The scholarly study of music, particularly different musical cultures and traditions
Questions tagged [musicology]
101 questions
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Why note B is marked with H in Scandinavia and Germany?
At least in Scandinavia and Germany two notes are marked differently than in most other countries:
B -> H
B♭ -> B
I have heard that this is due to mistake in interpreting messy sheet notes, as ♭ is close to b and ♯ resembles H. The story goes that…
Skrim
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How can a non-musician recognize anacrusis?
I need help understanding anacrusis (pickup notes). I'm no musician - I'm more of an anthropologist. I was reading some articles on ethnomusicology, and one of them makes reference to anacrusis in some indigenous musical traditions. In some cases,…
Teusz
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Did baroque composers think of ritardando on their compositions?
I've been always told that whenever I play any baroque piece on the piano, I should take special care when attending to, for example, the amount of right pedal I should use. It sounded perfectly normal when it was explained to me, because there was…
user314159
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Why are birds never out of key when they sing?
Why are birds never out of key when they sing?
In fact, this is not just about birds; almost all creatures that make pleasant sounds (except us) never make a note out of key.
How is this possible?
Quazi Irfan
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What are the greek modes, and how do they differ from modern modes?
This Question might be TwoFold, based on an uncertainty I have
I understand the construction of traditional Ionian-Locrian modes, and I have read that various notes in the modes have traditionally been slightly sharpened/flattened from what they are…
Alexander Troup
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21
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How much do we know about how ancient Greek and Roman music sounded?
Specifically for music composed earlier than the third or fourth century A.D.
I have heard several reports about deciphering examples of ancient greek musical notation. And you can find CDs of "reconstituted" ancient music although I never had an…
ogerard
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Are octaves, fifths, fourths and thirds considered as "consonant" in all music cultures?
Our western music culture revolves around the rule that certain intervals are very consonant, and others (such as the interval between a B and F) are dissonant. The octave is the most consonant interval we have, and we are able to use notes from…
Lee White
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Why did Beethoven include "in the Lydian Mode" in the title of String Quartet, Op.132 - 3?
Beethoven himself gave a title to String Quartet No.15 in A minor, Op.132 - 3:
A Convalescent's Holy Song of Thanksgiving to the Divinity, in the
Lydian Mode
From the language and context, and also the particular mention of the mode and not just…
Stinkfoot
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J. S. Bach's place in musical history
Was there any reason Bach didn't follow the trends of the times? He was surely very much in touch with contemporary composers, and knew of Handel's and Scarlatti's works specifically. Amazingly, he composed not a single opera in his life. Did his…
Noldorin
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What gives a piece of music its personality and feeling?
What makes a piece of music sound angry, dark, sad, happy, or otherwise?
"La Chute" by Yann Tiersen sounds so angry to me and "A Dark Knight" from "The Dark Knight" movie sounds so dark and mysterious. "Adagio for Strings" by Samuel Barber is a…
Chiron
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Baroque music composed in the 21st century
Which characteristically Baroque elements of music composition still have currency in the 21st century? Are there any 21st-century composers or songwriters who still compose primarily or largely in the Baroque style? What makes their work especially…
Behzad
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E flat or E natural in score of Beethoven String Quartet Op 131?
I have heard recordings of Beethoven's C sharp minor string quartet Op. 131 where, in bar 53 the third crotchet of the first violin part is played as E flat, and at least one recording where it is played as E natural. The E flat (or D sharp),…
Shane O Rourke
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Are there any classification systems that categorize music by mood?
Recently I had the idea to categorize my digital music library with mood tags.
Thinking about these moods, I figured that it's not so easy to come up with a complete list that covers all possible emotional impressions.
Some example categories could…
phoibos
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musical theory of lullabies
I'm studying lullabies right now, and am just left wondering about a few things. Why is a common element of a lullaby that it has a slow tempo? Also, why is having a high tessitura so important?
Sarah Larry
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11
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Authorship of Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565
An earlier question mentions the disputed authorship of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565. Several musicologists allege that the work has stylistic elements that are problematic for the period in which it was supposedly written, while…
Bradd Szonye
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