MEP Baroque

Baroque Concerto - Concerto grosso ​ is a small group of soloists pitted against a larger group of players called the ​ tutti - The tutti consists mainly of string instruments, with a harpsichord as part of the basso continuo - A concerto grosso consists of several movements that contrast in tempo and character - The first and last movements are often in ​ ritornello form ​ , which is based on alternation between tutti and solo sections - In ritornello form, the tutti opens with a theme called the ​ ritornello ​ and this theme, always played by the tutti, returns in different keys throughout the movement Examples: - Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major by Johann Sebastian Bach Baroque Opera - Opera ​ is a drama that is sung to orchestra accompaniment - The ​ libretto ​ , or text, of the opera is usually written by the ​ librettist ​ , or dramatist, and set to music by the composer - An ​ aria ​ is an outpouring of melody that expresses an emotional state - An aria in A B A form is called a ​ da capo aria - In a ​ recitative ​ , words are sung quickly and clearly, often on repeated tones - Recitative carries the action forward and presents routine information quickly - Recitative was sung by a soloist with only a simple chordal accompaniment - Secco recitatives ​ are recitatives usually accompanied only by a basso continuo - At emotional high points and moments of tension, however, they might be supported by the orchestra, which is called ​ accompanied recitative - An opera ​ chorus ​ generates atmosphere and makes comments on the action - An opera has the same instruments as a full symphony orchestra, but usually it has a smaller string section - Most operas open with a purely orchestral composition called an ​ overture ​ or a ​ prelude - The overture is a short musical statement that involves the audience in the overall dramatic mood Ground Bass - A musical idea in the bass that is repeated over and over while the melodies above it change Examples: - Orfeo (1608) by Claudio Monteverdi, an Italian composer - Dido and Aeneas (1689) by Henry Purcell, an English composer - Operas in Italian Style by George Frideric Handel

Baroque Fugue - The fugue can be written for a group of instruments or voices, or for a single instrument like an organ or harpsichord - A fugue is a polyphonic composition based on one main theme, called a ​ subject - Throughout a fugue, different melodic lines, called voices, imitate the subject - After its first presentation, the subject is imitated in turn by all the remaining voices - The subject in one voice is constantly accompanied in another voice but a different melodic idea called a ​ countersubject - Episodes ​ offer either new material or fragments of the subject or countersubject - Episodes lend variety to the fugue and make reappearances of the subject sound fresh - A ​ stretto ​ is when a subject is imitated before it is completed - Pedal point ​ is when a single tone, usually in the bass, is held while the other voices produce a series of changing harmonies against it - Fugues usually convey a single mood and a sense of continuous flow - Very often an independent fugue is introduced by a short piece called a ​ prelude Tierce de Picardie - Minor piece ending in major chord Examples: - Organ Fugue in G Minor (Little Fugue; about 1709) by Johann Sebastian Bach Baroque Cantata - Cantata originally meant a piece that was sung, as distinct from a sonata, which was played - Cantata was usually written for chorus, vocal soloists, organ, and a small orchestra Examples: - Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Awake, a Voice Is Calling Us; 1731) by Johann Sebastian Bach Baroque Oratorio - An oratorio is a large-scale composition for chorus, vocal soloists, and orchestra - Oratorio differs from opera in that it has no acting, scenery, or costumes - An oratorio contains a succession of choruses, arias, duets, recitatives, and orchestral interludes - Oratorios are longer than cantatas and have more of a story line Examples: - Comfort Ye, My People by George Frideric Handel Baroque Sonata

- A ​ sonata ​ is a composition in several movements for one to eight instruments - Composers often wrote ​ trio sonatas ​ , so-called because they had three melodic lines: two high lines and a basso continuo - The sonata da chiesa (church sonata) had a dignified character and was suitable for sacred performances - The sonata da camera (chamber sonata) was more dancelike and was intended for performance at court Examples: - Trio Sonata in A Minor, Op. 3, No. 10 (1689) by Arcangelo Corelli - La Primavera, from The Four Seasons (1725) by Antonio Vivaldi Baroque Suite - Baroque composers often wrote ​ suites ​ , which are sets of dance-inspired movements - A baroque suite is made up of movements that are all written in the same key but differ in tempo, meter, and character - The movements of a suite are usually in two-part form with each section repeated (A A B B) - The A section, which opens in the tonic key and modulates to the dominant, is balanced by the B section, which begins in the dominant and returns to the tonic key - Both sections use the same thematic material, and so they contrast relatively little except in key - One common opening is the ​ French overture - Usually written in two parts, the French overture first presents a slow section with dotted rhythms that is full of dignity and grandeur while the second section is quick and lighter in mood, often beginning like a fugue Examples: - Suite No. 3 in D Major (1729-1731) by Johann Sebastian Bach Dance Origin Meter Tempo Character Allemande Germany Quadruple Moderate Steady Courante France / Italy Triple Fast Lively Sarabande Spain Triple Slow Solemn Gigue England / Ireland Compound Fast Lively Characteristics of Baroque Music

Unity of Mood: - One basic mood - Begins joyfully and will remain joyful throughout - Moods were called ​ affections - Specific rhythms or melodic patterns were associated with specific moods - In vocal music, one mood is maintained at some length before it yields to another Rhythm: - Unity of mood is conveyed by continuity of rhythm - Rhythmic patterns are repeated throughout a piece - This rhythmic continuity provides a compelling drive and energy Melody: - Baroque melody creates a feeling of continuity - An opening melody will be heard again and again - Its character tends to remain constant - There is a continuous expanding, unfolding, and unwinding of melody - A musical idea is repeated at higher or lower pitches - Elaborate and ornamental - Gives an impression of dynamic expansion rather than of balance or symmetry Dynamics: - The level of volume tends to stay fairly constant for a stretch of time - When the dynamics do shift, the shift is sudden - The alternation between loud and soft is called ​ terraced dynamics - Organ and harpsichord were well suited for continuity of dynamics - The ​ clavichord ​ could make gradual dynamic changes, but only within a narrow range Texture: - Predominantly polyphonic in texture - Two or more melodic lines - The soprano and bass lines are the most important - Imitation between the various lines is very common - Changes of mood in the words demand musical contrast in vocal music Chords and the Basso Continuo: - Chords became increasingly important during the baroque period - The interest of chords gave new prominence to the bass part, which served as the foundation of the harmony - It resulted in the most characteristic feature of baroque music, an accompaniment called the ​ basso continuo - Basso continuo is usually played by a keyboard i