1. Art & Architecture Terms
1.1. Atmospheric perspective
1.1.1. Creating depth by fading color and detail in the background
1.2. Chiaroscuro
1.2.1. Use of light and shadow to create a three-dimensional effect
1.3. Foreshortening
1.3.1. Technique to represent an object receding strongly into the background
1.4. Forms fixes
1.4.1. Set poetic forms used in medieval music (ballade, rondeau, virelai)
1.5. Fresco
1.5.1. Painting technique on wet plaster, used in large-scale murals
1.6. Michelangelo-esque
1.6.1. Refers to muscular, heroic style in sculpture or painting
1.7. Orthogonal lines
1.7.1. Lines that lead to the vanishing point in linear perspective
1.8. Polyptych
1.8.1. Multi-paneled painting or altarpiece
1.9. Sfumato
1.9.1. Soft, smoky transitions between colors and tones, used by da Vinci
1.10. Tenebrism
1.10.1. Strong contrasts of light and dark, used by Caravaggio
1.11. Terribilitá
1.11.1. Awesomeness or emotional intensity, associated with Michelangelo
1.12. Vanishing point
1.12.1. The point where receding lines converge in linear perspective
2. Philosophy, Religion, & Cultural Terms
2.1. Classical
2.1.1. Refers to the ideals of ancient Greece and Rome (balance, harmony)
2.2. Groundling
2.2.1. A commoner who stood in the pit of the Globe Theatre (Shakespearean theater)
2.3. Jongleur
2.3.1. Itinerant medieval entertainer (singer, musician, storyteller)
2.4. Memento mori
2.4.1. Artistic or symbolic reminder of the inevitability of death
2.5. Monasticism
2.5.1. Religious life in a monastery
2.6. Benedictine
2.6.1. Emphasized prayer, study, manual labor
2.7. Cenobitic
2.7.1. Community-based monastic life
2.8. Mendicant
2.8.1. Traveling monks (e.g., Franciscans) who begged for sustenance
2.9. Psalm
2.9.1. Sacred song or poem, especially from the Book of Psalms
2.10. Quadrivium
2.10.1. Four medieval liberal arts: arithmetic, geometry, music, astronomy
2.11. Scholasticism
2.11.1. Method of learning that emphasized dialectic reasoning (Aquinas)
2.12. Trivium
2.12.1. Grammar, rhetoric, logic – foundational liberal arts in medieval education
2.13. Troubadour
2.13.1. Medieval lyric poet from southern France, sang of chivalry and love
2.14. Trouvère
2.14.1. Northern French counterpart to the troubadour
3. World History Timeline:
3.1. Ancient Greece (800-300 BCE)
3.1.1. Major Events
3.1.1.1. Rise of city-states (Athens, Sparta)
3.1.1.2. Persian Wars (490–479 BCE)
3.1.1.3. Peloponnesian War (431–404 BCE)
3.1.2. Philosophers & Artists
3.1.2.1. Socrates – ethics, dialectic
3.1.2.2. Plato – ideal forms, The Republic
3.1.2.3. Aristotle – logic, science
3.1.2.4. Pythagoras
3.1.2.5. Herodotus
3.1.2.6. Sophocles
3.1.2.7. Euripides
3.1.3. Cultural Highlights
3.1.3.1. Birth of Western philosophy
3.1.3.2. Democracy in Athens
3.1.3.3. Tragedy and epic poetry
3.1.3.4. Idealism in art (Parthenon)
3.2. Roman Republic & Empire (500 BCE–476 CE)
3.2.1. Major Events
3.2.1.1. Expansion across the Mediterranean
3.2.1.2. Julius Caesar assassinated (44 BCE)
3.2.1.3. Empire founded (27 BCE)
3.2.1.4. Fall of Western Roman Empire (476 CE)
3.2.2. Philosophers & Artists
3.2.2.1. Cicero – rhetoric, Stoicism
3.2.2.2. Seneca – Stoic ethics
3.2.2.3. Virgil – Aeneid
3.2.2.4. Augustus
3.2.2.5. Ovid
3.2.2.6. Constantine
3.2.3. Cultural Highlights
3.2.3.1. Latin literature flourishes
3.2.3.2. Roman law and engineering
3.2.3.3. Spread of Christianity
3.2.3.4. Greco-Roman fusion in art
3.3. Early Middle Ages (500–1000)
3.3.1. Major Events
3.3.1.1. Fall of Rome → fragmentation
3.3.1.2. Rise of feudalism
3.3.1.3. Rise of Islam (622)
3.3.1.4. Charlemagne crowned (800)
3.3.2. Philosophers & Artists
3.3.2.1. St. Augustine – City of God
3.3.2.2. Boethius – Consolation of Philosophy
3.3.3. Cultural Highlights
