Transcript Baroque Music
Baroque Music
Sonata
Audio Clip A work for solo piano, or a solo instrument accompanied by harpsichord. Often the basso continuo would also be played by a cello/Viola de Gamba. From the Classical period onwards a sonata was a work for piano or solo instrument accompanied by piano.
Audio Clip
Concerto
Audio Clip Work for solo instrument and orchestra, e.g. a flute concerto is written for solo flute and orchestra. Audio Clip
Concerto Grosso
A type of concerto in which a group of soloists (concertino) is combined and contrasted with a larger group (ripieno). Audio Clip Concertino Ripieno
Concerto Grosso
There are two sections in a Concerto Grosso.
The section played by the soloists (concertino) is called the concertante .
The section played by the larger group (ripieno) is called the ritornello.
Audio Clip Ritornello Concertino Ripieno
Ritornello
Audio Clip The ritornello can also be a brief introduction or interlude in a vocal composition, or for a brief instrumental passage between scenes in a 17th-century opera.
Ritornello Begins Ritornello Ends
Suite
A set of dances or a collection of pieces which are part of a larger scale work.
Dances contained in the suite include.
Overture Audio clip A piece of orchestral music which introduces a large-scale work such as an opera, an oratorio, or a musical.
Gavotte Audio clip Courante Audio clip Bourree Audio clip Minuet Audio clip Gigue Audio clip J S Bach
Audio File
Passacaglia
Variations over a ground bass.
Audio Clip
Chaconne
Variations over a repeated progression of chords.
Fugue
A contrapuntal piece based on a theme (subject) announced in one voice part alone,then imitated by other voices in close succession.
The following slides will describe different aspects of the fugue.
See Episode, and Stretto.
Exposition
The exposition is the opening section of a fugue. It is made of 3 main ideas.
They are
Subject
The subject is the opening and main melody of a fugue. subject
Answer
The answer is the same melody as the first subject but at a higher or lower Pitch. The answer Tonal can be either real (an exact copy by interval) or (the intervals may change slighly to fit with the harmony) Answer
Counter Subject
Once the subject has been played the instrument will continue by playing a continuation of the melody called a counter subject.
Counter subject.
Note how these 3 feature fit together in the opening two lines of this fugue.
Answer subject Counter subject.
Counter subject.
Answer subject
Stretto
Where voices or instruments enter very quickly one after the other, as in Fugue. Each entry or part enters closely after the previous part, thus adding tension and excitement.
Now watch a video clip of this fugue and look at how these ideas link together.
It is also worth noting the pedal note near the coda (the extra section at the end) as this is a common feature in fugues Audio Clip
Episode
In some Fugues an episode can be used as a modulating link between entries of the subject and is frequently based on fragments from the subject or Countersubject.
This fugue is in C minor. Listen for the tierce di picardie (major chord) at the end.
Audio Clip
Chorale Prelude
Audio Clip An extended composition for organ based on a chorale melody. The melody can be treated in a wide variety of ways, e.g. fugal style and variation form.
Da Capo Aria
Audio Clip An aria in Ternary form (A B A), found in opera and oratorio in the 17th and 18th centuries. The third section is not written out but the instruction Da capo (from the beginning) is given instead. The repeat of the A section was performed with the solo ornamented. In the Baroque section B was often in the relative minor or major.
Section A Introduction in Bb Section B G minor Relative Minor Go back to Section A
Other Features
Basso Continuo
Audio Clip Sometimes referred to as Continuo. In the Baroque period, the continuo part consisted of a bass line (basso continuo) played by cello, bass, viola da gamba or bassoon. In addition the harpsichord, organ or lute player was expected to fill in harmonies built on that bass line.