Listening to Music

by Zorn, Jay

• ISBN13: 9780131773158
• ISBN10: 0131773151
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-01-01
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

For Music Appreciation courses at the college and high-school levels. Written in a lively and appealing style, Listening to Music provides the foundation for acquiring a lifelong knowledge and appreciation of music. It concentrates on the effective listening skills needed to identify composers and to recognize their styles and some of their representative worksplaying in the background of the social, economic, and historical influences in their lives. Students are encouraged to become informed consumers of music and active supporters of the arts, gaining not only new expertise and insights but also being able to choose from the musical offerings available to them. Readers are able to recognize their responsibilities as audiences of the present and future.

Table of Contents

The Musical Process

From the Creator to the Listener

How to Listen to Music

Becoming a Musically Active Concertgoer

The Materials of Music

How the Basic Musical Elements Interact

Performing Media: Instruments, Voices, and Ensembles

The Common Style Periods of Concert Music

An Introduction to Musical Styles

Music Before 1600

The Baroque Style Period (1600-1750)

Baroque Music (1600-1750)

The Classical Style Period (1750-1820)

Music of the Classical Period

Beethoven: Bridge to Romanticism

The Romantic Style Period (1820-1900)

Early-Romantic Music

Romantic Opera

Late-Romantic Music

Nationalism

Impressionism

The Twentieth-Century Style Period

Stravinsky: Into the Twentieth Century

Expressionism: Atonal Music

Neoclassicism: Mainstream Music

Experimental and Technological Music

Development of Music in North America

Adjunct Music

North American Popular Music

Broadway Musical Theater

Music in the Movies

Contributions of World Cultures

Finale: Audience Power in the 21st Century

Music Notation

Common Scales in Music

Writing Reports

Music Listening Guide

Challenge Your ExpertiseAnswers

Glossary of Music Terms

Photo Credits

Index

Table of Contents provided by Publisher. All Rights Reserved.

Excerpts

Perhaps the words that best describeListening to Musicareaccessibleandreader friendly.The information and the music are accessible; the language and presentation are reader-friendly. According to one reader, "It's a book you can't get lost in." TheFourth EditionofListening to Musichas been substantially shaped by its advocates: those instructors across North America who have been using it successfully in the classroom as a framework for their courses. Their reactions and opinions, along with those of their teaching assistants and students, are represented in theFourth Edition. Among the most popular features have been the composer's biographies. As a result, this edition includes more than 60 biographies, complete with lists of principal works and their dates. Other additions provide more opportunities for enhancing instruction by introducing diversity and critical thinking issues. The art of teaching music appreciation has many dedicated and passionate practitioners, all sharing the belief that music is a vital component of a civilized society.Listening to Musiccontinues to be a dynamic and still-evolving tool for the study of music in its historical and social contexts. A close reading of the Table of Contents will clarify the exact sequence of instruction. Part 1. The Musical Processopens with ways of listening to music, then offers a guide for attending a concert where to buy tickets how to prepare for the performance how to interpret the printed program what orchestra members, soloists, and conductors do when to applaud. Further discussions include explanations of typical performing media. Part 2. The Materials of Musicis a multimedia presentation of the elements of music and the introduction of basic concepts and terminology. By allowing students to self-pace their learning, the presentation frees valuable class time for in-depth instruction and discussion. Part 3. The Common Style Periods in Musicprogresses chronologically from Gregorian Chant to the present. The music examples chosen to illustrate the style periods have proven their effectiveness over years of actual class use and are representative of today's concert programming. Instruction is reinforced with detailed listening guides and listening insights. Part 4. Adjunct Musichighlights diversity issues in American popular music, Broadway musical theater, music for the movies, and music of world cultures. The chapter covering popular music has been significantly expanded for theFourth Edition. We have expanded coverage of key topics in a number of areas: becoming a musically active concertgoer (audience development) exploring the contributions of music to film appreciating the important cultural diversity that led to the creation and development of Broadway Musicals understanding the impact of popular music over the decades. A continued feature of theFourth Editionis the inclusion ofChallenge Your Expertiseactivities in each chapter. These questions stimulate critical thinking and encourage thorough reading of the chapters. TheFourth Editionis coordinated with two exciting supplements for the student: Prentice Hall's exclusiveCompanion Website that accompaniesListening to Musicoffers unique tools and support that make it easy for students and instructors to integrate this online study guide with the text: www.prenhall.com/zorn We are also proud to offer the Critical Review Guide to the supplements program. Packaged at no additional cost to the student, this 96-page manual contains chapter review material and activities designed to promote critical thinking about music.