Music History Essays (1130 words) - Musical Texture, Harmony

Music History Music has been a great influence in the lives of many people through lyrics and rhythm. There are many different styles that can be performed by either a male or female. Music has been around for many years and is constantly changing. Music has been divided into six periods: Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and Twentieth Century. Music is written in symbols that represent musical sounds. The system of written symbols is called Musical Notation. "The primary requirement of any notation is that it be suited to the music it represents (Gerboth)." The simplest texture of music is monophonic or single voiced texture. Gregorian chant is an example of monophonic texture. "All music up to about a thousand years ago, of which we have any knowledge, was monophonic (Machlis 295)." Its melody is heard with out a harmonic accompaniment or other vocal lines and attention is focused on the single line (Machlis 295). "To this day the music of the Oriental world - of China, Japan, India, Java, Bali, and the Arab nations -is largely monophonic (Machlis 295)." Polyphonic or many-voiced texture is when two or more melodic lines are combined. Most Medieval polyphonic music is anonymous, though some composers were so important that their name was preserved along with their music ("Historical"). The polyphonic texture is based on counterpoint: the art and science of combining in a single texture two or more simultaneous melodic lines, each with a rhythmic life of its own (Machlis 295-96). The development of counterpoint took place at a time when composers were mainly occupied with religious choral music, which was by its nature, many-voiced (Machlis 296). Polyphony had to be written in a way that would indicate the rhythm and pitch precisely. It brought the emergence of regular meters that enabled different voices to stay together. Polychoral music is music for several chiors singing in answer to each other across the huge resesses of the church (Frowler 122). Homophonic texture is a single-melody with chords (Machlis 296). Homophonic means "same" or similar sounding. Its texture is based mainly on harmony. This texture dominated the Classical style. The Medieval period was the longest and most distant period of musical history and consists of almost a millennium's worth of music ("Historical"). One of the difficulties in studying Medieval music is that a system for notating music developed only gradually ("Historical"). A musical notation system was started in the 12th or 13th century. Notation in music, for several centuries, only indicated what pitch (or note) to sing. The Renaissance (1400-1600) began in 14th century Italy (Kirshner) and its name means rebirth. A cultural break with Medieval tradition was the Renaissance idea of humanism. "The Renaissance was a time of brilliant accomplishments in literature, science, and the arts (Frowler 445)." During the Renaissance there is an increase in individualism that is reflected by the changing role of the composer ("Historical"). In late Renaissance instrumental music went toward an independence from vocal music (Ulrich). Most of the popular songs were played on the lute. The Renaissance, in the arts, was on of the most innovative and active periods in the history of Western man, based partly on the philosophic movement called humanism (Ulrich). The Baroque period (or Middle Ages) (1600-1750) is divided into three fifty-year periods, early, middle, and late Baroque. Music of the Baroque era was characterized by the vastness of proportion, rich counterpoint, great splender and a highly ornamented melodic line (Mautz). Baroque music is often highly ornate, colorful and richly textured when compared with its predecessors ("Historical"). The term Baroque came from a French word for an imperfect or irregular pearl (Frowler 448-49). "The early baroque was a time of intense experimentation, led in large part by Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi ("Historical")." Many aspects of the Baroque art were determined by religion (Sullavin). "The intensity and immediacy of Baroque art and its individualism and detail - observed in such things as the convincing rendering of cloth and skin textures - make it one of the most compelling periods of Western Art (Sullavin)." Major events of the early 17th century were related to the invention of a new method of composition called monodic style. Monodic style music was for one singer with an instrumental accompaniment. It was achieved by a group of Florentene writers, artists, and musicians known as the Camerata, a name derived from the Italian word for"salon" (Machlis 354). Opera was born around 1600, the beginning of the Baroque era. Opera was considered by many to be the single most important achievement of the Baroque period (Machlis 354).

