Transcript Music of the Baroque Period
Music of the Baroque Period
(1600-1750)
Baroque Historical Highlights
Age of Absolutism; Kings and Queens are all powerful Known for extreme decadence and extravagance of aristocracy (e.g. Louis XIV and his palace of Versailles) Church Splits in Two; Europe split into Catholic countries (Italy, France, Spain) and Protestant countries (England, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden)
The Palace at Versailles
The Royal Chapel, Hall of Mirrors & Royal Coach
The King’s Bedroom, Marie Antoinette’s Room, The Opera House
“Baroque” Defined
Baroque means exaggerated or over- ornamented; these adjectives relate to music and visual arts
Baroque Artistic Highlights
Emphasis on DRAMA (extreme and heightened emotion) in music and visual arts – Caravaggio’s paintings show this emphasis on DRAMA
Baroque Musical Highlights
Birth of OPERA - theatrical presentations with music and elaborate stage spectacle New focus on instrumental music and instrumental accompaniment to voices New emphasis on chords and use of BASSO CONTINUO
Baroque Music Style Characteristics Timbre Rhythm Melody Form Dynamics
new emphasis on instrumental music & instrumental accompaniment to voices beat is emphasized; lots of forward motion elaborate, ornamented, continuously expanding, long and winding one main theme repeated over and over sudden changes from loud to soft and soft to loud called terraced dynamics
Texture Harmony Mood
more rapid changes in texture (homophony, imitative polyphony) throughout a single movement or piece of music new emphasis on chords; orchestra mainly consists of strings and basso continuo (bass melody instrument like cello or bassoon + chord generating instrument harpsichord, organ, or lute) the same mood throughout movement; this heightened emotional state called affect (vocal music is exception; vocal music has many changes of mood, but closely follows text)
Baroque Music Genres
Vocal Music Genres – Opera – Oratorio – Cantata Instrumental Music Genres – Chamber Music – Concerto Grosso
Opera
Sung theatrical work Staged with costumes and sets Example: HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament" from Dido and Aeneas CD#1/69-70
Henry Purcell
HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament" from Dido and Aeneas
Aria vs. Recitative
Aria Song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment – usually expressing an emotional state through its outpouring of melody – found in operas, oratorios, and cantatas
Recitative Vocal line in opera, oratorio, or cantata that imitates the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech, often serving to lead into an aria
Libretto Text of an opera Librettist Dramatist who writes the libretto, or text, or an opera
HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament" from Dido and Aeneas
Listen for Basso continuo in
Recitative
Basso Continuo
(‘continuous bass’)
Baroque accompaniment made up of a bass part usually played by two instruments: – A keyboard (or other chord-making instrument, such as a lute or organ), and – A low melodic instrument (such as cello or a basson)
HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament" from Dido and Aeneas
Aria built on Ground bass
Ground Bass (basso ostinato) A repeating bass line –
This one has dark-sounding harmony and is descending in pitch
Variation form in which a musical idea in the bass is repeated over and over while the melodies above it constantly change – Common in Baroque music
Dido’s Lament from
Dido and Aeneas
Dido sings:
Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me, On thy bosom let me rest; More I would be death invades me; Death is now a welcome guest.
Dido’s Lament from
Dido and Aeneas When I am laid, am laid in earth, may my wrongs create No trouble in thy breast.
Remember me! But ah! Forget my fate.
Oratorio
Like opera, but unstaged Uses a religious story Example:
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL’s
Messiah
– "Hallelujah" CD#2/11-16 – "Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted" CD#2/10
George Frideric Handel
G.F. Handel’s “Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted” from
The Messiah
Listen for –Terraced dynamics –Emphasis of beat –Ornamented melody –Continuous affect –Word painting
Terraced Dynamics Abrupt alternation between loud and soft dynamic levels Characteristic of Baroque Music – Not found in Medieval or Renaissance Music
Affections /Affect
p.95 of text
The expression of one basic mood in Baroque music Specific rhythms or melodic patterns were associated with specific moods Not characteristic of OPERA, but found in oratorio and cantatas
G.F. Handel’s “Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted” from
The Messiah Ev’ry valley. (text painting highlighted in blue and purple) Ev’ry valley shall be exalted , and ev’ry mountain and hill made low , The crooked straight , and the rough places plain .
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL’s
"Hallelujah” Chorus from Messiah
Listen for –Changes in texture • Hymn-like Homophony • Imitative Polyphony • Pedal Point –Emphasis of beat
Cantata
Like opera, but unstaged, with religious text Performed ONLY in churches Examples: J.S. BACH Cantata No. 140: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Sleepers Awake) Mvt. 4 [Tenor Chorale] CD#1/71-73 & Mvt. 7 [Chorale] CD#1/74-75
Chorale Hymn tune sung to a German religious text
Johann Sebastian Bach
J.S. BACH Cantata No. 140:
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
(Sleepers Awake)
Mvt. 4 [Tenor Chorale] – Listen for • Ornamented melody • Continuous affect Mvt. 7 [Chorale] – Listen for • Hymn-like homophony • Complete and incomplete
cadences
Chamber Music
Uses a small group of musicians, with one player to a part Meant for smaller, more intimate performance venues Includes music for solo instruments – J.S. Bach’s Organ Fugue in G Minor “The Little”
Fugue Polyphonic composition based on one main theme, or subject
J.S. BACH Organ Fugue in G Minor (The "Little")
Fugue form (features imitative polyphony) – Subject (Main Theme) stated in different “voices” during Exposition – Exposition followed by alternating Episodes (non imitative) and Subject Entries (imitative) – Countersubject - countermelody that accompanies Subject in Exposition & Subject Entries Picardy Third
Concerto Grosso Composition for several instrumental soloists and small orchestra – common in late Baroque music
Concerto Grosso
Ritornello form - Ritornello (a homphonic or polyphonic block of music) alternating with Episodes (contrasting melodic, softer dynamics, virtuosic scales and arpeggios) Tutti vs. Soli groups
Tutti In Italian, “all” The full orchestra, or a large group of musicians contrasted with a smaller group – Often heard in Baroque music
Solo, Soli In Italian, “one” or “ones” The individual instrument or vocalist featured or a small group of individual musicianss contrasted with a larger group – Often heard in Baroque music
Antonio Vivaldi
Examples of Baroque Concerto Grosso
J.S. Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major – Movement 1 Antonio Vivaldi – Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra, Op. 8, No. 1, La Primavera [Spring] – from The Four Seasons – Movement 1
Bach Brandenburg Soli - EPISODE – Flute – Violin – Harpsichord Tutti group - RITORNELLO – Full orchestra - string and basso continuo