When working with early music, modern performers face challenges regarding stylistic and historical accuracy, given limited information on past performances, as well as notable differences in instruments available, technique, and performance practice. Furthermore, they must decide between different approaches that may better reflect the historical sound or intention of past performers, or choose to blend such extremes, creating varied interpretations.
Such challenges manifest explicitly when modern performs attempt to recreate medieval music, such as Gregorian chants. While modern scholars have deciphered most of medieval notations, chant melodies were primarily passed down through oral transmission, while the manuscripts simply served as reminders (HWM 37). Therefore, the exact way in which these chants were sung cannot be recovered. Modern iterations of chants usually preserve the tradition of employing all male voices, and exude appropriate solemnity in execution, even throughout intricate, melismatic passages meant for skilled soloists to heighten the glorification of God.
The limited accessibility to period instruments from the medieval era also contribute to the challenges in modern performances. Clues to historical performance practice, however, can often be found in contemporary art, such as pictures that illustrate the use of vielle, or fiddle and tambourines in instrumental accompaniment to medieval dance (WT 49). Passages accompanying Raimbaut’s works in chansonniers also suggest that troubadour songs such as his Kalenda maya are rooted in dance music, such as the estampie (WT 49). This type of information gives modern performers clues such as appropriate tempo and prominence of the singers. In a live performance by T...
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...but laugh[ed] and talk[ed] through the whole performance, without any restraint” (WT 196-197). Historical writings such as this enlighten the historical function of such performances. Modern performers can hence draw conclusions that inform their execution. In this case, for instance, one can assume that past singers must exaggerate their dramatic effect and vocals to fight for the attention of their audience.
Indeed, by considering the social and historical background of early music, modern performers can derive further clues to past performance practice beyond available scores, period instruments, and knowledge of historical techniques and styles. Using such knowledge, modern musicians can rise above challenges such as vague notation and lack of actual recordings to create informed, intent-driven performances of early music that reflect the contemporary context.
Canciones de arargue, or songs of bitterness – was the original name for the creolized form Bachata. Many closely associate Bachata with the other Caribbean styles of the African diaspora such as merengue and son. In Intro to Music Cultures of the World we were tasked with attending a world music concert. I chose to attend a Bachata concert because I already had an interest in Caribbean music. The concert was not as I had expected, but was rather intriguing and thoroughly enjoyable. In this report I hope to analyze Bachata’s roots, report on its concert style, and compare it to another piece in the genre.
Music’s role on society has changed drastically through the course of its history as it has become ever so increasingly expansive. Many of the previous musical movements were only for the wealthy as entertainment
Music has evolved too many different forms that we recognize today. We trace this development throughout time. Beginning in the middle ages, we have seen advancement from the Gregorian chant all the way to the Jazz of the 20th century. The current events, politics, religion, technology and composers can shape musical eras during time. Here I will look at the middle ages, renaissance, baroque, classical, romantic and twentieth century periods. I hope that a better understanding can be reached to why, when, where and who are the reasons for musical evolution.
In terms of the technical differences between the art music of early times and that of the modern period (i.e., after 1600) we can identify five specific features that make post-1600 styles in music sound more or less "familiar."
...rgence, it was not recorded and recognized. The narrator and the authors from SSUS both express an emphasis on the importance of this music. The narrator felt so compelled by the music that he decided to bring the music to a different audience and environment. The authors in SSUS also voiced the importance of remembering and try to recreate the original African-American slave songs. Although both stories place a huge emphasis on these songs, the musicking experiences are quite different. The narrator provides a raw, detailed emotional response to the music. Meanwhile, the authors in SSUS choose to focus more on the music’s context and technicalities. Aside from their similarities and differences, these stories greatly show how music can help record a time in history, show different examples of musicking, and help show the importance of some of music’s original roots
Therefore, to endure the pains and sufferings the slaves had to use music. As illustrated above, the advent of music had far reaching results as it encouraged and gave them hope to continue working. The early music composers are the evidence of existence of early music which in turn has shaped today’s music like the blues and pop lyrics. In this case, the culture of the past has been rescued from getting lost.
Ever since humans first learned how to make music with their voices and with instruments thousands of years ago, music has been changing. Some changes took place over hundreds or even thousands of years, stunted by human isolation or by guidelines set in place by religious institutions. The 20th century, in contrast, experienced several rapid, radical changes in the popular genres of music. This made the 20th century a very rich time period for musical culture. These remarkable genres--including, but not limited to jazz, rock and roll, and the music of the “British invasion”--all influenced one another, and all influenced the culture we still live in today.
