W. W. Norton & Company | The Enjoyment of Music, 10e

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1The Elements of Music
- Prelude Listening to Music Today
- Ch. 1 Melody: Musical Line
- Ch. 2 Rhythm and Meter: Musical Time
- Ch. 3 Harmony: Musical Space
- Ch. 4 Musical Texture
- Ch. 5 Musical Form
- Ch. 6 Musical Expression: Tempo and Dynamics
2Musical Instruments and Ensembles
- Ch. 7 Voices and Musical Instrument Families
- Ch. 8 Western Musical Instruments
- Ch. 9 Musical Ensembles
- Ch. 10 Style and Function of Music in Society
3The Middle Ages
- Ch. 11 The Culture of the Middle Ages
- Ch. 12 Sacred Music in the Middle Ages
- Ch. 13 Secular Music in the Middle Ages
4The Renaissance
- Ch. 14 The Renaissance Spirit
- Ch. 15 Renaissance Sacred Music
- Ch. 16 Renaissance Secular Music
- Transition I From Renaissance to Baroque
5The Organization of Musical Sounds
- Ch. 17 Musical Systems
- Ch. 18 The Major-Minor System
6The Baroque and the Arts
- Ch. 19 The Baroque Spirit
- Ch. 20 Main Currents in Baroque Music
7Vocal Music of the Baroque
- Ch. 21 Baroque Opera
- Ch. 22 Barbara Strozzi and the Italian Cantata
- Ch. 23 Bach and the Sacred Cantata
- Ch. 24 Handel and the Oratorio
8Instrumental Music of the Baroque
- Ch. 25 The Baroque Sonata and Concerto
- Ch. 26 The Baroque Suite
- Ch. 27 Other Baroque Instrumental Forms
- Transition II To the Age of Enlightenment
9Expanded Elements of Form
- Ch. 28 The Development of Musical Ideas
- Ch. 29 Classical Forms
10The Classical Spirit
- Ch. 30 Classicism in the Arts
- Ch. 31 Classicism in Music
11Classical Chamber Music
- Ch. 32 Eighteenth-Century Chamber Music Style
- Ch. 33 Mozart and Chamber Music
12The Classical Symphony
- Ch. 34 The Nature of the Symphony
- Ch. 35 Haydn and the Symphony
- Ch. 36 Beethoven and the Symphony in Transition
13The Eighteenth-Century Concerto and Sonata
- Ch. 37 The Classical Concerto
- Ch. 38 The Classical Sonata
14Choral Music and Opera in the Classical Era
- Ch. 39 Sacred Choral Music
- Ch. 40 Classical Opera
- Transition III From Classicism to Romanticism
15The Romantic Movement
- Ch. 41 The Spirit of Romanticism
- Ch. 42 Romanticism in Music
16Nineteenth-Century Art Song
- Ch. 43 The Romantic Song
- Ch. 44 Schubert and the Lied
- Ch. 45 Robert Schumann and the Song Cycle
17The Nineteenth-Century Piano Piece
- Ch. 46 The Piano and Its Literature
- Ch. 47 Chopin and Piano Music
- Ch. 48 Liszt and the Rise of the Performer/Composer
- Ch. 49 Clara Schumann: Pianist and Composer
- Ch. 50 Louis Gottschalk and Piano Music in America
18Romantic Program Music
- Ch. 51 The Nature of Program Music
- Ch. 52 Berlioz and the Program Symphony
- Ch. 53 Musical Nationalism
19Absolute Forms in the Nineteenth Century
- Ch. 54 The Romantic Symphony
- Ch. 55 Brahms and the Late Romantic Symphony
- Ch. 56 Dvorak as a Symphonist
- Ch. 57 The Romantic Concerto
- Ch. 58 Felix Mendelssohn and the Concerto
- Ch. 59 Amy Beach and Classical Composition in America
20Choral and Dramatic Music in the Nineteenth Century
- Ch. 60 Romantic Choral Music
- Ch. 61 Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel and the Romantic Part Song
- Ch. 62 Romantic Opera
- Ch. 63 Verdi and Italian Opera
- Ch. 64 Wagner and the Music Drama
- Ch. 65 Exoticism in Opera
- Ch. 66 Puccini and Late Romantic Opera
- Ch. 67 Tchaikovsky and the Ballet
21The Impressionist and Post-Impressionist Eras
- Transition IV The Post-Romantic Era
- Ch. 68 Debussy and Impressionism
- Ch. 69 Ravel and Post-Impressionism
22The Early Twentieth Century
- Ch. 70 Main Currents in Early-Twentieth-Century Music
- Ch. 71 New Elements of Musical Style
- Ch. 72 Stravinsky and the Revitalization of Rhythm
- Ch. 73 Schoenberg and the Second Viennese School
- Ch. 74 Berg and Early-Twentieth-Century Opera
- Ch. 75 Webern and Serial Technique
23Twentieth-Century Nationalism
- Ch. 76 Bela Bartok and the European Tradition
- Ch. 77 American Traditions: The Music of Charles Ives and William Grant Still
- Ch. 78 Nationalism in the Americas: Aaron Copland and Silvestre Revueltas
24Popular Styles
- Ch. 79 Ragtime, Blues, and Early Jazz
- Ch. 80 The Swing Era and Beyond
- Ch. 81 Musical Theater
- Ch. 82 Rock and the Global Scene
25The New Music
- Ch. 83 New Directions
- Ch. 84 The New Virtuosity of the Modern Age
- Ch. 85 Contemporary Composers Look to World Music
- Ch. 86 Music for Films
- Ch. 87 Technology and Music
- Ch. 88 Some Current Trends

Chapter 6: Musical Expression: Tempo and Dynamics

Study Plan

"Any composition must necessarily possess its unique tempo. . . . A piece of mine can survive almost anything but a wrong or uncertain tempo." —IGOR STRAVINSKY

Key Points

Tempo is the rate of speed, or pace, of the music.
We use Italian terms to describe musical tempo: some of the most common are allegro (fast), moderato (moderate), adagio (quite slow), accelerando (speeding up the pace), and ritardando (slowing the pace).
A metronome is a device that indicates the tempo, or beats per minute, by sounding a pulse.
Dynamics describe the volume, or how loud or soft the music is played; Italian dynamic terms include forte (loud) and piano (soft).
Composers indicate tempo and dynamics in music as a means of expression.

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