3.3.3.1. Preservation of knowledge in monasteries
3.3.3.2. Carolingian Renaissance
3.3.3.3. Gregorian chant
3.3.3.4. Byzantine iconography
3.4. High Middle Ages (1000–1300)
3.4.1. Major Events
3.4.1.1. Crusades begin (1095)
3.4.1.2. Growth of cities and universities
3.4.1.3. Gothic cathedrals
3.4.2. Philosophers & Artists
3.4.2.1. Thomas Aquinas – Scholasticism, synthesis of faith and reason
3.4.2.2. Hildegard of Bingen – visions, music
3.4.2.3. Averroes
3.4.2.4. Maimonides
3.4.3. Cultural Highlights
3.4.3.1. Rise of universities (Paris, Bologna)
3.4.3.2. Gothic architecture
3.4.3.3. Scholastic theology
3.4.3.4. Polyphonic sacred music
3.5. 1300s Trecento
3.5.1. Major Events
3.5.1.1. Black Death (1347–1351)
3.5.1.2. Hundred Years' War begins (1337)
3.5.2. Philosophers & Artists
3.5.2.1. Giotto
3.5.2.2. Boccaccio – Decameron
3.5.2.3. Giotto – naturalism in painting
3.5.2.4. Machaut – polyphonic composer
3.5.2.5. Petrarch – Father of Humanism
3.5.3. Cultural Highlights
3.5.3.1. Rise of Humanism
3.5.3.2. pre-Renaissance stirrings
3.5.3.3. Early realism in art
3.5.3.4. Ars Nova in music
3.5.3.5. Vernacular literature
3.6. 1400s Early Renaissance
3.6.1. Major Events
3.6.1.1. Fall of Constantinople (1453)
3.6.1.2. Printing Press invented (c. 1440)
3.6.2. Philosophers & Artists
3.6.2.1. Dufay (music)
3.6.2.2. Pica della Mirandola
3.6.2.3. early Leonardo da Vinci
3.6.3. Cultural Highlights
3.6.3.1. Early Renaissance
3.6.3.2. Classical revival
3.6.3.3. Revival of classical learning
3.6.3.4. Individualism in thought
3.6.3.5. Rise of portraiture and frescoes
3.7. 1500s High Renaissance and Reformation
3.7.1. Major Events
3.7.1.1. Reformation (1517)
3.7.1.2. Counter-Reformation (1545)
3.7.1.3. Age of Exploration
3.7.2. Philosophers & Artists
3.7.2.1. Martin Luther
3.7.2.2. Machiavelli
3.7.2.3. Michelangelo
3.7.2.4. Josquin des Prez
3.7.2.5. Shakespeare
3.7.3. Cultural Highlights
3.7.3.1. High Renaissance drama and poetry
3.7.3.2. Protestant/Catholic conflict
3.7.3.3. Flourishing arts
3.7.3.4. Protestant chorales
3.7.3.5. Sacred music reform (Palestrina)
3.8. 1600s Baroque Period
3.8.1. Major Events
3.8.1.1. Scientific Revolution
3.8.1.2. Baroque begins
3.8.1.3. English Civil War
3.8.2. Philosophers & Artists
3.8.2.1. Galileo
3.8.2.2. Descartes– rationalism
3.8.2.3. Cervantes
3.8.2.4. Milton
3.8.2.5. Monteverdi – early opera
3.8.2.6. Palestrina
3.8.2.7. Corelli
3.8.2.8. Rubens – Baroque painting
3.8.2.9. Caravaggio
3.8.3. Cultural Highlights
3.8.3.1. Baroque art/music
3.8.3.2. Opera develops
3.8.3.3. Motoric rhythms and basso continuo
3.8.3.4. Shift toward reason and observation
4. Area Overview
4.1. Italy
4.1.1. Cradle of the Renaissance (Florence, Venice, Rome)
4.1.2. Home to Michelangelo,Machiavelli, Palestrina, Monteverdi
4.2. Germany
4.2.1. Martin Luther's Reformation
4.2.2. Bach, Dürer
4.3. France
4.3.1. Absolutism (Louis XIV)
4.3.2. Baroque architecture (Versailles)
4.4. England
4.4.1. Elizabethan era (Shakespeare)
4.4.2. Puritanism (Milton)
4.5. Spain
4.5.1. Golden Age (Cervantes, El Greco)
4.5.2. Exploration
4.6. Netherlands
4.6.1. Northern Renaissance
4.6.2. Van Eyck
4.6.3. Scientific ideas
4.6.4. Polyphony
4.7. Islamic World
4.7.1. Preserved classical texts
4.7.2. Advances in science/math
4.7.3. Philosophy (Averroes, Avicenna)
5. Philosophers & Literary Figures
5.1. Petrarch
5.1.1. Father of Humanism, love of antiquity
5.2. Dante
5.2.1. Divine Comedy, spiritual journey, Christian allegory
5.3. Pico della Mirandola
5.3.1. "Oration on the Dignity of Man", human potential
5.4. Machiavelli
5.4.1. Realpolitik, The Prince, ends justify means
5.5. Savonarola
5.5.1. Anti-Renaissance, religious reform, Bonfire of the Vanities
5.6. Martin Luther
