most famous examples of the form, and his Toccata and Fugue in D Minor BWV 565 is one of the most popular organ works today. Bach's toccatas for harpsichord are multi-sectional works which include fugal writing as part of their structure.
  67. 67The development of toccatas: Stage 3 (beyond Baroque: Romantic)Beyond the Baroque period, toccatas are found less frequently. There are a few notable examples, however. From the Romantic period Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt each wrote a piano toccata - the ambitious Schumann piece being considered one of the most technically difficult works in the repertoire and the foremost representative of the genre in the 1800s. The Liszt toccata is a very short and austere composition from his late period, and is practically a toccata only by name. Smaller-scale toccatas are sometimes called "toccatina".
  68. 68The development of toccatas: Stage 4 (early 20th century)From the early 20th century Prokofiev and Khachaturian each wrote a toccata for solo piano, as did Maurice Ravel and Claude Debussy in his suite Pour le Piano. The toccata form was of great importance in the French romantic organ school. Toccatas in this style usually consist of rapid chord progressions combined with a powerful tune (often played in the pedal).
  69. 69What is rhythm changes? (cotton tail)It refers to the chord progression occurring in George Gershwin's song "I Got Rhythm". This pattern, "one of the most common vehicles for improvisation," forms the basis of countless (usually uptempo) jazz compositions. It is a thirty-two-bar AABA form containing four eight measure sections. In a jazz setting the changes are usually played in the key of B♭ with various chord substitutions.
  70. 70How many jobs did Bach have in his lifetime?6 jobs. Throughout his life, he held several musical posts across Germany: first he was appointed a court musician at a Duke’s chapel in Weimar. After his 7-month tenure, became the organist at St. Boniface's, with light duties, and a relatively generous salary. However, he was dissatisfied with the quality of the singers and his employers were upset that he took unauthorised leave to visit Buxtehude. He was then offered a post at another church with a better choir and improved conditions, which he took up. But his musical style clashed with that of the church pastor. He then won a post as organist at the court of the Duke Ernst in Weimar, where he wrote “Toccata and Fugue in D minor”. He then served as director of music to Leopold, Prince of Anhalt-Cöthen, where he composed mainly instrumental music. After the prince dissolved his orchestra, he got a job as the new organist and teacher at St. Thomas Church in Leipzig. He produced a lot of religious in that post, having to produce new music for services each week.
  71. 71Can you give an example of "various musicals"?strike up the band, Rosalie (1928)
  72. 72Who were Gershwin's contemporaries?Copland (most similiar in style), Amy Beach, John Cage, but George Gershwin is extremely unique in style and these composers were only his contemporaries in terms of age, but he did not really learn from them per say
  73. 73You said this piece was a precursor of Song Without Words, could you give an example?The Venetian Boat Song is greatly similar in terms of texture, with melody on top and bottom line, accompaniment in the middle.
  74. 74Talk about Bach's life.Bach was born in Eisenach, into a great musical family. His father was the director of the town musicians, and all of his uncles were professional musicians. His father taught him the violin and harpsichord, and his brother the clavichord and exposed him to much contemporary music like that of Froberger and Pachelbel. Bach attended St. Michael's School in Lüneburg for two years.
    *insert jobs* By 1740, he was struggling with failing eyesight, but continued to perform, even visiting Frederick the Great. Bach's health and vision declined in 1749, and he died in 1750, in Leipzig.
    Bach's abilities as an organist were highly respected during his lifetime, although he was not widely recognised as a great composer until a revival of interest and performances of his music in the first half of the 19th century. He is now generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. His compositions include the Brandenburg Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, 300+ cantatas, and his Well-Tempered Clavier. His music is revered for its technical command, artistic beauty
  75. 75What is the style of Gershwin’s music?Gershwin was famous for blending different styles - classical, jazz and popular music into a style of his own. He took the jazz he discovered on Tin Pan Alley into the mainstream by splicing its rhythms and tonality with that of the popular songs of his era.Although George Gershwin would seldom make grand statements about his music, he believed that "true music must reflect the thought and aspirations of the people and time. My people are Americans. My time is today."
  76. 76Talk about the pedals on a piano: una cordaOn modern pianos, there is the una corda pedal, the pedal on the left, also known as the soft pedal. It was invented by Cristofori, and primarily modifies timbre and color of the tone, not just the volume of the tone.When the una corda was activated, the entire action shifted to the right so that the hammers hit one string (una corda) instead of two strings (due corde). By the 18th century, piano builders had begun triple stringing the notes on the piano. The pianist could shift from one, to two, to three strings. This, however, cannot be done on modern pianos. On upright pianos, this pedal is known as the half-blow pedal, as when the pedal is activated, the hammers move closer to the strings, so that there is less distance for the hammer to swing.
