Part III: Baroque Period
Baroque: refers to something unusual
The Baroque Style
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Time of Flamboyant lifestyle
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Baroque style “fills the space”
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Visual art
-Implies motion
- Busy
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Architure
- Elaborate
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Changes in approach to science
-Experience based, not just observations
-Inventions and improvements results
Baroque Music
2 giants of Baroque composition
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John Sebastian Bach (period ends with Bach’s death)
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George Frideric Handel
Other noted composers
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Cladio Monterverdi
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Henry Purcell
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Arcangelo Corelli
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Antonio Vivaldi
Period divided into 3 phrases
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Early 1600 to 1640: favored homophonic texture
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Middle, 1640 to 1680: Major and minor scales
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Late, 1680 to 1750: Dominant chord to the tonic
Characteristics of Baroque Music - 1
Unity of mood
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Expresses one mood throughout piece
Rhythm
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Rhythmic patterns are repeated throughout
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Provides compelling drive and energy
Melody
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Opening melody heard again and again
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Continuous expanding of Melodic sequence (Singing the same
melody but at a higher pitch each time it is repeated)
Characteristics of Baroque Music - 2
Dynamics
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Volume sare contrast with abrupt changes - terraced dynamics
Music in Baroque Society
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Music written to order
-New music not old fashioned, was desidered
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Courts
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Court music director
Texture
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Late baroque was mostly polyphonic
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Extensive use of imitation
Chords and the Basso Continuo
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Chords meshed with melodic line
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Bass part served as foundation of the harmony
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Basso continuo: accompaniment played by keyboard instrument
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Following numbers which specifies the chords - similar to
modern jazz and pop “fake book” notation
Baroque Forms
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Instruments music frequently made up of movements
-Movement: a piece that sounds complete in itself but a
part of a larger composition
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Performed with pause between movements
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Unity of mood within individual movements
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Movements often contrast with each other
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Common basic forms
-Ternary: A B A
-Binary: A B, A B B, A A B, A A B B
Characteristics of Baroque - 3
Words and Music
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Texture paining/ word painting continues
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Words frequently emphasized setting a single syllable to many
rapid notes
The Baroque Orchestra
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Based on violin family of instruments
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Small by modern standards
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Varying instrumentation
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Nucleus was basso continuo unit
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Composers specified instrumentation
-Tine color was subordinate to melody, rhythm, and harmony
-Composers obtained beautiful effects from specific tone
color
-Tone color is second to melody
For string orchestra and group of soloist
-soloist : flute, violin, and harpsichord
First movement
Ritornello form
-Good prestige, pay, and other benefits
-Still considered a skilled servant
SOme aristocrats were musicians
Church music was very elaborate
-Most people only heard music only in church
Some, though few, public opera houses
Music careers taught by apprenticeship
-Orphanages taught music as a trade
Listening(Ex: Concerto Grosso)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major by Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto Grosso and Ritornello Form
Concerto Grosso
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For small groups of soloist and orchestra
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Multi movement Work
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Usually 3 movements
- Fast
-Slow (usually quieter)
-Fast (sometimes dancelike)
Ritornello Form
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Frequently used in first & last movements of concerto grosso
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Theme repeated presented in fragments
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Contrast between solo sections and tutti
The Elements of Opera
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Drama sung to orchestral accompaniment
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Text in opera os called libretto (translated as little book)
The Fugue
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Cornerstone of baroque music
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Polyphonic composition based on one main theme
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Vocal or instrumental
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Subject
-Main theme
-Presented initially in imitation
-Each voice enters after previous voice has completed the
presenting the subject
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Listening
Tu se’ morta from Orfeo by Monteverdi
Notes:
-First large scale opera
-Homophonic texture
Claudio Monteverdi
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Italian, Early baroque composer
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Wrote first operatic work, orfeo
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Worked last 30 years at St. Mark’s in Venice.