Nicaragua and Terrorism essays

Nicaragua and Terrorism essays Nicaragua The following is the definition of terrorism as defined by the FBI: "the unlawful use of force against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population or any segment thereof, in the furtherance of political or social objectives" (FBI, 2003). It is the aim of this essay to determine whether the actions of the United States in Nicaragua in the early 1980s fit this American definition of terrorism, and to compare those actions with the actions of regimes that the United States government has been critical of in recent months to establish if such criticism may be seen to be hypocritical. Nicaragua gained independence from Spain in 1821, along with the rest of Central America. It was a part of Mexico for a brief time, then part of the then Central American Federation. Nicaragua finally achieved complete independence in 1838. Soon after, Britain and the USA both became extremely interested in Nicaragua and the strategically important RÃÆ'Â ­o San Juan navigable passage from Lago de Nicaragua to the Caribbean. In 1848, the British seized the port at the mouth of the RÃÆ'Â ­o San Juan on the Caribbean coast and renamed it Greytown. This became a major transit point for hordes of hopefuls looking for the quickest route to Californian gold. In 1855, the liberals from the city of Leon invited William Walker, an American intent on taking over Latin American territory, to help seize power from the conservatives based in Granada. Aided by a band of mercenaries, Walker and his fellows took Granada easily and he proclaimed himself president, one of his first moves being to institutionalize slavery. He was soon ejected from power and the country, but showed almost absurd tenacity as he repeatedly tried to invade the country. This was the first American intervention in the affairs of Nicaragua, and in many ways set the preced...

Swedish Patronymics and Surnames Explained

Swedish Patronymics and Surnames Explained Until the turn of the  20th century, family surnames were not in common use in Sweden. Instead, most Swedes followed a  patronymic naming system, practiced by about  90–95% of the population.  Patronymics (from the Greek  pater, meaning  father, and  onoma, for name)  is the process of designating a surname based upon the given name of the father, thus consistently changing the family surname from one generation to the next. Using Gender Distinction In Sweden,  -son or -dotter was usually  added to the fathers given name for gender distinction. For example,  Johan Andersson would be the son of Anders (Anders’ son) and  Anna Svensdotter the daughter of Sven (Svens’ dotter). Swedish sons names are traditionally spelled with a double s- the first s is the possessive s (Nils as in Nils son) while the second is the s in son. Technically, names that already ended in s such as Nils or Anders should have three ss under this system, but that practice wasnt often followed. It is not uncommon to find Swedish emigrants dropping the extra s for practical reasons, to better assimilate into their new country. Swedish patronymic son names always end in  son, and never sen. In Denmark the regular patronymic is sen. In Norway, both are used, although sen is more common. Icelandic names traditionally end in son or dotir. Adopting Nature Names During the latter-half of the 19th century, some families in Sweden began to take on an additional surname to help distinguish them from others of the same name.  The use of an extra family surname  was more common  for people who moved from the countryside into the city where long-term use of patronymics would have  resulted in dozens of individuals with the same name.  These names were often a composition of words taken from nature, sometimes called nature names.  Generally, the names were made up of two natural features, which may or may not have made sense together (e.g. Lindberg from lind for linden and berg for mountain), although sometimes a single word would make up the entire family name (e.g. Falk for falcon). Sweden passed the Names Adoption Act in December  1901, requiring all citizens to adopt heritable surnames- names that would pass down intact instead of changing every generation. Many families adopted their current surname as their hereditary family surname; a practice  often referred to as a frozen patronymic. In some cases, the family just chose a name they liked- such as a nature name, an occupational surname related to their trade, or a name they were given in the military (e.g. Trygg for confident). At this time most women who were using patronymic surnames ending in -dotter changed their surname to the male version ending in -son. One last note about patronymic surnames. If you are interested in DNA testing for genealogical purposes, a frozen patronymic does not generally go back enough generations to be useful for a Y-DNA surname project. Instead, consider a geographical project such as the Sweden DNA Project.

The Organizational Structure of the Business Research Paper

The Organizational Structure of the Business - Research Paper Example The involvement of operational staff in a budget setting will facilitate the budgetary control system and will eliminate variances. The operating staff well knows about the operating costs and thus should be involved in the budget setting. Involving staff in the budget set is not considered comfortable as it can cause a clash between departments but it can be quite helpful in smoother running operations. Budgets, which are kept secretive and made by the manager often, fail to implement. The staff often reacts severely against such budgets. It can lead to a feeling of mistrust and frustration. It can lead to misdirection and waste of resources. True integration is lacked in budgets in which staff is not involved. Ambiguous financial data should be converted into meaningful information. Operational staff must be educated about the budget and then involved in decision-making. The budget sets guidelines available for each segment. Controlling aspect of budget means to keep in check the c ontrollable costs with budgeted costs. The responsibility for cost control is assigned to the manager of the cost department who is responsible for controlling the cost under his control. For controlling the cost accountant must use standard values. This involves creating inventory values for costing and controlling physical quantities and choosing such alternatives, which might increase revenue and decrease costs. It involves executing such budgets for operating under expected competitive and economic conditions. The budget should be set within an overall organizational planning and control framework.

