Genres of vocal music. Genres of instrumental and vocal music

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Music in which the leading role belongs to the voice is called vocal. It can be written for one, two or many performers, with or without accompaniment. The genres of vocal music, as well as instrumental music, having passed a long way of development, were formed under the influence of the social functions of art.

So there were cult, ritual, labor, everyday chants. Over time, this concept has become more widely used and generalized. In this article, we will look at what genres of music are.

Song

Appeared in ancient times. It combines a literary text with a rather simple catchy melody. This most ancient and primary genre, in the course of its evolution, has been widely differentiated. The first songs created by the people conveyed all the diversity of rural life (calendar-ceremonial, family-household, round dance and dance). Over time, more professional copyrightcompositions.

Vocal Genres of the Renaissance: Mass

This is the name of an essay written for a cult ritual. The chants are based on texts taken from the liturgy of the Latin rite and set to music. Composers of the late Renaissance wrote in this genre: Lasso, Palestrina. The mass traditionally consists of five parts: Kyrie, Credo, Gloria, Agnus Dei and Sanctus.

Until the nineteenth century, works of this genre were created exclusively for the male choir, the soprano part was performed by boys.

Motet

Appeared in France in the middle of the seventeenth century. Many genres of vocal music of this period were written in a polyphonic style. A vivid example of this is motet. He combined several melodies with various texts. Moreover, the lower voice (tenor) sang the chant in Latin, and the rest (motetus, triplum, duplum) performed parts in French. The content of the texts was playful or amorous in nature. Motets were written for the choir with instrumental accompaniment and a cappella. Palestrina, J. Despres, G. Dufay turned to this genre, and later - W. Mozart, G. Handel, A. Bruckner, I. Brahms.

Madrigal

This genre originated in Italy in the middle of the sixteenth century. At that time, an artistic polyphonic song without accompaniment was called a madrigal. As a rule, she wore secular, to some extent, even love content. A distinctive feature of the chants of this genre is a skillful texture.

Vilanella

Is the predecessormadrigal. In the literal sense, the name "vilanella" is translated as a village song. The works of this genre, written in couplet-strophic form, were intended for

for performance by three or four voices. The structure of the vilanelles is, as a rule, polyphonic, the content is comic or pastoral. The main melody of the song (upper voice) was performed by the soloist, and the rest of the parts served as accompaniment. Over time, this function was assigned to musical instruments.

Romance

This genre of chamber vocal music was formed in the second half of the nineteenth century. A romance is a piece of music written for voice with accompaniment (harp, piano, guitar). At the same time, the task of the accompaniment is to more fully reveal the content of the composition, conveying the deeply lyrical and subtle experiences of the author. Such well-known composers as P. Tchaikovsky, M. Mussorgsky, A. Alyabyev, M. Glinka, S. Rachmaninov and others addressed this genre.

Ballad

This is the name of a piece of music written on a legendary or historical plot. It carries a narrative, epic and at the same time lyrical beginning. The first musical ballads appeared in Scotland and England. They were performed by a soloist accompanied by a choir, telling about various historical, satirical or dramatic events. F. Schubert is considered the founder of this genre in vocal art.

Serenade

In the old days, this was the name of the song of the troubadours. ATRenaissance and Middle Ages, this genre takes on a new meaning. Now this name means a love song that the gentleman sings in the evening under the window of his beloved. At the same time, the singer accompanies himself on the guitar, mandolin or lute.

Choral genres of vocal music

Have a special place in art. These works, written for the choir, are distinguished by their freedom of construction and a rare recourse to couplet form. They are characterized by the maximum correspondence of the musical material to the words. A special, but more complex genre is the vocal cycle. It is formed by several independent works, united by a common artistic meaning. Many composers have turned to vocal cycles. Among them are Schumann, Glinka, Shostakovich, Mussorgsky, Schubert.

Cyclic genres of vocal works

Differ in larger forms. They consist of several separate independent parts, revealing the general meaning of the work. The construction of musical works of this form is based on the principle of contrast, mainly tempo. These include oratorios, masses, suites and, to some extent, operas.

Cantata

This is the name of a cyclic complex work of lyrical - epic or solemn content.

It is notable for its small size and may include solo - vocal numbers, choral parts, ensembles and orchestral episodes. Sections of the cantata, united by a common theme, are independent. Therefore, they are very oftenperformed in concert programs as separate numbers. Separate parts of this genre convey various images (lyrical, dramatic, contemplative): S. Prokofiev "Alexander Nevsky".

Oratorio

Compositional-detailed work of a large scale, which is based on a pronounced heroic-dramatic plot. To clarify it, a narrator or a reader is often introduced into the composition of the performers. This work, as a rule, is written for the choir, soloists and orchestra. Many composers worked in this genre: J. S. Bach "Passion according to John", C. Saint-Saens "Samson and Delilah", I. Stravinsky "Oedipus Rex".

Suite for choir

This is a cycle consisting of issues that are independent on the subject, connected by a common idea. At the same time, each individual play is designed to shade or illuminate various facets of the core idea. A striking example of such a cycle is the Five Characteristic Pictures suite. In it, musical numbers, brightly different from each other, paint colorful pictures of certain images ("Peasant's Revel", "Mermaids", "Approach of Spring").

Opera

This is a large-scale dramatic work that combines the genres of instrumental and vocal music, as well as choreographic art and painting. It was written for orchestra, choir and soloists. The leading role here is assigned to individual solo numbers (arias, arioso and arietto), conveying the images and mood of the main characters.

Liturgical genres of vocal music

They occupy a considerable place in concert practice. And bigpopular are both Orthodox chants (Rakhmaninov's Vespers, Liturgy by Grechaninov and Tchaikovsky), and Catholic ones (Verdi's Requiem, Mozart). During religious ceremonies, these compositions are complemented by ritual actions, prayers and processions. And on the concert stage, they are more reminiscent of a cantata or oratorio, consisting of separate parts - ensembles, choirs, arias. At the end of the twentieth century, liturgical genres acquire secular features. A vivid example of this is the "Requiem" by Kabalevsky and Britten, as well as Shchedrin's work "The Sealed Angel".