Test 3 - Baroque Era PDF

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The BAROQUE (1600-1750) TERMINOLOGY 1. Baroque Era—from 1600-1750 - “oddly shaped pearl” which describes that this era is unique and different - Characteristics o Excessive ornamentation and embellishment o Extravagant, grand o Exaggerated and over the top o Dramatic, emphasis on generating a sense of spectacle 2. Venetian Polychoral Style—large number of singers divided and spaced out throughout the cathedral to echo the words - Unusual layout of cathedral where 2 choirs were standing on both sides and there was one at the front (cori spezzati) o Antiphony—call and response between the choirs 3. Monody—solo accompanied song 4. Florentine Camerata—group of intellectuals that gathered (1570-90s) to discuss music and drama; responsible for reviving the ancient style of monody 5. The New Music—simple ornamentation (only most important notes embellished) appropriate to the text - Trills—quickly alternating between 2 notes that are side by side called gruppi - Trilli—rapid repetitions of the same pitch -

Szforzandos—sudden exclamations with strong emphasis Sprezzatura—general slowing in tempo (rubato) o Clear text declamation and struck dissonances

6. Opera—genre; goal is to convey a story onstage through characters who express their thoughts and emotion by singing - First opera houses were private theatres in courts; 1637 – the first public opera house opened in Venice and by 1700, opera had become a big business operated by impresarios - Sung from beginning to end; classically trained; no dialogue - Wide range and good voice projection (vibrato) - Big orchestras accompanied voices and were usually hidden below stage - Music, drama, poetry, visual arts and some dance o Libretto—contains the words sung or spoken in the opera so that audience can follow along o Recitative—speech-like vocal delivery; emphasis on text; accompaniment of basso continuo (typically 2 instruments where one sustains a note for a long time while the other plays chords)

 Thin texture  Syllabic text so it’s easy to get the words across o Aria—lyrical, melodic, smooth; emphasis on music so that plot is conveyed  duet—(2 or more) singers singing together  arietta—short version of an aria that is very lyrical o Overture—beginning of opera that is purely instrumental and helps set the mood of the play/opera before it begins while audience is still settling down; usually a similar melody is played throughout the rest of the show  French Overture—consists of 2 repeated contrasting sections (AABB) where A is slow with dotted rhythm and B is fast imitative 7. First Practice - Style of polyphony - Musical values (rules) matter more than text but the words must be understood - Controlled dissonances 8. Second Practice - New style - Importance of expressing emotions in music more than text - Free uses of dissonances and rule breaking to express words more effectively and arouse affections 9. Affections—composers strove to express or represent a wide range of feelings such as rage, excitement, grandeur, sorrow, wonder, joy, etc. 10. Castrati—men who underwent operation to preserve the high range of their voice - In great demand - High range of a women’s voice and the power of a man’s voice - 1870 – the process was made illegal - Examples: Alessandro Moreschi and Farinelli/Carlo Broschi (soprano and counter tenor mixed for the recording) 11. English Opera—not many people liked them and it took a while for people to get used to - Not that many good English composers - Harder to sing in English than Italian and set music to English because of regular rhythm of speech - Can’t translate operas because the words won’t rhyme or go along with the music 12. Chorus—large group behind stage that come forward or on the sides of the stage - High melody and syllabic so that audience can clearly hear text being sung and typical for homophony 13. Ostinato—instrument that plays same note over and over again that is typically a low note (ground base) 14. Lament—a passionate expression of grief, often born of regret or mourning

