HY on Music Theory Print

Hymn

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

Origins#

Ancient Eastern hymns include the Sumerian Kesh temple hymn (oldest surviving literary text in the world); Egyptian Great Hymn to the Aten, composed by Pharaoh Akhenaten; the Hurrian Hymn to Nikkal; the Rigveda, an Indian collection of Vedic hymns; hymns from the Classic of Poetry (Shijing), a collection of Chinese poems from 11th to 7th centuries BC; the Gathas—Avestan hymns believed to have been composed by Zoroaster; and the Biblical Book of Psalms. The Western tradition of hymnody begins with the Homeric Hymns, a collection of ancient Greek hymns, the oldest of which were written in the 7th century BC, praising deities of the ancient Greek religions. Surviving from the 3rd century BC is a collection of six literary hymns () by the Alexandrian poet Callimachus. The Orphic Hymns are a collection of 87 short poems in Greek religion. Patristic writers began applying the term , or hymnus in Latin, to Christian songs of praise, and frequently used the word as a synonym for “psalm”.

Hymn tune

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

Hymnal editors#

Editors bring extensive knowledge of theology, poetry, and music to the process of compiling a new hymnal. They seek texts that are capable of communicating complex theological concepts to lay people, and they strive to partner those texts to tunes which are singable by the non-professional musicians of a congregation. When editors choose a text for the planned collection, it may already be paired to a tune that supports its meaning, catches its spirit, and allows for congregational participation. This pairing may be used elsewhere, even ecumenically recognized, appearing in many other hymnals. However, if a hymn has been linked to a tune the editors think is not the best partner for it, they can arrange a new pairing. Partnerships of texts and tunes can give special attention to the interpretive opportunities in a text by providing artistic support of the message through its musical setting. Editors must consider whether the important words in the text fall on stressed notes, whether climax points in the ideas correspond with musical climaxes, and whether the tempo for the music matches the style of the text.

Hymns to Mary

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

Eastern Church#

In the Eastern Church, the Theotokia (i.e. hymns to the Theotokos) are an essential part of the Divine Liturgy. The positioning of Marian hymns in the Orthodox liturgical services effectively places the Theotokos in the most prominent place after Christ, in that the Theotokia immediately follow the hymns that praise Christ. In the Theotokia people repeat the name Mary many times as a sign of their close friendship with her, and as an expression of the desire to call her by her name. In the Eastern Church, the Theotokia often include biblical references that emphasize the mystery of the Incarnation. These Marian hymns have been used in daily prayers since early Christianity (they became part of liturgy later) as a way to teach people the Orthodox beliefs, and to prepare them against ideas considered heresies. Marian hymns remain a key element in the liturgy of the Coptic Church and are included in every canonical hour, day and night. The widely used Akathist Hymn (meaning the unseated hymn) to the Theotokos (Mother of God) is attributed to Saint Romanos the Melodist who composed many (perhaps several hundred) hymns to saints during the 6th century. The attribution is not supported by recent scholarship, but Romanos did make a vital contribution to the Marian poetry in Constantinople. In the Orthodox weekly liturgical cycle, Wednesday is dedicated to the Theotokos, and all daily services include numerous Marian hymns. These take precedence over the veneration of other saints and angels. Marian hymns, litanies and the veneration or Benediction of the icons of Mary are combined in the Maronite Church’s, Benediction of the icon of the Virgin Mary. Here a hymn litany includes the repetition of the phrase: “We petition you…”. This Marionite hymn litany has two parts: first the giving of praise to Mary, then the petitions.

Hyperpop

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

Characteristics#

Hyperpop artists embody an exaggerated, eclectic, and self-referential approach to pop music and typically employ elements such as brash synth melodies, Auto-Tuned “earworm” vocals, and excessive compression and distortion, as well as surrealist or nostalgic references to 2000s Internet culture and the Web 2.0 era. Common features include vocals that are heavily processed; metallic, melodic percussion sounds; pitch-shifted synths; catchy choruses; short song lengths; and “shiny, cutesy aesthetics” juxtaposed with angst-ridden or ironic lyricism. According to Vice journalist Eli Enis, hyperpop is not so much about following music rules, but “a shared ethos of transcending genre altogether, while still operating within the context of pop”. The movement is often associated with the LGBTQ+ community, drawing primary influences from queer culture. The microgenre’s emphasis on vocal modulation has allowed artists to experiment with gender presentation and androgyny in their voices, Joe Vitagliano, writing for American Songwriter, said hyperpop is an “exciting, bombastic, and iconoclastic genre – if it can even be called a ‘genre and has “saw synths, auto-tuned vocals, glitch-inspired percussion and a distinctive late-capitalism-dystopia vibe”. According to Kieran Press-Reynolds writing for Pitchfork, artists in this style mix the avant-garde and pop music, often balancing between being addictively fun and a bit too much. He added that in 2024, hyperpop had become a “Frankensteinian macro-genre”. The Atlantic said the genre “swirls together and speeds up Top 40 tricks of present and past: a Janet Jackson drum slam here, a Depeche Mode synth squeal there, the overblown pep of novelty jingles throughout,” but also said “the genre’s zest for punk’s brattiness, hip-hop’s boastfulness, and metal’s noise”. According to Rolling Stone magazine, collectives such as Novagang and Helix Tears “feature artists of variously different styles and sounds, but find community with each other in their shared rejection of stylistic limits.”

