Listening Exercise 1
Ascending and Descending Melodies
Please identify whether the following melodies or melodic fragments ascend (move from a lower to higher pitch), descend (move from a higher to lower pitch) or a combination of the two. Please consider the larger motion of the phrase as a whole. Do not say: "It ascends, then descends, then ascends again fr two notes, then descends for three" rather consider the larger implication of the line. The questions increase in difficulty. Some of you may find this rather simple, other more difficult. Many of the example are midi files, others are mp3.
Please write your answers on a sheet of paper and turn them in. Thank you.
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In the following example, taken from the madrigal O dolcezze amarissimi d'amore by Heinrich Schutz, there are multiple voices singing. Consider the overall sound of the voices.
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In the following example, taken from Iannis Xenakis' Hiketides, please consider this as two lines. Explain the relation of the two lines.
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In the following example, from Gyorgy Ligeti's Requiem, there are multiple voices singing. Consider the overall sound of the voices.
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