15. Hocket—form of polyphony consisting of 2 or more rhythmically interlocking voices - One voice fills the spaces left by another’s rest to complete a melodic unit - Example: in a group of people, one person says one word to form a sentence 16. Concerto—instrumental work in 3 parts (movement – section of music) in which one or more soloist is accompanied by a larger ensemble - Audiences then and now enjoy concertos because of the contrasting timbres and virtuosic displays - Most enjoyable and sought out genre - Grosso Concerto—large concerto 17. Ritornello Principle—formal design of alternating between sections of tutti and soloist; format of most concertos in this era o Tutti—aka ritornelli or “little returns”; all the instruments are playing o Solo—soloist starts and are accompanied by ensemble; play throughout entire piece, whether on own or with the entire orchestra – SUBJECT 18. Key—set of harmonies that all have a distinctive relation to one particular note (usually called tonic) o Major—12 of them; generally sound bright and happy o Minor—12 of them; usually sound sad and somber o Aural home base—tonic that conveys a sense of arrival or rest 19. Program Music—an instrumental work that is in some way associated with a story, event or idea - Composer can indicate such a connection by a suggestive title, a prose or poetic narrative, or both 20. Fugue—genre; Latin for “flee” or “to chase”; polyphonic work based on a central theme, or subject, that undergoes a fully developed procedure of imitative counterpoint - Considered touchstone of composer’s art because it is the most difficult to compose and if the composer can write a fugue, they were seen as the best of the best - This genre must be inventive but also enjoyable that it can be combined with itself in different ways - Intervals of melody have to be versatile so that the music can be kept alive - Main melody is called the subject (usually one main subject that is repeated, embellished, etc) 21. Fugal Form—subject is in SATB o Fugal exposition—initial statement; opening of the piece; subject is stated in all voices in succession (ends when last voice finishes) o Episode—no subject present in voices o Middle entry—hear the subject in at least one voice o Final entry—episode and middle statement alternate until they get to this; final statement of the subject; end of the piece

o Fugal texture—fugal exposition with statements of the subject in each voice or part 22. Toccata—fast moving; lots of passage work which is contrasted with fugue (lots of imitation); very strict structure 23. Cantata—sacred vocal genre sung during a service of worship; usually several movements with an instrumental accompaniment o Chorale—using famous protestant hymn tune to start the cantata 24. Oratorio—genre; dramatic work that is usually 3 acts; contains soloist, chorus and orchestra; not staged so there is no set, costume or acting - Soloist is usually seated unless if they are singing (similar to concert) - Based on sacred texts, biblical characters and stories being told in these works 25. Lent—40 days before Easter 26. Advent—30 days before Christmas o During both of these events, no operas were allowed to be performed because they were too entertaining and these times were more serious o People ended up going to oratorios to get at least some form of entertainment

COMPOSERS Giovanni Gabrieli (1555-1612) - Italian composer and organist - Wrote mostly sacred vocal and instrumental music - Worked in 2 prestigious posts in Venice, Italy o St Mark’s Basilica o Scuola Grande di San Rocco - Used layout of St. Mark’s to create spatial effects with his music (Venetian Polychoral) - One of the most famous and widely imitated for large-scale antiphony “Bless the Lord in the congregations” (1605) - Latin - 3 choirs o 1 choir of soloists (SATB – 4 people)  Florid, melismatic, virtuosic, extravagant music o 1 choir of SATB with homophonic texture o 1 choir of instrumentalists  3 cornettis, 2 trombones, 1 violino (viola), and an organ Genre—motet (SATB soloist, choir and instruments) Texture—call-response, antiphony, instrumental (thick, variety) Timbre—grand, lavish, excessive, slow, joyful, praiseful

Form—“Hallelujah” – chorus (homophonic and homorhythmic); refrain/ritornello – section of music that gets repeated (melody gets thicker in texture each time) Giulio Caccini (1551-1618) - Italian composer, teacher, singer, instrumentalist, writer - composed monody, operas, and other types of music - part of Florentine Camerata - wrote The New Music (1602) which contained a selection of his songs o Italian text – 2 lines; 1 for voice and the other is for an instrument “Amaryllis, My Lovely One” (1602) Genre—monody Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707) - Danish-German composer and organist - Bach’s teacher - Prelude in G Minor (1675-89) Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) - Italian composer, singer and priest - 15 y/o when he published his first composition - Worked as a court composer for the Duke of Gonzaga of Mantua o Wrote first operas - Wrote many madrigals, operas, and sacred forms of music - Moved to Venice to work at St. Mark’s and wrote in Venetian Polychoral style - His works were often revolutionary and marked the transition from Renaissance to Baroque – called it second practice - Received criticism from Giovanni Maria Artusi o Conservative theorist who corrected Monteverdi’s music but deleted the text even though it was the important part o Didn’t stop him from continuing his successful career Orpheus (1607) - Genre: opera - 5 acts in total - Music by Monteverdi - Libretto in Italian by Alessandro Striggio (based on Greek myth) - Main characters o Orpheus – singer (tenor) o Euridice – his wife (soprano/castrato) “Thou art dead” (Orpheus) - Homophonic texture; melody with accompaniment - Syllabic text - Word-painting “Ah, bitter event!” (Nymphs and shepherds – chorus) - Polyphonic chorus of 5 parts

