• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

South Dakota State University Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange SDSU Extension Circulars SDSU Extension 5-1955 Meet Music Marvel LaBrie Follow this and additional works at: http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/extension_circ Part of the Agriculture Commons Recommended Citation LaBrie, Marvel, "Meet Music" (1955). SDSU Extension Circulars. 687. http://openprairie.sdstate.edu/extension_circ/687 This Circular is brought to you for free and open access by the SDSU Extension at Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. It has been accepted for inclusion in SDSU Extension Circulars by an authorized administrator of Open PRAIRIE: Open Public Research Access Institutional Repository and Information Exchange. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EXTENSION CIRCULAR 522 • MAY 1955 j 1 , AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE SOUTH DAKOTA STATE COLLEGE • U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE • getting HEP on ·music• MARVEL LABRIE Extension Music Specialist "Confidentially, this long-haired wouldn't be caught dead in a dress stuff is not for me. I don't really which your neighbor considers her know a thing about music, and I "very best," but that doesn't make can't carry a tune in a bushel bas- you dislike all dresses, does it? So ket." With this pessimistic state- with music. Highly-trained musi- ment, many of us close the door to cians do not have the same tastes in a whole new world of enjoyment. music, themselves. One may prefer It does seem confusing when we the strict-form classical music, an- hear people conversing in long- other the flowery, romantic style. handled terms about symphonies, That depends upon personalities, sonatas, oratorios, writing styles, tastes and emotio~s. Now you can and the like. Immediately, we be- feel better about not being "sent" come frightened by their apparent by a certain composition or com.. knowledge of music. Don't be mis- poser. led by that big talk, which may even There Is a Difference-Let us look be done just to impress you. Knowl- at the various kinds of music heard edge of those terms doesn't mean in our world of today, and make a that they enjoy music any more few comparisons. It is impossible to than you do, or than you can ( if completely cover the music field, you have, at present, a musically but we'll deal with the most impor- uneventful life). tant classifications that are com- With a little pluck, a few facts, monly used. We'll begin with the and an ambition to widen life's in- basic question of ~<Just what is mu- terests, we can find a lasting com- sic, anyway?" , panion in music, whether it be through performance or listening. Music is a universal language and WHAT IS MUSIC? there is something in it for every- It covers a pretty large field of one. endeavor, doesn't it? People sing, "But I Don't Like ..." Naturally, dance, play instruments, compose, there will ?e music ~rom whi~h you or hear some of it every day of their ?o not den:e full en1oyment, JUSt as lives. One dictionary very simply m other things in life. Maybe you defines it as "the art and the science 2 • • Meet Music 3 of expression in sound." That's it-a Simplicity Lost means of expression of thoughts, Greece fell, and music became hopes, joys, sorrows, patriotism, commercialized by Greeks who peacefulness, conflict, love, hate went to Rome. Poetry was no longer and any other emotions of which used with music, and Latin words we are capable. We associate it with replaced the Greek. Roman culture starving composers writing in stuf- was less refined than that of Greece, fy garrets, jazz bands "digging the and they wanted huge vocal and in- latest," great performances of huge strumental productions with lavish instrumental or choral groups, solo costumes on a Hollywood scale; artists, group song or jam sessions, simplicity of music was lost. and even the whi~tling cowboy! The coming of Christianity was a strong influence on people's lives EARLY MUSIC and music. The priests realized music's powers and, influenced by Like everything else, music had a the Israelite music of the Jews, be- simple beginning. It originated in primitive man through imitation of gan composing songs that would in- his surroundings-cries of animals, duce prayer in church. The words birds, and other sounds. He first were considered more important than the melody. heard the rhythmic beats and used crude percussion instruments for Liturgy Developed chants, campfire dances, rituals and Ambrose ( 340-97), Bishop of Mi- festivals. lan, was first to devise the idea of Although it is thought that music antiphonal, or responsive, singing, was developed to a . great extent in in which one person or