3) Sacred songs - Hungarian sacred folk hymns of a variety of origins also make up a wide repertoire of songs present in live folk tradition. The valuable and most significant part of church songs in folk tradition is ecumenical - ignoring the different type of denominations (that is Evangelic, Catholic, Reformational). We find songs with a) Gregorian origin (Psalmtones, Te Deum, Hymns - sometimes sung in Latin, even funeral parodies); b) songs evolved from medieval canticles; c) songs of the Reformation era; d) the psalms of Genf and other metric songs; d) 16th, 17th century Hungarian Chorals) songs of Counter-reformation f) sacred gongs set on peasant tunes.
Women's involvement with medieval music took a variety of forms; they served at times as audience, as participant, as sponsor, and as creator. The evidence for their roles, like that for their male contemporaries, is sporadic at best. Many musical sources have been lost, and those sources that do survive only occasionally provide composer attributions. Information on specific performances is virtually non-existent, and the references to musical performances gleaned from literary allusions must be read critically. Similarly, a work of art portraying a woman musician may be representational or symbolic, or both. Yet despite these handicaps, modern scholarship reveals many ways in which medieval women were engaged with, and enriched by, the music that flourished around them.
Throughout the semester, various styles of music and the aspects of culture associated with these styles have been analyzed. Musical elements such as dynamics, texture, form, timbre, melody, instruments, etc., have been used to thoroughly explore each kind of music from different areas of the world, with an emphasis in music from Africa, India and Indonesia. These aspects of music go far beyond just music itself. Culture also plays a huge role in music and the accompanying musical elements. Each country and culture has a different style and distinctiveness that add to what makes the music of that certain culture unique. Music in Africa may differ dramatically from music in Indonesia or India not only due to those certain elements but also due to how it is interpreted by people and what it represents for those people. In addition to this, what one may consider music in one culture may not be music to another. These differences have been made apparent in the several demonstrations that we have been exposed to in class.
Music: the art of organized noise. The blend of pitch and rhythm combined in different mediums and enjoyed by our ears. A very interpretive art, music isn’t very clearly constricted or defined by one definition. With so many varieties of music, it’s difficult to say what aspect is really the most important. Some people think music’s history and the appreciation of music are the most important aspects to take into consideration. Some think complex in rhythms and melodies make the best music. Some people devote their whole lives to studying one genre of music in order to fully understand how that genre works. While all of these aspects of music are important, none of them can truly be compared with each other on a fair playing field. Music of different genres, eras, and geographic backgrounds were written for different purposes, different people, and different settings. Still, there is still one overarching theme that applies to all forms of music new or old: the way the composer presents his or her creation. The performance and presentation of a work of music is like the icing on the top of a cake. The cake may be the best you’ve ever tasted, but if the icing on the outside doesn’t look appealing or doesn’t taste good, chances are you’ll take a different piece of cake with better looking frosting next time. The performance of music is what appeals most to people. With live performance, an artist must “sell” his or her creation. They must put smile on their face and convey to the audience that this is their music and through the music explain why it’s awesome. They must persevere through whatever the stage, the audience, and their surroundings give them and put on a good show. In today’s popular music though, this aspect of showma...
To fully understand any musical style, one must be able to analyze the various elements of music as they exist in that particular style. In this first musical close-up, we shall briefly describe these elements of music. In subsequent musical close-ups, we shall examine one or another of these elements in greater detail as it pertains to a given style or topic.
performance to a major degree reflects the spirit of the times, and some of today's 'authentic' performances have less to do with historical accuracy, attempting rather to produce a performance which, in John Eliot Gardiner's words, will 'excite modern listeners.' (Sartorius)
Among the main changes that have taken place since the reemergence of the Klezmer music as a critical musical genre of the Jews are general trends towards more pronounced rhythms and faster tempos. When it comes to performances in concerts and the absence of numerous experienced dancers, bands playing Klezmer music have come up with faster songs to show their virtuosity without fear of tiring the audiences. This trend has been somewhat reversed through the attempts of researchers oriented towards tradition and committed dance instructors and dancers. However, in some modern professional performances, and certainly in the ancient recordings of the revival of the Klezmer music, this acceleration contributes to a frenetic energy that the audiences accustomed to bluegrass, bebop and rock and roll understand and appreciate (Parshall 76- 78).