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Composed both sacred music and secular music for the
aristocracy
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Only 3 of his 12 operas still exist
Opera in the Baroque Era
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Result of musical discussions of the camerata in Florence
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First known opera: Euridice (1600)
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Orfeo (Monteverdi, 1607): first large scale (great) opera
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Opera composed for court ceremonies
-Display of magnificence and grandeur
-Patrons compared to ancient heroes
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First public opera house 1637 in Venice
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Rise of virtuoso (someone who is exceptional) singer, notably
the castrato (a male singer who has been castrated)
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Seco vs. accompanied recitative (when the orchestra joins in
accompaniment)
-Music is written by composer
-Libretto is written by a librettist
Opera can be serious, comic, or both
Two primary types of solo songs
-Recitive: presents plot material
-Aria: expresses emotions, usually a showcase vehicle for
the singer
Other types: duets, trio, quarter, quintet, etc.
-Three or more singers make up an ensemble
Chorus: Groups of actors playing crowd parts
The prompter gives cues to singers
The orchestra pit: sunken area in front of stage
Prelude or overture: instrumentals that open opera acts
Modern questions concerning text in opera
-Translation of text and effects upon text painting
-Supertitles: Projection of text above the stage
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Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Trio Sonata in A Minor, OP.3, No.10 (1689) By Arcangelo Corelli For
two violins and Basso continuo
Notes:
-Polyphonic texture
-Multi movement work
-Contrast between movements
Harry Purcell
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English composer (1659 - 1695)
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Highly regarded, held court positions
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Buried beneath the organ in Westminster Abbey
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Dido and Aenas
-Aenas’ hometown was Troy. After it was destroyed the Gods
tell Aenas to find a new place to build a new city. Aenas
finds this place and the queen ruling over the land falls
in love with Aenas. Aenas however gets another message
from the gods saying he still has to find the place. When
he tells the queen he is leaving she becoming very upset
and committs suicide by drinking poison.
-Dido was part of Northern Africa.
Ground Bass
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Repeated musical idea in the Bass
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Variation form - melodies above change
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Also calledbasso ostinato
Use of text painting
Orfea, the son of Apollo, was a musician. His wife suddenly
dies so he wants to get her back. Orfea goes to Hades to ask
for his wife back. Hades says yes, but Orfea can not turn back
to make sure she is following him out of hell, or she will
disappear forever. In the end he turns back and she disappears.
Apollo has pity for his son and brings him to heaven, so that
they can be together for all eternity.
The Baroque Sonata
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Instrumental work
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Multi-movement piece for one to eight instruments
-Trio sonata: Melodic lines: basso continuo and two above
written as three parts, but performed by four players
-Sonata da chiesa: Church sonata (dignified)
-Sonata da camera: Chamber sonata (more dancelike, intended
for course performance.
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The Chorale and Church Cantata
The Baroque Suit
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Instrumental, multi movement work
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Written for listening, based upon dance
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Movements usually in Binary form - A A B B
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Often began with a non dance overture
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Forerunner of forms used in the next period
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French overture - 2 sections
-1st slow, dignified
-2nd faster, often beginning as a fugue
Late baroque Italian composer
Il prete rosso (the red priest - he had red hair)
Taught music at girls orphanage in venice
-Girls performed at mass hidden behind screen watch
Wrote sacred and secular vocal and instrumental music
Famous as virtuoso violinist and composer
Johann Sebasition Bach
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German, late baroque composer
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Organist and violinist
-Deeply religious
-Worked in sacred and secular positions
-Large family
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Know in lifetime as keyboardist
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Wrote in every form except opera
-Recognized for technical mastery: highpoint of polyphony
combined with harmony
-All music majors study Bach’s compositions
Listing:
La Primavera (spring), Op.8, No.1, from the Four Seasons (1725) by
Vivaldi
Concerto for violin and string orchestra
Note:
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Homophonic & polyphonic texture
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Ritornello form
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Baroque program music
-First example of program music (music associated with a
story)
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Description effects (trill for birds songs, string tremolos for
thunder)
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Lutheran Church service was social event of the week
-Lasted 4 hours with 1 hour sermon
-Music was major part of worship service
-Congregation participated in singing chorales
Chorale: hymn tune with German text
Cantata
-Multi movement
