Functional HarmonyMusic’s Underlying Structure

Due to its origins in vocal music, for centuries Western music prioritized matters of melody and counterpoint

With the increasing importance of instrumental music, and the nature of certain “harmonic” instruments, composers began to respond to the structuring qualities of harmony

Functional Harmony: Refers to the nature of certain chords to assert certain functions, so that a composition can be built out of the syntactic ordering and relationships amongst chords. Rather than simply resulting from the “correct” combination of multiple melodies, the vertical (or “harmonic”) aspect of music asserted a strong functional identity

Instrumental vs. Vocal

William Hogarth

A Chorus of Singers

Three Female Musicians

Anonymous

Giovanni Gabrieli (c. 1555-1612)

San Marco, Venice

By Pierre-Auguste Renoir

Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643)

The Baroque Dance Suite• A collection of stylized dances all in the same key• These were meant to be listened-to, but not

danced• Often initiated with a “Prelude” or an “Overture”

which have a dramatic, introductory or anticipatory quality

Some Specific Baroque Dance-Types

Dance Meter Tempo Rhythmallemande 4/4 moderate flowing motioncourante 3/2 moderate 6/4 at timessarabande 3/4 slow accents beat 2minuet 3/4 moderate straight rhythmgavotte 4/4 moderate double upbeatbourrée 2/2 rather fast short upbeatsiciliana 12/8 moderate gently rockinggigue 6/8 fast short upbeat, lively

The Baroque Concerto

• Three movements:Fast-Slow-Fast

• Opportunity for virtuosic display• Dramatic opposition between soloist(s)

and orchestra

• Ritornello Form: The typical form for fast movements:

Features regular alternation of sections for full orchestra with sections for soloist(s) with light accompaniment

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Ospedale della Pietà

More Dualisms

• Sacred/Secular

• Instrumental/Vocal

• Public/Private

A depiction of chamber music by Jules-Alexandre Grün