5.6.1. 95 Theses, salvation by faith alone
5.7. Shakespeare
5.7.1. Human complexity, universal themes
5.8. Cervantes
5.8.1. Don Quixote, satire of chivalry, reality vs. illusion
5.9. Milton
5.9.1. Paradise Lost, reason and free will, theology in poetry
6. Composers
6.1. France
6.1.1. Machaut
6.1.1.1. Early master of polyphony
6.1.1.2. Isorhythm, motets, secular & sacred music
6.1.2. Dufay
6.1.2.1. Transition to Renaissance music
6.1.2.2. Fauxbourdon, mass cycles
6.1.3. Josquin des Prez
6.1.3.1. Expressive Renaissance polyphony
6.1.3.2. Clear text setting, imitation
6.1.4. Lully
6.1.4.1. French Baroque style shaper
6.1.4.2. shaper Ballets, French overture
6.2. Italy
6.2.1. Palestrina
6.2.1.1. Model of Counter-Reformation style
6.2.1.2. Clear counterpoint, sacred clarity
6.2.2. Monteverdi
6.2.2.1. Bridged Renaissance to Baroque
6.2.2.2. First great opera composer
6.2.3. Corelli
6.2.3.1. Instrumental music pioneer
6.2.3.2. Sonata & concerto forms
6.2.4. Gabrieli
6.2.4.1. Spatial music in St. Mark's
6.2.4.2. Cori spezzati, dynamic contrasts
6.3. Germany
6.3.1. Martin Luther
6.3.1.1. Reformed church music
6.3.1.2. Chorales, congregational singing
6.4. England
6.4.1. William Byrd
6.4.1.1. Catholic composer under Anglican rule
6.4.1.2. Sacred & secular, polyphony
6.4.2. Purcell
6.4.2.1. English Baroque voice
6.4.2.2. Dramatic music, operatic style
7. Music Terms
7.1. Altus
7.1.1. A vocal part above the tenor; often the alto voice in Renaissance music
7.2. Anthem
7.2.1. A sacred choral piece associated with the English church
7.3. Aria
7.3.1. A melodic solo song in opera, expressive and tuneful
7.4. Basso continuo
7.4.1. Continuous bass line with improvised chords, central to Baroque music
7.5. Cantus firmus
7.5.1. Pre-existing melody used as the foundation for polyphonic composition
7.6. Chanson
7.6.1. Secular French song, especially in the medieval and Renaissance periods
7.7. Chorus/ensemble
7.7.1. Group sections in opera sung by multiple characters
7.8. Contrafactum
7.8.1. A new text set to an existing melody
7.9. Counterpoint
7.9.1. Technique of combining different melodic lines in a harmonious way
7.10. Cori spezzati
7.10.1. “Split choirs,” a spatial music technique used in Venetian music
7.11. Duplum
7.11.1. The second voice in medieval organum
7.12. Hymn
7.12.1. A religious song or poem of praise to God
7.13. Homophony
7.13.1. Musical texture where all voices move together rhythmically
7.14. Improvisatory
7.14.1. Music that sounds or is actually improvised
7.15. Isorhythm
7.15.1. Repeating rhythmic pattern, often used in medieval motets
7.16. Madrigal
7.16.1. Secular vocal music of the Renaissance, often polyphonic and expressive
7.17. Motet
7.17.1. Sacred vocal composition, typically polyphonic and Latin
7.18. Motoric rhythm
7.18.1. Repetitive, driving rhythmic patterns, typical in Baroque music
7.19. Organum
7.19.1. Early polyphony, adding voices above a plainchant melody
7.20. Recitative
7.20.1. Speech-like singing in opera to advance plot
7.21. Recitativo secco
7.21.1. Sparse accompaniment
7.22. Recitativo accompagnato
7.22.1. Orchestral accompaniment
7.23. Rondeaux
7.23.1. One of the formes fixes, a poetic and musical form
7.24. Sequence
7.24.1. Repetition of a melodic phrase at different pitches, esp. in Baroque
7.25. Service
7.25.1. Anglican church music cycle (morning, evening prayers, communion)
7.26. Superius
7.26.1. The highest voice in medieval or Renaissance polyphony
7.27. Tenor
7.27.1. Originally held the cantus firmus, now refers to a specific voice part
7.28. Triplum
7.28.1. The third voice above the tenor in medieval music
7.29. Virelai
7.29.1. A French medieval song form (formes fixes)
7.30. Virtuosity
7.30.1. Great technical skill in performance