Missouri Compromise Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Missouri Compromise - Term Paper Example Missouri Compromise The period 1813 to 1820, an Era in which good things were just beginning to trickle down; an oftentimes referred to as the â€Å"Era of Good Feelings†; the Missouri compromise, an event that is believed to have had a major role in shaping the course of American history struck. As a matter of fact, even the colonists before the birth of the nation had been listening to their consciences, and knew in their minds that slavery was indeed, wrong. Thus, it was time to take note and recognize how cruel the vice actually was. Finally, in 1820, a minority of congressmen rose up and took an expressive stand. However small, important steps had to be made toward attainment of equal rights. The events preceding the compromise came at a time when James Monroe had taken office as the president of the new Republic with only one political faction inexistence, that being the Democratic-Republicans. Although there were a number of diverse issues to be tackled ranging from Taxation dilemmas to particular internal improvements that sprung from the Federalists ideals; a precise balance within the Senate of Congress equating the number of representative for free and slave states was regarded important in terms of house voting, and was to be upheld no matter the prevailing circumstances. Holding other factors such as the supply of cheap land constant, because freedom had to be sought anyway, Missouri soon applied for recognition as full fledged member of the union as a slave state.

Philosophy and the Dialectic of Modernity :: Philosophical Essays

Philosophy and the Dialectic of Modernity ABSTRACT: Habermas' social philosophy can now be perceived in its oppositional structures and their symbolic meaning. His repetition of structural opposition finds its expression in the symbolism which pervades The Philosophic Discourse of Modernity in the opposition between the dreaded myth of the Dialectic of Enlightenment and the redemptive fantasy of the path yet to be taken. More significant for the intellectual culture of modernity is the neglect, by erasure on the part of this esteemed philosopher, of the great drama of philosophy in our time. This is the drama occasioned by the dialectical struggle, rushing to climax in the 20th Century, between Enlightenment reason and its Counterenlightenment opponent. The struggle between these philosophical constellations is refracted in the great wars of this century. Thus the drama of the philosophical thought of the century and its historical development is lost. The philosophic discourse of modernity has yet to be written. Its text, o nce it has been freed from the tenacity of ideological hostilities and their erasures and concealing circumlocutions, will at the same time provide the sought-for foundation for social philosophy and a just society: it is the philosophic framework of Modernity itself which is the foundation of all modern philosophies, in the dialectic of Enlightenment and its Counterenlightenment other. The social philosophy of Jurgen Habermas, outstanding philosopher and master dialectician of our time, has an immediate appeal to American philosophers, educated in the history of the Protestant migrations to the New World in search of religious freedom; educated also in the Founding Fathers who drew up a constitution for a modern republic heralded by Thomas Jefferson's Declaration of Independence proclaiming the universality of human equality and natural rights; educated as well in the social philosophy of American pragmatism, in which Enlightenment principles of democracy and science become normative social processes. The appeal of Habermas to American philosophers long acculturated in the Enlightenment tradition is that of a voice speaking for reason and justice; he stands forth philosophically on behalf of "rehabilitating the Enlightenment" in the face of various current modes of thought engaged in its undermining. Habermas has been widely commended for his strong unequivocal stand as a German intellectual against the Nazi movement and the Holocaust it produced, and against any revisionist circumlocutions seeking to obscure those atrocities. Habermas is also commended for his repudiation of Martin Heidegger's complicity with Nazism and his retreat to linguistic mysticism.

Arctic cap melting

The article voices concerns over the unprecedented rapid pace of Arctic cap melting. However, the melting process itself poses lesser danger to the Earth ecosystem as compared with the feedback mechanisms Arctic ice is involved in. These feedback mechanisms contribute to global warming in three distinct ways.As ice melts, the territory of open ocean waters increases. Water has lower reflectivity, or albedo, as compared to ice. This fact entails that water absorbs 80 percent more solar radiation than sea ice does.   Thus, the sun warms the ocean more quickly, and this process results in a vicious circle speeding up global warming.The second way ice melting accelerates climate change is associated with the fact that oceans absorb about half the carbon dioxide that humans emit into the atmosphere. Yet their ability to absorb carbon dioxide is diminished by the increase in ocean’s temperature because the gas dissolves less readily in warmer water. Furthermore, warming of oceans implies less mixing between deep and surface waters – the process that provides nutrients to plankton that absorb carbon dioxide.Finally, ice melting entails rotting of organic matter contained in the permafrost. This process involves the release of carbon dioxide and methane into the Earth atmosphere. Warming also affects wetlands and forests desiccating peat bogs and causing beetle infestation that kills pine forest.More wildfires occur in dead or dying forests, and the process of combustion emits huge quantities of carbon into the atmosphere.All these alarming signs call for a united and consistent action by all environmental activists and everyone keen on saving our planet.