There is alot of useful information for you and your students on these pages. There are several past papers which you can print off and the audio for the papers is here also.
Information on the Set Works for this year is also available, including videos, composer bios and analyses of the music.
Later on I will add some revision quizes.
The Periods of Musical History
Medieval
(pre 1500)
Very
simple musical structures
Very
little music was written down
Most
music was performed by troubadours
Mostly
monophonic
Simple
rhythms based on speech
Renaissance
(1500-1650)
Contrapuntal
music was introduced
Lots
of imitation· Use of modes
Mainly
polyphonic
Usually
performed by instruments of the same family
Baroque
(1650-1750)
Full
of ornaments and decoration
Use
of antiphonal effects
Use
of terraced dynamics
Often
accompanied by a harpsichord
The
birth period of the modern orchestra
Classical
(1750-1810)
Music
in regular length phrases
Harmony
concentrates around the tonic and dominant
Famous
composers include Mozart, Beethoven and Hadyn
Genres
of the period include symphony, concerto, string quartet
and opera
Romantic
(1810-1900)
More
instruments used and larger orchestra
Variety
in harmonics including discords
Some
music used to tell stories or create emotions
Famous
composers include Tchaikovsky, Schubert and Verdi
Contrasts
in dynamics, instruments and pitch
Modern
(1900-present)
Complete
dissolution of harmony
The
combinations of instruments became more varied
Composers
became more aware of their national heritage
Composers
include Elgar, Schöenberg and Stravinsky
