Music of the Baroque Period

Music of the Baroque Period

(1600-1750)

Baroque Historical Highlights

Age of Absolutism; Kings and Queens are all-powerful Known for extreme decadence and extravagance of

aristocracy (e.g. Louis XIV and his palace of Versailles)

Church Splits in Two; Europe split into Catholic countries (Italy, France, Spain) and Protestant countries (England, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden)

The Palace at Versailles

The Royal Chapel, Hall of Mirrors & Royal Coach

The King’s Bedroom, Marie Antoinette’s Room, The Opera House

“Baroque” Defined

Baroque means exaggerated or over-ornamented; these adjectives relate to music and visual arts

Baroque Artistic Highlights

Emphasis on DRAMA (extreme and heightened emotion) in music and visual arts– Caravaggio’s paintings show this emphasis on

DRAMA

Baroque Musical Highlights

Birth of OPERA - theatrical presentations with music and elaborate stage spectacle

New focus on instrumental music and instrumental accompaniment to voices

New emphasis on chords and use of BASSO CONTINUO

Baroque Music Style Characteristics

Timbre new emphasis on instrumental music & instrumental accompaniment to voices

Rhythm beat is emphasized; lots of forward motion

Melody elaborate, ornamented, continuously expanding, long and winding

Form one main theme repeated over and over

Dynamics sudden changes from loud to soft and soft to loud called terraced dynamics

Texture more rapid changes in texture (homophony, imitative polyphony) throughout a single movement or piece of music

Harmony new emphasis on chords; orchestra mainly consists of strings and basso continuo (bass melody instrument like cello or bassoon + chord generating instrument harpsichord, organ, or lute)

Mood the same mood throughout movement; this heightened emotional state called affect (vocal music is exception; vocal music has many changes of mood, but closely follows text)

Baroque Music Genres

Vocal Music Genres– Opera– Oratorio– Cantata

Instrumental Music Genres– Chamber Music– Concerto Grosso

Opera

Sung theatrical work Staged with costumes and sets Example: HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament"

from Dido and Aeneas CD#1/69-70

Henry Purcell

HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament" from Dido and Aeneas

Aria vs. Recitative

Aria

Song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment– usually expressing an emotional state

through its outpouring of melody– found in operas, oratorios, and cantatas

Recitative

Vocal line in opera, oratorio, or cantata that imitates the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech, often serving to lead into an aria

HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament" from Dido and Aeneas

Listen for Basso continuo in Recitative

Basso Continuo (‘continuous bass’)

Baroque accompaniment made up of a bass part usually played by two instruments:– A keyboard (or other chord-making

instrument, such as a lute or organ), and– A low melodic instrument (such as cello or

a basson)

HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament" from Dido and Aeneas

Aria built on Ground bass

Ground Bass (basso ostinato)

A repeating bass line – This one has dark-sounding harmony and

is descending in pitch Variation form in which a musical idea in

the bass is repeated over and over while the melodies above it constantly change– Common in Baroque music

Dido’s Lament from Dido and Aeneas

Dido sings:

Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me,On thy bosom let me rest;More I would be death invades me;Death is now a welcome guest.

Dido’s Lament from Dido and Aeneas

When I am laid, am laid in earth, may my wrongs create

No trouble in thy breast.

Remember me! But ah! Forget my fate.

Oratorio

Like opera, but unstaged Uses a religious story Example: GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL’s Messiah– "Hallelujah" CD#2/11-16– "Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted" CD#2/10

GeorgeFridericHandel

G.F. Handel’s “Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted” from The Messiah

Listen for –Terraced dynamics–Emphasis of beat–Ornamented melody–Continuous affect–Word painting

Terraced Dynamics

Abrupt alternation between loud and soft dynamic levels

Characteristic of Baroque Music– Not found in Medieval or Renaissance Music

Affections /Affect p.95 of text

The expression of one basic mood in Baroque music

Specific rhythms or melodic patterns were associated with specific moods

Not characteristic of OPERA, but found in oratorio and cantatas

G.F. Handel’s “Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted” from The Messiah

Ev’ry valley. (text painting highlighted in blue and purple)

Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, and ev’ry mountain and hill made low,

The crooked straight, and the rough places plain.

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL’s "Hallelujah” Chorus from Messiah

Listen for –Changes in texture

• Hymn-like Homophony• Imitative Polyphony• Pedal Point

–Emphasis of beat

Cantata

Like opera, but unstaged, with religious text Performed ONLY in churches Example: J.S. BACH Cantata No. 140: Wachet

auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Sleepers Awake) Mvt. 4 [Tenor Chorale] CD#1/71-73 & Mvt. 7 [Chorale] CD#1/74-75

JohannSebastian

Bach

J.S. BACH Cantata No. 140: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Sleepers Awake)

Mvt. 4 [Tenor Chorale] – Listen for

• Ornamented melody• Continuous affect

Mvt. 7 [Chorale]– Listen for

• Hymn-like homophony • Complete and incomplete

cadences

Chamber Music

Uses a small group of musicians, with one player to a part

Meant for smaller, more intimate performance venues

Includes music for solo instruments– J.S. Bach’s Organ Fugue in G Minor “The Little”

J.S. BACH Organ Fugue in G Minor (The "Little") Fugue form (features imitative polyphony)

– Subject (Main Theme) stated in different “voices” during Exposition

– Exposition followed by alternating Episodes (non-imitative) and Subject Entries (imitative)

– Countersubject - countermelody that accompanies Subject in Exposition & Subject Entries

Picardy Third

Concerto Grosso

Ritornello form - Ritornello (a homphonic or polyphonic block of music) alternating with Episodes (contrasting melodic, softer dynamics, virtuosic scales and arpeggios)

Tutti vs. Soli groups

AntonioVivaldi

Examples of Baroque Concerto Grosso J.S. Bach

– Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major– Movement 1

Antonio Vivaldi– Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra, Op. 8, No.

1, La Primavera [Spring]– from The Four Seasons– Movement 1