A Guide to Musical Styles: From Madrigal to Modern Music

Book Summary

This book transports the reader into the spirit of great musci, so that when he encounters an unfamiliar composition he will feel at home in its style and will have some idea of what to expect. It examines five great periods—the Renaissance, Broque, Classic, Romantic, and Modern—and teaches the technique of listening so as to be able to identify the style and form of the piece and place it in its proper period. For unless our ears can tell us the difference between a fugue and a sonata, the study of names, dates, and historical trends will be futile.

After a general introduction to each period, with lists of principal composers, the author selects at least one outstanding example of every important type of composition from that period, and examines it to see how it is put together and how it fits into the temper of the age. As far as possible each period is presented at its height, by the works performed most frequently today and most available on recordings. Typifying the Renaissance are its choral forms—masses, motets, and madrigals—and also its instrumental music. The Baroque introduces the fugue, the suite and the baroque sonata, as well as oratoria and opera. The Classic sonata, the great Classic symphony and the string quartet are in turn followed by the Romantic songs and piano music, and the varied modern forms of suites, symphonic poems, ballet-pantomime and contemporary expression of older types.

CONTENIDO

Preface

1. Prologue

2. The Renaissance
-Introduction
-Choral types of the renaissance
-Renaissance instrumental music

3. The Baroque
-Introduction
-The fugue
-The suite
-The baroque sonata
-The concerto grosso
-The solo concerto
-The chorale and the chorale prelude
-The mass
-The oratorio
-The passion
-The opera

4. The Classic Era
-Introduction
-The classic sonata
-Chamber music: the string quartet
-The divertimento
-The classical symphony
-The overture
-The classic concerto
-The classic oratorio
-The classic opera

5. The Romantic Era
-Introduction
-The german lied
-Romantic piano music
-The romantic overture
-The romantic symphony
-The romantic concerto
-The symphonic poem
-Romantic chamber music
-The romantic sonata
-The romantic oratorio
-The romantic opera

6. The Post-Romantic and Modern Periods
-Introduction
-The symphonic suite
-The symphonic poem
-The impressionism of Debussy
-Piano music of impressionism
-The ballet or ballet pantomime
-The modern concerto
-The modern symphony
-The chamber orchestra
-Modern chamber music: the string quartet
-Modern choral music
-Modern opera

Dictionary of musical terms
Bibliography
Index

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