Western classical music glossary (Baroque era)

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Affection.
The mood of a piece of music.It was customary in Baroque music for a single mood to prevail in a movement.
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Diatonic.
Notes or chords belonging to or literally 'of the key.'
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Homophonic.
A musical texture comprising a melody part and accompaniment.
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Melodic.
Refers to the melody line.
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Monophonic.
A musical texture of a single melodic line with no accompaniment.
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Polyphonic.
A musical texture featuring two or more parts,each having a melody line and sounding together.
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Oratorio.
Large-scale musical setting for chorus,soloists and orchestra of a biblical text.Designed for concert performance.Messiah by G.F Handel is one of the most famous examples of an oratorio.
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Libretto.
The text/words of a musical work such as an opera or oratorio.
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Aria.
A solo vocal piece with instrumental accompaniment.
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Recitative.
A style used in operas,oratorio and cantatas in which the text is 'declaimed' (told) in the rhythm of natural speech.
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Dominant.
The fifth note of the scale or key-the strongest note after the tonic.
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Cadence.
Two chords at the end of a musical phrase.There are four main types of cadence:perfect,imperfect,interrupted and plagal.
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Harmonic rhythm.
The number of times the chords change per bar.
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Hemiola.
In triple time,this is a rhythmic device often used towards a cadence point,in which notes are grouped in two beat units.
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Imitative.
Literally separate parts copying or imitating each other.If the imitation is note for note the same,this will then be a canon.
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Modulating.
When the music changes key.
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Pedal.
A sustained note usually in the lowest bass part.In the middle of a musical texture it is called an inner pedal and if at the top,an inverted pedal.
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Perfect cadence chords.
Chord V followed by chord I.
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Pitch.
How high or low a note sounds.
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Plagal cadence chords.
Chord IV followed by chord I.
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Tonic.
The first degree of a scale,the keynote,e.g in C major the note C is the tonic note.
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Vb.
Dominant chord (V) in first inversion (b).
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V7c.
Dominant 7th chord (V7) in second inversion (c).
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Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Diatonic.

Back

Notes or chords belonging to or literally 'of the key.'

Card 3

Front

Homophonic.

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Melodic.

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Monophonic.

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

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