Canary PAU Choir II flashcards
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32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.
- Renaissance polyphony
- A style of choral composition from c. 1450–1600 featuring imitative counterpoint, modal harmony, and a cappella performance, often with overlapping voices and word painting.
- Baroque basso continuo
- A continuous bass line played by instruments such as cello and harpsichord, providing harmonic foundation in Baroque choral works like cantatas and oratorios.
- Classical homophony
- A texture common in Classical-era choral music where all voices move together in chords, with clear periodic phrasing and balanced dynamics.
- Romantic choral expansion
- A trend in 19th-century choral music toward larger forces, expanded harmonic language, and expressive dynamics, as in Verdi's Requiem.
- Word painting
- A compositional technique where music reflects the literal meaning of the text, such as ascending lines for 'ascendit' or descending for 'descendit'.
- Diaphragmatic breathing
- A breathing technique using the diaphragm and lower intercostal muscles for deep, silent inhalation, providing stable breath support for singing.
- Vowel unification
- The process of aligning vowel shapes across a choir to create a blended, homogeneous sound, often by agreeing on a neutral model vowel.
- Choral blend
- The integration of individual voices into a unified ensemble sound by matching timbre, dynamics, and vowel pronunciation within and across sections.
- Just intonation
- A tuning system based on pure intervals, where major thirds are slightly narrow and minor thirds slightly wide, often used in unaccompanied choral singing.
- Mixed voice
- A vocal registration that blends chest and head resonance, allowing smooth transitions across the range and matching section timbre.
- SATB score layout
- A choral score arrangement with soprano and alto on the treble staff and tenor and bass on the bass staff, often bracketed together.
- Tenor clef
- A C clef placed on the fourth line, used for tenor parts; in choral scores, tenor often reads treble clef with an '8' below to indicate octave transposition.
- Key signature order
- The sequence of sharps (F, C, G, D, A, E, B) or flats (B, E, A, D, G, C, F) in a key signature, determining the key.
- Compound meter
- A time signature where the beat divides into three equal parts, such as 6/8, 9/8, or 12/8, often conducted with a subdivided pattern.
- Da capo aria
- An aria form in Baroque opera and oratorio with an A–B–A structure, where the singer repeats the first section with ornamentation.
- Interval recognition
- The ability to identify musical intervals by ear, often using reference songs, essential for sight-singing and intonation in choral singing.
- Intonation drift
- The tendency of an ensemble's pitch to rise or fall during performance, often caused by poor breath support, tension, or fatigue.
- Solfège
- A sight-singing system using syllables (do, re, mi, etc.) to represent pitches, with movable do adapting to the key.
- Chord tone awareness
- The ability to identify whether one's part is the root, third, fifth, or seventh of a chord, aiding intonation and balance.
- Rhythmic subdivision
- The practice of dividing beats into smaller units to maintain precision and ensemble coordination, especially in complex rhythms.
- Conducting ictus
- The point of the beat where the hand changes direction, clearly indicating the pulse to the ensemble.
- Preparatory gesture
- The conductor's upbeat that indicates tempo, dynamics, and character before the ensemble begins or after a pause.
- Rehearsal planning
- The structured allocation of rehearsal time, including warm-up, section work, and full runs, to address the most challenging passages efficiently.
- Legato gesture
- A smooth, connected conducting motion with curved lines, used to indicate sustained, flowing singing.
- Cueing
- The conductor's use of eye contact and gesture to signal a specific section or soloist to enter.
- Error detection
- The conductor's ability to identify pitch, rhythm, balance, or diction issues during rehearsal and address their root causes.
- Bach's Mass in B minor
- A monumental Baroque choral work by J.S. Bach, combining movements from earlier compositions, exemplifying complex counterpoint and Lutheran liturgy.
- Handel's Messiah
- An English-language oratorio by G.F. Handel (1741) featuring biblical texts, famous for the 'Hallelujah' chorus and its use of basso continuo.
- Mozart's Requiem
- A Classical-era Requiem Mass in D minor by W.A. Mozart, left unfinished at his death and completed by Süssmayr, known for its dramatic setting.
- Brahms's Ein deutsches Requiem
- A Romantic-era choral work by Johannes Brahms using German biblical texts rather than the Latin Mass, emphasizing comfort and humanist themes.
- Stravinsky's Symphony of Psalms
- A 1930 choral symphony by Igor Stravinsky setting Latin psalms, characterized by rhythmic drive, modal harmonies, and unusual choral textures.
- Britten's War Requiem
- A 1962 choral work by Benjamin Britten combining the Latin Requiem Mass with poems by Wilfred Owen, reflecting on war and reconciliation.