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English art song

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

English art song in the 17th century#

The composition of polyphonic music was at its peak in the late 16th century. By that time, however, the lute started to gain popularity, and was very successful among educated people by 1600. The Italians were trying to recapture a simpler vocal style, to mimic Greek models. Giulio Caccini and the Florentine Camerata developed the monody, for solo voice with lute accompaniment, around 1600. Caccini traveled around Europe, other countries begin developing their own solo songs with lute, especially the English composers. John Dowland (1563–1626) and Thomas Campion (1567–1620) emerged as the best-known and most respected of the composers of lute song. Later in the 17th century, Henry Purcell (1659–95) composed many solo songs for his semi-operas, and his songs are also generally considered among the best early English art songs. Other English art song composers in the 17th century * William Byrd (1543–1623), composed “consort songs” with viol consort accompaniment, 1588 collection of Psalms, Sonnets, and Songs * Thomas Morley (1557–1603), his songs may have been used in Shakespeare’s plays, well-known song “It was a Lover and his Lass” from his First Book of Ayres, 1607 * Michael Cavendish (c.1565-1628), published one volume of madrigals and lute songs in 1598 * Francis Pilkington (1582–1638), lute song composer * Robert Jones (fl. 1597-1615); 5 books of ayres, 1600–1610 * Tobias Hume (d. 1648), serious and comic songs * Philip Rosseter (c.1567-1623), prolific song composer and friend of Campion, a few of his lute songs are still performed * Henry Lawes (1595–1662); prolific song composer, set texts by court poets (Herring, Suckling, and Carew) for his vocal works * John Playford (1623–1686), London bookseller, publisher, and minor composer * Thomas d’Urfey (1653–1723), prolific song composer, playwright, and poet

English country music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

English folk music

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

In the strictest sense, English folk music has existed since the arrival of the Anglo-Saxon people in Britain after 400 AD. The Venerable Bede’s story of the cattleman and later ecclesiastical musician Cædmon indicates that in the early medieval period it was normal at feasts to pass around the harp and sing ‘vain and idle songs’. Since this type of music was rarely notated, we have little knowledge of its form or content. Some later tunes, like those used for Morris dance, may have their origins in this period, but it is impossible to be certain of these relationships. We know from a reference in William Langland’s Piers Plowman, that ballads about Robin Hood were being sung from at least the late 14th century and the oldest detailed material we have is Wynkyn de Worde’s collection of Robin Hood ballads printed about 1495.

Enka

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Etymology#

The term enka was first used to refer to political texts set to music which were sung and distributed by opposition activists belonging to the Freedom and People’s Rights Movement during the Meiji period (1868–1912) as a means of bypassing government curbs on speeches of political dissent – and in this sense the word is derived from , meaning “speech song”. Another theory holds that modern enka means , meaning “performance song”. The genre called enka is also said to be an expedient classification for record labels as well as J-pop. For example, Harumi Miyako, who has been usually considered as an enka singer, said “I don’t think that I sing ’enka and “In fact, there was no such term as ’enka’ when I debuted.”

Ensalada (music)

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Works#

Prague 1581 # El Fuego (the fire) – Flecha # La Bomba (the pump) – Flecha # La Negrina (the black girl) – Flecha # La Guerra (the battle) – Flecha # El Bon Jorn (the good day) – Vila # La Justa (the joust) – Flecha # La Viuda (the widow) – Flecha # La Feria (the fair) – Flecha (the younger) # Las Cañas (the pan-pipas) – Flecha (the younger) # La Trulla - Càrceres # La Lucha (the struggle) – Vila # Los Chistes (the jokes) – Flecha # Las Cañas II (the pan-pipes II) – Flecha # El Molino (the mill) – Chacón Supplement # El Jubilate – Flecha # La Caza (the hunt) – Flecha # El Toro (the bull) – Flecha # La Negrina (the black woman) – Cárceres # Las Cañas III (the pan-pipes III) – Brudieu Francisco de Peñalosa # Por las sierras de Madrid, for 6 voices. # Tú que vienes de camino, for 2 voices. Garcimuñóz (attributed) # Una montaña pasando, for 4 voices Anon. * Quien madruga Dios le ayuda. Romancero 1612

Éntekhno

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origins#

As opposed to other forms of Greek urban folk music, éntekhno concerts would often take place outside a hall or a nightclub in the open air. Mikis Theodorakis and Manos Hadjidakis were the most popular early composers of éntekhno songs. They were both educated in classical music; the lack of a wide public for this kind of music in Greece drove them to the invention of éntekhno, in which they transferred some values of Western art music, such as ballad tunes. Other significant Greek songwriters included Stavros Kouyoumtzis, Manos Loïzos, and Dimos Moutsis. Significant lyricists of this genre are Nikos Gatsos, Manos Eleftheriou and poet Tasos Livaditis. By the 1960s, innovative albums helped éntekhno become close to mainstream, and also led to its appropriation by the film industry for use in soundtracks.

Entr'acte

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Origin#

Originally entr’actes resulted from stage curtains being closed for set or costume changes: to fill time as not to halt the dramatic action, to make a transition from the mood of one act to the next, or to prevent the public from becoming restless. In front of the closed curtains, the action could be continued during these entr’actes, albeit involving only players with no scenery other than the curtain, and a minimum of props. An entr’acte can take the action from one part of a large-scale drama to the next by completing the missing links. The Spanish Sainete often performed a similar function.