  77. 77Talk about the pedals on a piano: sustainingThe sustaining, or damper pedal, the pedal on the right, raises all the dampers off the strings so that they keep vibrating after a key on the keyboard has been released. It adds much expressivity, allowing notes to resonate, and certain harmonies and notes to be connected together.
  78. 78Talk about the pedals on a piano: sostenuto and othersThe last pedal to be added to the modern grand is the sostenuto pedal, the pedal in the middle. By using this pedal, a pianist can sustain selected notes, while other notes remain unaffected. It was perfected and patented by Steinway. This pedal was never really accepted on European pianos, and is found mainly on American made pianos. However, most uprights and some grands do not have a middle pedal. Uprights usually have another half-blow pedal as the middle pedal, except it can stay engaged by locking it in a groove. The middle pedal may sometimes lower a muffler rail of felt between the hammers and the strings to mute and significantly soften the sound, so that one can practice quietly. Other pedals were added in the Classical period, when piano makers were still experimenting with the timbre and tone quality of the piano, like the bassoon pedal.
  79. 79What genres did Mozart write?Mozart was an extremely prolific composer and worked in many genres. Perhaps his best-admired work is in opera, the piano concerto and sonata, the symphony, and in the string quartet and string quintet. Mozart also wrote much work for solo piano, other forms of chamber music, masses and other religious music, and numerous dances, divertimentos, and other forms of light entertainment.
  80. 80How many sonatas did Mozart write?Mozart wrote 18 numbered piano sonatas, sonatas for four hands, 36 violin sonatas, and 17 Church Sonatas.
  81. 81What genres did Bach write?Bach wrote more 1000 works, covering almost every genre known then except for opera, such as for voice, organ, solo instruments like lute, violin, flute, chamber music, orchestral works, canons and solo keyboard works.
  82. 82What is improvisational feel?Chopin improvised some of his compositions and then wrote them down. Thus the compositions are improvisations, and could well be said to have an improvisational feel even though they were later written down. An improvisational feel simply means that it sounds/feels like an improvisation even though it may be written down and may even be planned. The common meaning of the word impromptu in English is something that is unplanned and happens spontaneously; this could be why such pieces are given the title, they are improvisational in style.
  83. 83Why did you not choose to play from memory?I felt that using a score would not prevent me from fully expressing myself as some other pianists would feel; on the contrary, I felt more secure with a score. Also, if i endeavored to play from memory, I would most probably miss out some dynamics marked out in the score, or forget a slurs, or in a state of stress and nervousness forget a part of the score.
  84. 84What genres did Schubert write?Franz Schubert was an extremely prolific Austrian composer. He composed some 1500 works in his 31 years alive. The largest group are the lieder for piano and solo voice (over six hundred), and nearly as many piano pieces. Schubert also composed some 150 part songs, some 40 liturgical compositions (including several masses) and around 20 stage works like operas and incidental music. His orchestral output includes a dozen symphonies (seven completed) and several overtures. Schubert's chamber music includes over 20 string quartets, and several quintets, trios and duos.
  85. 85What genres did Gershwin compose?Gershwin wrote classical works like Rhapsody in Blue, Concerto in F, An American in Paris, Porgy and Bess and variations on “I Got Rhythm”. He wrote overtures like Lady, be Good, Strike up the Band and Girl Crazy. He also composed numerous works for solo piano, like his three preludes, and his songbook from which my two pieces were taken. He was also involved in the production of many Broadway musicals and films, such as Shall We Dance and A Damsel In Distress.
  86. 86Where did Schubert come from?He was born in in Himmelpfortgrund (now a part of Alsergrund), Vienna, in the Archduchy of Austria on 31 January 1797
  87. 87What was Schubert well-known for?Schubert’s songs, which are all settings of German poems, are among the greatest ever written. These German art songs, called Lieder, are particularly striking for their dramatic content, forward-looking uses of harmony, and their use of eloquent pictorial keyboard figurations, such as the depiction of the spinning wheel and treadle in the piano in "Gretchen" and the furious and ceaseless gallop in "Erlkönig". Some of the last songs he wrote make up a song cycle called “Die Winterreise” (“The Winter Journey”). They are about an unhappy man unwanted by his lover, and who goes out into the cold winter where nature seems to reflect the way he feels within. An Austrian journal even commented that it was a work which “none can sing or hear without being deeply moved”
  88. 88How did the Mannheim orchestra influence Mozart's sonatas?The Mannheim school refers to a group of composers and performers who formed the largest and finest orchestra in Europe. Their emphasis on precise and extended dynamic contrasts had a great influence on Mozart's piano sonatas, which are filled with youthful energy and surprises.
  89. 89You said Mozart was influenced by Haydn, do you have any examples?Yes. Mozart was influenced by Haydn as the development of this sonata is extremely similar to a development in a Haydn sonata in G Major. Here is the extract!

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Flashcards on viva voce, created by Sophia He on 07/09/2015.
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