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SYLLABUS
History 10 - The Middle Ages to the The Classical Era
Instructor - Andrew James Clark - www.andrewjamesclark.ca
This survey course introduces students to the earliest notated examples of western art music and provides the vocabulary needed to discuss such musical styles and topics. Students will learn to summarize stylistic traits of various historical eras, observe how composers interacted with society, and discover the overarching musical patterns and developments which have lead us to now. A substantial amount of new terminology and their definitions must be committed to memory.
GREGORIAN CHANT
The Earliest Surviving Melodies of the Church
and the origin of Western Art Music
THE NOTRE DAME SCHOOL
The Earliest form of Polyphony
and the Musica Enchiriadis
CHANSON
The First Notated Secular Songs
THE POLYTEXTUAL MOTET
A Combination of Sacred and Secular
Music and Poetry.
MEDIEVAL INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
Dance Music and Medieval Instruments
GUILLAUME DE MACHAUT
Composed the first motivically unified Mass
Championed the Ars Nova Style
JOSQUIN DES PREZ
Leading Member of the Franco-Flemish School
Master of Imitative Counterpoint
Martin Luther's Favourite Composer
GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI DA PALASTRINA (1525-1594)
The Saviour of Counterpoint
The Musical Voice of the Counter-Reformation
The Most Important Composer of the 16th Century
Carlo Gesualdo (1566-1613)
Wealthy Italian Count and Composer
Embraced Chromaticism and Dissonance
Murderer!
WILLIAM BYRD (1540-1623)
Lucky Enough to be Found in the
Fitzwilliam Virginal Book
OPERA
New Genre Created by the Florentine Camerata
A Revival of Greek Tragedy
Polyphony replaced with Monody
THE SACRED CANTATA
A Mighty Fortress is Our God
Bach Cantata No. 80
CONCERTO GROSSO
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2
DANCE SUITE
The Hen and The Hornpipe
THE SYMPHONY
Symphony No. 104
ORATORIO
The Creation
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