The difference in European Music

The two excerpts of European music I have chosen are “An Chlöe” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and  "A Chantar" by Comtessa Beatritz de Dia. These two pieces are completely different, but both considered European. “A Chlöe” is a classic example of stereotypical European music according to Cooley, and “A Chantar” is a perfect example of an atypical European song.

            Some of the things Cooley lists as being stereotypical to European music are: Major keys, repeating rhythmic structure, harmonics, and melody. “An Chlöe” contains all of these elements. The score shows the piece having a time signature. This along with the simple (repeated) rhythm makes it easy to sing. There is also a definite melody (in a major key) and there are harmonies one can hear in the piano part. 

            “A Chantar" is a completely different –yet still beautiful- example of European Music. Unlike “An Chlöe” there does not seem to be any type of meter to the song. It is more speech-like and free, the tempo and rhythm is really up to the vocalist and how they choose to sing. There also seems to be no real melody or harmony to the piece. This is a very early type of European music- before common notation as we know it today was properly developed. So when looking at the piece, it can seem foreign in the way it's notated.

            With Europe not being the biggest of continents, one would think that the music would be roughly the same country to country. This however, is not the case and this is the point Cooley is trying to get across.

                                                                   "An Chlöe"

                                                                  "A Chantar"