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Baroque

This version was saved 16 years, 5 months ago View current version     Page history
Saved by PBworks
on November 1, 2007 at 9:16:35 pm
 
 

 


History

General Characteristics

Performance Media

English HarpsichordbassoonBassooncontrabassoonContrabassoon

 

Instruments:

 by Mike, Arturo and Sidney

Oboe: The oboe is a part of the woodwind family.  It is played using a double reed and has a nasally sound.  Many pieces use it as a solo instrument.  Its range is about 2 ½ octaves, starting on Bb, which is one whole step down from middle C.

Bassoon:  The bassoon is apart of the woodwinds.  It is played with a double reed.  It has a range of about 3 ½ octaves, stating at Bb.  It is pitched in C.

Contrabassoon:  The contrabassoon is an octave lower than the bassoon.  The notation, however, is written an octave above the actual notes played.  It is considered the lowest-pitched instrument of the orchestra.

Rhythm

- Sachin and Edd

  • Two Diametrically opposed rhythmic patterns
  • In Vocal Recitatives:  Rhythm is free and dictated by the text itself
  • In Accompaniements: Strong and relentless beat, accented by harmonies and repeated notes
  • Many works are based on one rhythmic pattern
  • Unchanging tempo
 
~Two different types of rhythm common of the time were regular and flexible;
Regular- used for dance music and became more pursuasive

Types of Dance: 

  •  Jig
  • Carrenta
  • Sarabande-shown in the video below is a slow dance in triple meter with the distictive feature that beats two and three of the measure are often tied, giving a destinctive rythm of quarter and half notes in alteration...note in the video a dragging step on half steps

YouTube plugin error

Flexible - Used for Vocal Recitatives and improv solos like toccatas and preludes 

 

Melody

by Roxanne and Becky

  • Melodies are continuous, flowing, and obvious.
  • Polyphony was still popular, but less complicated than Renaissance.
  • “Text-painting” is used; the accompanying music evokes and reflects the emotion of the text.
  • Melismas occur often in baroque music, as a form of ornamentation.
  • Plenty of ornamentation
  • Motives are commonly repeated in these pieces, often modified and developed throughout the piece.
  • Chromaticism was, in a sense developed, with the experimentation with breaking away from Renaissance tradition.
  • Though previously frowned upon, dissonance became more accepted and welcomed in Baroque music, giving each piece a tonal direction.
  • Baroque music had a lot of borrowed melodies, in the sense that composers would take a phrase from another piece of music and put it in their own works. 
  • Counterpoint during this time was now driven by harmony rather than by the various individual melodies.

     

    Texture

    by Katherine and Hanna

    • Polyphonic:
    ~   multiple melodic lines
    ~     soprano and bass lines were most important
    ~     imitation between lines was common
    ~     forms of polyphony – cannons, fugues
    • Homophonic:
    ~     one melodic line
    ~     Early Baroque period
    ~     occurred in Bach and Handel’s pieces

    Basso Continuo

    ~     Melody and bass parts written out with chords improvised by performers
    ~     played on continuo instruments: harpsichord, organ, lute
    ~     Figured Bass: musical notation used to indicate chords, intervals, etc.

    Strucure/Form

    Composers

     

     

     

     

    Johann Sebastian Bach

     

    • Interesting fact: The Beatles used influences from Bach's music in their song writing.  
    • Bach wrote for the church and the worship of God. 
    • He never wrote opera in his career; he wrote for the harpsichord, string quartets and virtually every other Baroque form.
    • Bach spent his entire life in Germany, which limited the influence of international composers in his works.
    • His father taught music and was a practicing musician: his entire family was involved with music in some way or another.
    • Bach earned a choral scholarship to a reputed choir school where he furthered his study of music.
    • When playing organ for the church, Bach improvised organ passages. Many people disliked this style and complained about the way he played.
    • Bach was inspired by Handel.
    • After graduating from choir school and being a church organist, he became the court organist for Duke Wilhelm Ernst.
    • During this time, he discovered his love for teaching and dedicated his life to teaching.
    • He was very experimental with instrumental music during the time he spent at Cothen.
    • He spent a number of years as a Cantor of Leipzig. By this time, he had 20 children.
    • He was buried in St. Johns Cemetary in 1750.

     

     

     

    Antonio Vivaldi

     

                 

    • An Italian composer very popular for his instrumental music and operas. He developed the concerto.
    • The concerti highlighted various unusual combinations of instruments.
    • Over his lifetime wrote over 500 concerti: primarily for solo violin and group ensembles.
    • His concerti had a fast, slow, fast form with a ritornello form.
    • His famous group The Four Seasons for the concerto gives dramatic and colorful aspects. Each concerto is a different season. 

     

        Some examples of his works are :

    • Orchestral music, including over 239 violin concerti, including Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons, Op.8, Nos.1-4, c.1725), other solo concerti (bassoon, cello, oboe, flute, recorder), double concerti, ensemble concerti, sinfonias
    • Chamber music, including sonatas for violin, cello and flute, trio sonatas
    • Vocal music, including oratorios (Juditha triumphans, 1716), Mass movements (Gloria), Magnificat, psalms, hymns and motets
    • Secular vocal music, including solo cantatas and operas

     

     

    George Frideric Handel

     

    • English composer, but German by birth and was most famous for his Operas and Oratorios.
    • He composed for the general public.
    • At a young age, he composed with an Italian style. His first Opera, Almira, was a big success. 
    • While he was in England, he maintained an Italian style in his Operas. But, he later developed into a light and ballad opera.
    • Around 1728, the Italian style had faded so he started writing Oratorios. His most famous was Messiah in 1742.
    • He was an amazing organist.

     

    His Works Include:

    • Over 40 operas, including Almira (1705), Rinaldo (1711), Giulio Cesare (Julius Caesar, 1724) and Orlando (1733)
    • Oratorios, including Esther (1718), Alexander's Feast (1736), Israel in Egypt (1739), Messiah (1742), Sampson (1743), Belshazzar (1745), Judas Maccabaeus (1747), Solomon (1749) and Jephtha (1752); other sacred vocal music, including Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne (c.1713), Acis and Galatea (masque, 1718), Ode for St. Cecilia's Day (1739), Utrech Te Deum (1713), anthems and Latin church music
    • Secular vocal music, including solo and duo cantatas; arias
    • Orchestral music, including Water Music (1717) and Music for the Royal Fireworks (1749); concerti for oboe, organ, horn
    • Chamber music, including solo and trio sonatas
    • Keyboard music, including harpsichord suites, fugues, preludes, airs and dances

     

    Claudio Monteverdi

     

     

    Jean Baptiste Lully

     

     

     

     

  • Glossary

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