Henry Purcell - Organist of Westminster Abbey and at the Chapel Royal - English composer from England - Wrote vocal and instrumental music - Only wrote one opera – Dido and Aeneas Dido and Aeneas (1689) - Music by Purcell - Libretto by Nahum Tate who adapted the Book IV of Virgil’s Aeneid, and epic poem - Main characters o Dido – queen (soprano) o Aeneas – prince (baritone) o Belinda – Dido’s maid and confidante (soprano) Overture – French overture (AABB) - 2 repeated sections - Slow intro with dotted rhythms and then a fast imitative section “Shake the cloud from off your brow” (Belinda) - Brief aria - Terrible emotion’s clouding Dido’s mind - Rapid dotted rhythm to mimic act of shaking; can represent anxiety or nervousness “Banish sorrow, banish care” (chorus) - Slight repetition; almost polyphony - Melody in uppermost voice; homophony with some imitation between some voices; syllabic so that audience can hear text being sung; prominent basso continuo part below “Ah! Belinda” (Dido) - Same notes played by the same instrument over and over again to get an ostinato - Low voice with music that keeps repeating - This tells something about her psyche – she’s obsessed with Aeneas; fixated on grief and that bad thoughts are circling around her mind (like the ostinato) o 10 notes – Aria “Grief increases by concealing” (Dido and Belinda) - Cello and harpsichord used - Lots of syllabic text - Music follows text - Repeated pattern in bass line - Melody in uppermost voice - Accompaniment comes more active and lyrical (music and text go together) o Arioso – half aria, half recitative

“When monarchs unite” (Chorus) - Homophony; syllabic text; hymn like texture - Homorhythm; singing at the same time - Reflects and summarizes situation; gives time to digest what has just happened - Interjects some optimism; lightens mood before moving into the next part

Mbuti Pygmies - Inturi forest in democratic republic of Congo - Move around a lot and very involved in a lot of music - Music is learned by ear; not something that has particular lyrics or can be written down - Ostinato; call and response; hocket; polyphonic and thick - Starts with a call and responders respond in succession Barbara Strozzi - Trained as a musician by Cavalli (worked at St. Mark’s – famous opera composer and very well educated) - Got music published and only wrote secular (many Baroque genres) - Most music was for solo voice with basso continuo which created thin texture and allowed text to be conveyed and sometimes accompanied by strings - Wasn’t a professional and she wasn’t very special but did it without anyone’s support; well connected to musicians though - She may or may not have been a prostitute because she had 4 kids but never got married and no one knows who the fathers are… “Revenge” (1651) - Genre – Italian secular arietta; short aria; lyrical - Basso continuo – cello, lute and harpsichord - Repetition - Melody – multi-sectional, music mimics the text o repetition and contrast o 2 main melodies o Voice needs to be flexible and fast to skip lots of notes o Duple and triple meter o Melodies embellished with every section - Texture – homophony; violin responds to caller (call and response); other instruments play all the way through - Timbre – violin (high, prominent), cello (low), A sections are major, B sections are minor - Form – A B A’ B’ A’’ Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) - Italian, virtuoso (highly skilled) violinist - Productive composer - Instrumental work, sacred choral and operas - Master of melodic invention and formal novelty - Pioneer of orchestral program music which late became a huge thing

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Known as “Red Priest” because he had red hair and was a priest Served as the music director for large girl’s orphanage o Hospice of Compassion o Girls who were daughters of royalty and their mistresses  Music was a big part of their education  High standards of music because Vivaldi wrote difficult music Vivaldi had access to the best violins ever (made by Antonio Stratvari) Wrote over 500 concerti which were popular at his time