Hyperrealism (music)

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

Articles and reviews#

“STUFF MUZAK #1: A (VERY) SOFT FOCUS ON HYPERREALIST MUSIC” by Dwight Pavlovic, Decoder Magazine, June 7, 2016
“Twilight of The Gods” by Allan Kozinn, The New York Times, June 18, 2010
“Consistent lines: Creshevsky clearly builds his own reality.”, by Tobias Fischer, “Tokafi”, November 30, 2007
“A Language We Already Understand: Noah Creshevsky’s Hyperrealism” by Dennis Báthory-Kitsz, “NewMusicBox”, June 13, 2007
“Hyperrealism, Hyperdrama, Superperformers and Open Palette” by Noah Creshevsky, “Kalvos & Damian New Music Bazaar”, 2005
“Slice ‘N’ Dice” by Kyle Gann, Village Voice, July 6, 2004
“Traveling Through Hyperreality With Umberto Eco”, “Transparency”
https://not.neroeditions.com/archive/orange-milk-records-elettronica-iperrealista/ ,https://not.neroeditions.com/archive/orange-milk-records-elettronica-iperrealista/ by Riccardo Papacci, Not, December 5, 2018

Hyphy

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

History#

The hyphy culture emerged in the late 1990s in Oakland before rising to prominence throughout the wider Bay Area in the early 2000s. It is distinguished by gritty, pounding rhythms, and has been compared to crunk music. San Jose producer Traxamillion is largely considered the first producer to create hyphy style music, having produced songs such as Keak Da Sneak’s “Super Hyphy”, which established the term hyphy. An individual is said to “get hyphy” when they dance in an overstated, fast-paced and ridiculous manner, or if they get overly loud with other people. The phrase “to get hyphy” is similar to the southern phrase “to get crunk”. Those who consider themselves part of the hyphy movement strive for this behavior. Although the Hyphy Movement briefly saw light in mainstream America, it has been an established subculture in the Bay Area since the early 1990s. Throughout the Bay Area (particularly in East Oakland), there are events regularly hosted called “sideshows”, where people perform or watch illegal automobile performances. These performances include activities such as donuts, ghost-riding (an action that has proven fatal on multiple occasions) and street racing, while others dance and “go dumb” around them. The Hyphy Movement’s resurgence in early 2006 was cited by prominent Bay Area rapper E-40 as a new opportunity for the Bay Area’s unique sound to reach a nationwide audience. Many artists, such as Drake and DJ Mustard, pay homage to Mac Dre due to his huge influence in their musical career. With the start of Mac Dre’s label, Thizz Entertainment, he was able to shine a light on local talent such as E-40 and Andre Nickatina, prominent members of the Bay Area rap scene.

Hypnagogic pop

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

Etymology#

In August 2009, journalist David Keenan, who was known as a reporter of noise, freak folk, and drone music scenes, coined the term “hypnagogic pop” in issue 306 of British music magazine The Wire. His article was entitled Childhood’s End. Keenan applied the label to a developing trend of 2000s lo-fi and post-noise music in which artists engaged with elements of cultural nostalgia, The term reportedly originated with a comment by James Ferraro about the notion that 1980s sounds had seeped into the unconscious of contemporary musicians while they were toddlers falling asleep and their parents played music in another room. Among the artists discussed in Keenan’s article were Ariel Pink, Daniel Lopatin, the Skaters, the Savage Young Taterbug, Gary War, Zola Jesus, Ducktails, Emeralds, and Pocahaunted. According to Keenan, these artists drew on cultural sources subconsciously remembered from their 1980s and early 1990s adolescence while freeing them from their historical contexts and “hom ing in on the futuristic signifiers” of the period. He alternately summarized hypnagogic pop as “pop music refracted through the memory of a memory” and as “1980’s-inspired psychedelia” that engages with capitalist detritus of the past in an attempt to “dream of the future.” In a later article, Keenan identified Lopatin, Ferraro, Clark, and ex-Test Icicles member Sam Mehran as hypnagogic pop’s “most adventurous proponents”.

HY on Music Theory Print

Hymn

Origins#

Hymn tune

Hymnal editors#

Hymns to Mary

Eastern Church#

Hyperpop

Characteristics#

Hyperrealism (music)

Articles and reviews#

See also#

Hyphy

History#

Hypnagogic pop

Etymology#