to study? or not to study? that is the no-brainer.

Two things I am psyched about:
1. Christmas break
2. Being done with my PSEO Intro to Music class
And in order for the latter to occur, I have to take a test, finish  a research paper, and turn in my completed 15 hours of listening to art music. 
So, I'll study by teaching you, dear blog readers!  We'll start in Lesson 11, with a sumphonic music survey. 
There are TWO types of music:
Absolute music- which is music for music's sake
And
Program music-which is music that tells a story or paints a picture that contains extra-musical content, pretty easily discernible from absolute music. 
Absolute music belongs in the classical period, while programmatic music belongs to the romantic or modern period (which makes sense since those employ more extreme dynamics and more emotion)

Now, let's go over some terms that confuse me.

symphony- - a compound form of one to five (usually 4) movements using the sonata plan for orchestra

concerto-- a compound form, usually 3 movements, for soloist(s) and orchestra (so the basic difference between this and the sumphony is that there are soloist(s) and fewer movement, got it???)

symphonic poem-- one movement compositions for orchestra based on extra-musical associations (so it's like a real poem, the written type, you base that on something other than the pen and paper with which you write it, right???)

symphonic suite-- an orchestral composition of several descriptive movements with no standard structure or style of movements (similar to the symphonic poem, except there are multiple movements, so basically better because the more, the merrier)

program symphony-- a compouind form for orchestra using the sonata plan vased on extra-musical associations (so this one is kind of like a symphonic suite, but it is based on the sonata plan, a little bit more planned out, we'll say)

ballet music-- music originally intended to accompany ballet (I had no idea)

incidental and entr' act music-- music originally intended to be played during a play or between the scenes or acts of a play (so, the stuff you find on the soundtrack of your favorite -or least favorite- movie?  it's incidental/entr'act)

orchestral music with chorus & solo-- like other symphonic works, except that singers are used to add more effects of tone color (with or without effects)

symphonic variations-- a complete composition employing the theme and variation structure (i think this is only one movement, but, either way, it's theme and variation, so we're MIXING THINGS UP!)

orchestral music with narrator-- having spoken lines during the course of the music, usually dramatic with one movement (so, like this one piece I heard a band play once that was called something like "flamingos" and a narrator told a stupid story about flamingos while the band was playing music that followed the storyline...  but I'm sure there are better examples of that)

dances-- single dance pieces and marches NOT derived from opera or ballet (YOU GOT THAT???  THEY'RE NOT FROM AN OPERA OR BALLET! GET IT RIGHT! basically, these are those songs that make you wanna get your waltz on with Mr. Darcy)

transcriptions-- works written for one medium and then arranged for a different medium(so, it's like I write an amazing piece of music, and I originally want it to be played by a euphonium, but then after I hear the euphonium play it, I decide that it would be better played on the glockenspiel, so I re-arrange the piece... and it's a transcription)

overture-- an orchestral composition intended to introduce an opera or oratorio (so, while you sit in your seat waiting for the opera to begin, this is the teaser you hear...  the pit orchestra is just making the suspense even greater)

concert overture-- orchestral pieces of one movement imitating the works composed for introducing operas (so, this is an imitation of what I was just talking about... it's in the same style as the teaser, but it was actually meant to be played at a concert)

and that, folks, is lesson 11 in a nutshell for you.

I'd like to give a shout-out to my buddy who is at home right now, with a stomach virus.  Feel better, Rebs! I miss you, and I'm starting to get weird without you around.  Seriously, this whole blog post is me getting all my weird out. And you can ask Kate, I've been sort of hyperly nuts for the past few days.  It's time for Christmas break.