“Winter” (1720 or 1725 – first publication) - Fast, slow, fast tempo which is typical for this era - Between movements there is a pause or silence so that musicians can prepare themselves for the next movement - Ritornello principle - Keys (major and minor) Johann Sebastian Bach - German compose, organist, harpsichordist, violinist and violist - Wrote for every baroque genre except opera because no one ever asked him to write one - Wrote vocal and instrumental music - Born into a family of musicians and music-making - Married twice (first wife died) and they had lots of children – only 10 survived (20 altogether) - 3 of his sons were also composers o Carl Philipp Emanual Bach o Johann Christian Bach o Wilhelm Fridemann Bach  All were famous and made their own music - Worked as church and court musician, organist, violinist, concertmaster (similar to conductor; playing basso continuo instrument or harpsichord or violin conducted) - Changed jobs several times and wrote whatever people asked him to write o Cantata—sacred piece, vocal and instrumental, multi-movement - Travelled a lot throughout Germany because he had several different jobs opportunities “Fugue in G Minor” - Bach was very good at writing this complicated piece of music Genre—fugue Melody—subject; very end switched to Major; conjunct and disjunct throughout Texture—thick, dense, polyphonic; imitative counterpoint; 4 parts in general but all aren’t playing at the same time throughout entire piece Timbre—dramatic, climactic Form—fugal form, fugal exposition (can be any order), episode/middle entry, final entry (end)

Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, movement 3 - F Major - Soloist include trumpet (brass, loud; connections to military/outdoor music; piercing sound), oboe (reedy, smooth, nasal), violin (lyrical, gently, melodic, passionate), and recorder (soft, delicate) o Different timbres show how well they can work together - Ritornello principle with fugal form o Episodes and ritornello at same time o Middle entries and solo at same time Cantata 140 - Movement 1 – Awake a voice calls to you o Chorus (SATB) o Biblical text, originally in German o Instrumental introduction evokes a French overture o Sopranos present the chorale tune in very long note values, and the altos, tenors, and basses sing elaborate contrapuntal lines which create a thick polyphonic texture o Preparation of the second coming of Christ o Ritornello principle and bar form (chorale – AAB)  4 Ritornelli and 3 chorale - Movement 7 – Let Gloria be sung to you o Chorus (SATB) o Shape of melody is going up then down, creates arch and repeats o Second section: descends, ascends then descends again (contrast) o Fanfare-like figure – usually bass instruments (trumpet) – military like celebrations; usually disjunct motion o AAB (bar form) but end note of B are similar to A so it can also be called AABA’ o Voices accompany  Texture is homophonic (hymn with melody in soprano, members of choir provide harmony and accompany melody)  Chorus had one singer per part  Size of hall and size of orchestra determined the size of the chorus Leopold Stokowski - Born in England and moved to the US - Conductor in Philidelphia orchestra - Played classical music into Hollywood - Set Bach’s subject (counter melodies, etc.) for individual instruments o Fugue in G Minor – Orchestral arrangement George Frideric Handel - German, travelled through Europe (Germany, Italy and England) - Wrote Italians operas, oratorios, instrumental music, anthems and organ music

Messiah - Biblical text compiled by Charles Jennens - Written for SATB soloists with large chorus and orchestra - Brad trajectory of 3 parts o Prophecy and birth of Christ o Crucifixtion and resurrection o Meditations on eternal life of soul - Oratorio/opera (recitative and aria) “He that dwelleth in heaven” - Recitative - Tenor soloist accompanied by basso continuo o Harpsichord and cello o Some support offered by instrumental notes o Cadence at the end o Word music relationship  Heaven is higher note  Laugh is lots of descending short notes “Thou shalt break them” - Aria - Focus on the music; text is repeated and stretches out with long melismas - Shaking figure – shakes between two notes very quickly (trilli) - Large leap downwards - Violins allow tenor to be heard during melismatic passages but also thickens texture a bit Genre – oratorio; aria Texture – thick; homophonic Timbre – angry “Hallelujah” - Chorus - 5 melodies o Hallelujah – short notes that repeat or move in conjunct motion o For the Lord – monophonic; in unison; rise and fall o The Kingdom of this World – descending with dramatic leap o And he shall Reign – disjunct; ascending but mostly descending; wide leaps; lots of imitation with this piece; optimistic and joyful o King of Kings – long notes in unison; rise quickly and repeated several times, getting higher and higher; one note for entire line; call and response between melodies 1, 4, 5 (sopranos are callers, ATB respond; higher notes each time) - Texture is homophonic, homorhythmic, monophonic and polyphonic at times - Audience stands up for the chorus because apparently King George the 2nd did it...