Music writing 2
JaredRain
kerman7e_ch09latebaroque-1.pptChapter 9
Prelude:
The Late Baroque Period
(1700-1750)
Baroque Period
- General time line of this period is 1600-1750
Age of Absolutism
- Decreasing power of church
- Rise of absolute monarchs (Louis XIV)
- Pomp and splendor (Versailles)
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Age of Science
- Development of scientific methods and technology
- New theories about the natural world
- Tempering of scales to specific frequencies allows major/minor keys to be performed with consistency
Musical Life in the Late Baroque Period
- Composer as artisan
- Producing a made-to-order craft for patrons
- Music often anonymous in character
- Three main institutions for music
- Church
- Court
- Opera house
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Church Composers
- Composed or improvised new music for worship
- Played and led performances
- Provided elaborate works for special occasions
- Trained choirboys
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Court Composers
- Employee of the court, producing music to order
- Had to be prolific
- Enjoyed secure existence
- Could travel and encounter new trends
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Opera House Musicians
- Supported by the public (paid admission)
- Solo singers were the stars
- Composers wrote music to show off singers’ talents
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Rhythm
- Highly regular, repetitive
- Distinctive rhythms against a steady beat
- Steady harmonic rhythm- the pace at which chords change e.g. every measure, etc.
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Dynamics
- Rarely indicated; usually steady
- Dramatic contrast preferred
- Either loud or soft (f or p)
- Performers still created subtle nuances
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Tone Color
- New interest in sonority
- Writing for the unique color of a specific instrument
- Flexibility
- Works that can be played by “violin or oboe or flute”
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Basic Baroque Orchestra
A string orchestra with continuo
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ED: Check the page number given in the figure here: page 130 correct?
Festive Baroque Orchestra
Adds brass, woodwinds, and percussion
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Melody
- Tends toward complexity and difficulty
- Extended range
- Variety of rhythmic note values
- Frequent use of sequence for forward motion
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Ornamentation
- Addition of fast notes, motives, or effects to a melody
- Cadenzas; chording continuo instruments
- Improvised during performance
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Texture
- Standard Baroque texture is polyphonic
- Sometimes homophonic texture, for contrast only
- Dense orchestral works use many moving contrapuntal lines
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Key Terms
- Harmonic rhythm
- Basic orchestra
- Festive orchestra
- Ornamentation
- Continuo
