Dictionary of Music - Birding America

246 modern musicmodern musicFROM 1900 ON.See TWENTIETH-CENTURY MUSIC—moll (môl). The German word for MINOR; thus C-moll means C minor.modulation 1 Changing from one key to anotherwithin a composition or a section of a composition.If the change is temporary, the key signature doesnot change, the notes foreign to the key being indicatedby accidentals (sharps, flats, natural signs). Ifthe change is for a relatively long period of time, anew key signature usually is given. The key signatureis more likely to be changed when the changeis to a remote or distantly related key than when it isto a closely related key (see under KEY, def. 3). Naturally,modulation is possible only in music that iswritten in one key or another. Therefore theprocesses of making key changes smoothly arefound mainly in music of the seventeenth to nineteenthcenturies, which involves tonality and followsthe rules of classical HARMONY. There aremany ways of effecting modulation. Most, however,involve the use of one or more chords that belong toboth keys but have a different harmonic function ineach, a so-called pivot chord. For example, G–B–Dis the tonic triad in the key of G major and the dominanttriad in the key of C major. Thus, this chordmay be used to shift the tonal center from G to C orvice versa. Modulation is basic to the structure ofsuch musical forms as the FUGUE and SONATAFORM. Also see METRIC MODULATION. 2 Theprocess of altering some aspect of a sound signal byelectronic means, usually in a repeating, continuousfashion. Amplitude modulation alters the amplitude(loudness) of a signal, which is accomplishedby controlling a voltage-controlled OSCILLATORwith a second oscillator. Frequency modulationinvolves using the output of one oscillator to controlthe frequency (pitch) of a second, voltage-controlledoscillator. Ring modulation combines twosignals (sounds) to produce an output containingonly the sum and difference of their frequencies.Pulse modulation alters the pulse, the rhythmicregularity, of a sound, changing the length of individualpulses. Phase modulation superimposes asignal (sound) upon itself after a short but continuallychanging time delay, so that, in effect, soundsgradually move out of synchronization with oneanother.molto (môl′tô) Italian: “much, very.” A wordused in such musical terms as allegro molto (“veryfast”).moment form A concept devised by KarlheinzSTOCKHAUSEN about 1960, whereby each individualpassage of a composition is regarded as a unit, or“moment,” and each of them is equally important.Stockhausen’s principal work in this form isMomente, described in the entry about him.monochord (mon′ə kord). An ancient instrumentthat consists of a single gut or metal string thatis stretched over a wooden soundbox. A small movablebridge, consisting of a block of wood placedbetween the string and the upper surface of thesoundbox, was used to divide the string in two atvarious points (at one-half its length, one-fourth,etc.). The monochord was invented by the Greeksmore than 2,500 years ago and was used by them todefine and demonstrate various musical intervalsand the relationships among them. It was used forthe same purpose in the Middle Ages, when it sometimeswas employed in the performance of music aswell. In the later Middle Ages, monochords weremade with several strings and eventually the instrumentwas provided with a key action, thus transformingit into the clavichord.monodic (mə nod′ik). 1 Concerning MONODY.2 Concerning MONOPHONY; however, the termMONOPHONIC is preferable in this sense.monodrama A dramatic musical work involvingone performer, in effect a spoken narrative withmusical accompaniment. Examples include Schoenberg’sone-act opera Erwartung (1909) and PeterLieberson’s King Gesar (1993).monody (mon′ə dē). 1 Music consisting of asingle voice-part with a chordal accompanimentprovided by a lute or some other instrument (seeCONTINUO). The term is used particularly for astyle of music developed in Italy about 1600 both