Some Vocal Music Genres...

Please read the following summaries and watch the examples. Then choose one and write a Critical response

Gregorian Chant

·         Gregorian is named after Pope Gregory I, Bishop of Rome from 590 to 604, who is traditionally credited for having ordered the simplification and cataloging of music assigned to specific celebrations in the church calendar.

·         In general, the chants were learned by the viva voce method, that is, by following the given example orally, which took many years of experience.

·         Gregorian chant originated in monastic life.

Mass

·         The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy (principally that of the Catholic Church, the

·         Anglican Communion, and the Lutheran Church) to music. Most Masses are in Latin

·         Masses can be a cappella, for the human voice alone, or they can be accompanied by instruments, up to and including a full orchestra. Many Masses, especially later ones, were never intended to be performed during the celebration of an actual mass.

Folk

·         Folk music includes both traditional music and the genre that evolved from it during the 20th century folk revival. The term originated in the 19th century but is often applied to music that is older than that. Certain types of folk music are also called world music.

·         Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers. It has been contrasted with commercial and classical styles. One meaning often given is that of old songs, with no known composers; another is music that has been transmitted and evolved by a process of oral transmission or performed by custom over a long period of time.

·         Starting in the mid-20th century a new form of popular folk music evolved from traditional folk music. This process and period is called the (second) folk revival and reached a zenith in the 1960s. This form of music is sometimes called contemporary folk music or folk revival music to distinguish it from earlier folk forms.

Madrigal

·         Originated in Italy in the 1500’s, popular till early 1700’s

·         A madrigal is a secular vocal music composition, traditionally unaccompanied; the number of voices varies from two to eight, and most frequently from three to six.

·         The composer attempted to express the emotion contained in each line, and sometimes individual words, of a celebrated poem.

·         After the 1630s, the madrigal began to merge with the cantata. With the rise of opera in the early 17th century, the aria gradually displaced the madrigal.

Opera

·         16^th century to present.

·         Opera  is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text (called a libretto) and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting.

Oratorio

·         Most popular in 17^th to 18^th century

·         An oratorio is a large musical composition including an orchestra, a choir, and soloists.

·         Like an opera, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is musical theatre, while oratorio is strictly a concert piece.

Art Song

·         19^th century to present.

·         An art song is a vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano or orchestral accompaniment.

·         Although categorizing a piece of vocal music as art song rather than as another type of song (such as a folk song, or an aria) can sometimes be difficult, most art songs are

• settings of lyric poetry
• not part of a staged work (such as an opera or a musical)
• intended for performance as part of a recital or other relatively formal social occasion