Class of 1685

The Instrumental Music of Bach and Handel

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)• George Frideric Handel (1685–1759)• Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757)

Careers and Lifestyles

• Handel– 1685: born in Halle, Germany– 1703: Hamburg• worked as violinist and

harpsichordist, composer

Careers and Lifestyles

• Handel– 1685: born in Halle, Germany– 1703: Hamburg• worked as violinist and harpsichordist, composer

– 1706–1710: Florence and Rome• formative years, “Il Sassone”

Careers and Lifestyles

• Handel– 1685: born in Halle, Germany– 1703: Hamburg• worked as violinist and harpsichordist, composer

– 1706–1710: Florence and Rome• formative years, “Il Sassone”

– 1710: Hanover• music director for the Elector of Hanover

Careers and Lifestyles

• Handel– 1685: born in Halle, Germany– 1703: Hamburg

• worked as violinist and harpsichordist, composer– 1706–1710: Florence and Rome

• formative years, “Il Sassone”– 1710: Hanover

• music director for the Elector of Hanover– 1711: England

• elector of Hanover becomes King George I of England

Careers and Lifestyles

• Bach– The Bach family of musicians– 1685: born in Eisenach, Germany– 1703–1707: served as organist in

Arnstadt

Careers and Lifestyles

• Bach– 1685: born in Eisenach, Germany– 1703–1707: served as organist in Arnstadt– 1708: served as organist in Mühlhausen

Careers and Lifestyles

• Bach– 1685: born in Eisenach, Germany– 1703–1707: served as organist in Arnstadt– 1708: served as organist in Mühlhausen– 1708–1717: served as organist and concert

director in Weimar

Careers and Lifestyles

• Bach– 1685: born in Eisenach, Germany– 1703–1707: served as organist in Arnstadt– 1708: served as organist in Mühlhausen– 1708–1717: served as organist and concert

director in Weimar– 1717–1723: served as music director in Cöthen

Careers and Lifestyles

• Bach– 1723: served as music director at St. Thomas

Church in Leipzig

The Chorale Prelude

• Orgelbüchlein• Durch Adams Fall ist ganz verderbt

[Anthology 1-84]

The Fugue

• sectional toccata• “toccata and fugue;” “fantasia and fugue”• “prelude and fugue”• Bach, Fugue in G minor [Anthology 1-82]– subject– answer– countersubject– episode

The “Well-Tempered Keyboard”

• Das wohltemperirte Clavier– Book 1 (1722)– Book 2 (1738-1742)– B minor fugue [Anthology 1-83]• appoggiaturas• Seufzer “sighs, groans”

Bach’s Imported Roots

• Georg Muffat (1653–1704)– treatise on how to play in the Lullian style

Bach’s Imported Roots

• Johann Jacob Froberger (1616–1667)– Dix suittes de clavessin• French dance music• binary form

Bach’s Imported Roots

• Johann Jacob Froberger (1616–1667)– Dix suittes de clavessin• French dance music• binary form• core dances– allemande (broad quadruple meter)– gigue (6/8 meter)– courante (grave triple meter, with hemiola effects)– sarabande (majestic triple meter)

Bach’s Suites

• French Suites (Froberger model)– galanterie; galant

• French Suite No. 5, in G major [Anthology 1-85]– allemande– courante– sarabande– gavotte– bourée– loure– gigue

“Agréments” and “Doubles”:The Arts of Ornamentation

• François Couperin (1668–1733)• 14th Set of harpsichord compositions (1722)– Le Rossignol en amour [Anthology 1-86]• gigue• character piece• agréments• double

Stylistic Hybrids:The “Brandenburg” Concertos

• French dance music• Keyboard arrangements of Italian concertos• The “Brandenburg Concertos”– assembled in 1722 in Cöthen – usually scored ensembles

Stylistic Hybrids:The “Brandenburg” Concertos

• The Fifth Brandenburg Concerto in D major [Anthology 1-87]

– concertino: violin, transverse flute, written-out harpsichord part

– cembalo solo senza stromenti (the harpsichord alone without instruments)

Handel’s Instrumental Music

• 2 dozen concertos grosso• Solo organ concertos• Orchestral suites– “Handel’s Celebrated Water Musick” (1717)– “The Musick for the Royal Fireworks” (1749)