lecture notes

MUSIC HISTORY & LIT I: CHAPTER 17

Italy & Germany – Late 1600s

Italy and Germany

■ In the late 1600s, Italy and Germany shared a similar "government" structure – There were small city/states or royal courts scattered across the country – The nobility ruled their small area

■ Musicians in Italy and Germany would travel between patrons – Great exchange of ideas which resulted in new developments and genres

■ Will lead to the future rise of Austrian and German composers like Bach, Handel, Haydn, and Mozart.

Italian Opera/New Affections

■ Center of opera remained in Venice, however, opera houses were popping up across all of Italy

– Regardless of popularity, operas from this time period are no longer performed often

■ In the later 1600s, the idea of affections moved from individual emotions felt by a character (portrayed by a combination of recitative, arioso, aria) to a general mood to be felt by the audience.

The Aria

■ With the new outlook on affections, the aria became the most popular part of an opera

■ The deepest emotions could be expressed through these pieces

■ Audiences would attend operas based on what soloist would be singing the aria(s)

■ Composers and librettists became more expressive

■ Resulted in the da capo aria

■ Example – Antonio Sartorio: Julius Ceasar in Egypt – Cleopatra woos Caesar

Italian Vocal Chamber Music ■ The cantata was the primary form of chamber music in Italy ■ Wealthy aristocrats, diplomats, and nobility would sponsor a cantata for

their gatherings

■ Cantatas were written for a small audience with music knowledge – Elegant and refined, consisted of several small vocal pieces – Lyrics were usually pastoral love poetry

■ Alessandro Scarlatti – was known for his over 600 cantatas – Example: recitative from cantata, Clori vezzosa, e bella

■ Serenata – midway between opera and cantata – Semidramatic piece for singers and small orchestra, written for a special

occasion

Italian Church Music

■ Remained similar, now with a variety of genres – Oratorio, mass, motet, etc. – Text was now in Italian instead of Latin – Oratorios were also performed outside of the church – palaces and academies

■ Instrumental music in services became more popular

Italian Instrumental Chamber Music

■ Italy remained the center of progress in instrumental music

■ Rise of instrument makers (Stradivari, etc.)

■ String ensembles rose in popularity

■ Development of the sonata (1660s) – Chamber sonata – Church sonata – Trio sonata – Solo sonata

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) ■ Active in Rome as a violinist, teacher, and composer

■ No vocal works survive, only instrumental (maybe didn't compose any vocal works?)

■ Known for his violin works and the first organizations of a string orchestra

– Required same bowings and section sound (became standard orchestra practice)

■ His style of sonata influenced 18th century composer and set the new standard for instrumental works

– First major composer whose reputation only includes instrumental music

The Concerto

■ Late 1600s – there's becoming a distinction between chamber music and orchestra (like we know today)

■ The concerto appeared in the 1680s/90s, which established the orchestra as the leading instrumental ensemble

■ By 1700, there were 3 types of concerto – Orchestral concerto: emphasized 1st violin and bass parts – Concerto grosso: chamber ensemble soloists accompanied by large orchestra – Concerto: soloist accompanied by orchestra

■ Orchestra was a fully established 5-part string base

Italian Style

■ By the end of the 17th century, an Italian style had emerged

■ Composer focused on what was pleasing to hear and what could draw emotions from the listener

■ Many genres existed in both secular and sacred music

■ Arias, sonatas, and concertos highlighted solo expertise

■ Tonality became important

Germany and Austria

Music in Germany/Austria

■ Rulers were jealous of King Louis XIV's use of arts to gain power

■ Noble courts hired musicians, though could not rival the French courts

■ Cities also hired musicians (Stadtpfeifer) for public ceremonies

■ Churches also had musicians on staff

■ Amateur musicians and collegium musicum

■ Like Italy, instrumental music is most popular during this time

German Opera

■ Italian composers were welcomed to German courts, and brought their opera traditions with them

■ 1678 – opera found a home in Hamburg, which was a prosperous commercial center

– Lutheran authorities opposed this type of entertainment, however, most operas were of a biblical subject

– German lyrics affected the style of the songs, short and strophic

Catholic Church Music vs. Lutheran Church Music ■ German Catholic and Lutheran composers had different styles/ideologies

■ The Catholic church were large patrons of the arts and music

■ The Lutheran church was split on music beliefs – some wanted to utilize all forms of music, others wanted to keep it simple

– Chorale was still popular – Organ music

Dieterich Buxtehude (1637-1707) ■ Renowned organist and composer of

organ and sacred works – Virtuosic playing/writing for organ

with both hand and pedal – Influenced J.S. Bach

■ Employed as a church musician, at St. Mary's in Lubeck for much of his life

■ Example: Praeludium in E Major, BuxWV 141

Other Instrumental Music

■ Germans became the leaders of organ music

■ Harpsichord suites

■ Violin sonatas – Heinrich Biber (composer/violinists) based in Salzburg

■ Keyboard sonatas – will later influence Bach and Handel

German/Austria Legacy

■ While German/Austrian music was influenced by France and Italy, they developed their own style

■ Precursor to compositional greats like: – Bach – Handel – Mozart – Beethoven

Composer Paper

■ Turabian manuals

■ Online resources (Discovery)

■ General research notes

■ Quotations