group an- the ancient civilizations of 1500 B. swers another in song. Pope Greg- C., there is no definite record of the ory the Great ( 540-604) was the state of musical advancement be- true father of the liturgy, though. fore the Greek civilization. In fact, He developed Gregorian chant, only a few ( about seven) frag- which was a single line, unaccom- ments of Greek music remain. Their panied melody sung without any music consisted of one-line melo- rhythmic pattern, or variation in dies, tunes or chants ( no chords or speed. Only men's voices were used added harmony) that formed the in chanting this plainsong, from basis for poems or temple worship which sentimental, artificial or pop- and probably had a very small ular tunes were excluded. Grego- range of notes. rian chant formed the basis for oth- The instrument used by serious er forms of music that followed, Greek musicians was the string especially polyphonic ( many melo- lyre; common people used a kind of dies combined) . flute, associated with the god of Notes in music at that time were wine. The lyre was used at festivals square or oblong shapes called of the god Apollo, noted for his pur- neumes; __ that . means "nod," so ity and serenity . neumes gave the nod to the voice to • 4 South Dakota Extension Service Circular 522 go up or down, but the singer had to minnesinger. Minstrels and jugglers decide how far! Four hundred years were ~·stars of the show," using after Gregory died, a learned monk viols, harps, flutes, bagpipes and named Guido conceived the idea of other stringed instruments for ac- syllables ( note names) and a staff companiment. Many texts of their of lines and spaces for notes that songs remain, but only 250 melodies gave them definite places in rela- have been preserved. tion to one another. Thus it was pos- Common Participation sible to write music on paper ac- St. Francis of Assissi ( 1182- curately. .1226) helped inject the expression Part-Singing Begun of common people in church music After these additions, part-sing- by having them participate in ing began to develop. First, all of church singing and by creating the singers sang the same melody; hymns for home worship. the only difference was that they And that's the setting for our began on different harmonizing musical world. Music has continued pitches. Then the idea was con- to expand its realm in composition, ceived whereby one group would new and better instruments, use of sing a different melody (descant) the voice and service to mankind. It above the original melody. The has been greatly affected by histori- church relaxed its strict observ- cal events, :revolutions and wars; 'ances of Gregorian rules of writing, for, music reflects the times and the and motets containing three differ- people. ent parts or melodies were com- posed. Notes were also given dif- THE OUTER WRAPS OF MUSIC ferent time values so that rhythm Some of our composers had very patterns could be sung with a defi- definite stories, ideas or associations nite beat. in mind when they wrote a number; From 1100-1300, France led the this type of work is called "program musical world, adding freedom and music." Peter and the Wolf is an ex- folk-quality to the music. The Cru- ample. At concerts, program notes sades at that time inspired patriotic are often used to explain the music songs and brought new music ideas and to help us to exercise our imag- via the returning warriors. inations; we must realize, however, This was the age of wandering that good music does not require a minstrels who sang in feudal cas- story element for its success. tles, guildhalls and taverns. They Just as persons have nicknames, sang religious music plus songs of so does music, e.g., "Moonlight" their own. The latter were usually Sonata or the "Pathetique" Sym- ta1es of heroism, love, romance, or phony. These names are originated adventure. Gradually, these men by listeners and usually are most ap- banded together, led by the organ- propriate in describing the number. izer and composer of tales, called a Opus numbers are merely a troubadour, trouvere, harper or means of indexing or dating a com- • • Meet Music 5 poser's work, most frequently re- Had there been a No. 2a or No. ferring to the date published, not 2b on the last figure, it would mean written. For example, Beethoven's that he had written two instrumen- "Moonlight" Sonata is officially tal arrangements of it, a and b. If a named Sonata for Piano No. 14, in letter is used in place of Op., the C-sharp Minor, .Op. 27, No. 2. This works have not been classified until means it was the 14th sonata he after the composer's death, and it wrote, in the key of C-sharp Minor, represents the name of the person his 27th published work and second doing the· classification.

Load more

  14

Copy Link