[Listening extract audio not available in printed QP] The volume changes suddenly from loud to soft rather than gradually. Give the musical term for this ty...
Question 1 Report
[Listening extract audio not available in printed QP]
The volume changes suddenly from loud to soft rather than gradually. Give the musical term for this type of dynamics. [1]
Answer Details
The correct answer is terraced dynamics. [1]
Terraced dynamics (also called stepped dynamics) is a characteristic feature of Baroque music in which the volume shifts abruptly from one level to another rather than changing gradually. This contrasts with the later Classical and Romantic periods, where crescendo and diminuendo (gradual increases and decreases in volume) became standard. The abrupt shifts in Baroque music were partly a consequence of the instruments available: the harpsichord, for example, cannot vary its volume smoothly the way a piano can. Composers achieved dynamic contrast by adding or removing instruments, or by writing contrasting passages for different groupings (such as concertino versus ripieno). When a passage moves suddenly from loud to soft without any gradual transition, the term for this distinctive type of dynamic contrast is terraced dynamics.
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