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Baroque Music
1600 - 1750
Characteristics
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Unity of mood
Continuity of Rhythm
Continuity of melody
Terraced dynamics
Polyphonic and homophonic textures
Basso Continuo
Word painting
Characteristics
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Unity of Mood: What is happy will be happy throughout and what is sad continues to
the end. Composers molded the musical language to fit moods and affections.
Rhythm: Unity of mood in baroque is conveyed by the continuity of rhythm.
Rhythmic patterns heard at the beginning of the piece are reiterated many times
throughout the piece. This relentless drive compelled the music to push forward.
Melody: Baroque music creates a feeling of continuity. An opening melody will be
heard over and over again in the course of the piece. Many baroque melodies are
complex and elaborate. They are not easy to sing or play.
Terraced Dynamics: The dynamics of the piece stay constant for some period of time
before it shifts to another level. Gradual dynamic changes such as crescendos and
decrescendos are unheard of . The harpsichord, which was the principal keyboard
instrument of the period, was incapable of gradations of volume. The harpsichord can
be played either loud or soft, but not in between.
Texture: Late baroque music was predominantly polyphonic or homophonic in
texture.
Basso continuo and figure bass: It is common to see figured bass, little numbers at
the bottom of the stave to indicate the chords that must be played. The basso continuo
consists of the cello and an instrument that can play chords (usually the lute or
harpsichord).
Word Painting: Writing music that reflects the text.
Tonality: Major & minor tonality evolved.
Characteristics
In Baroque music
Ornaments in take on a different meaning. Most ornaments occur on the beat, and use
diatonic intervals more exclusively than ornaments in later periods do. While any table of
ornaments must give a strict presentation, consideration has to be given to the tempo and
note length, since at rapid tempos it would be difficult or impossible to play all of the notes
that are usually required. One realization of some common Baroque ornaments is set in the
following table from the Klavierbüchlein für Wilhelm Friedemann Bach written by J.S.
Bach:
The Baroque Orchestra
• Consists primarily of violins, violas, and the
basso continuo (harpsichord + bass inst.)
• Woodwinds brass and percussion are
optional
Baroque Forms
• Instrumental music frequently made up of
movements
• Movement: —a piece complete in itself
—also part of a larger whole
• Performed with pause between movements
• Unity of mood within individual movements
• Movements often contrast with each other
• Ground bass: a repeated musical idea used as
the basis of a composition
• Common basic forms:
• Ternary
•ABA
• Binary
•AB
•AA B
•AB B
•AA B B
Baroque Composers
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Johann Sebastian Bach
Claudio Monteverdi
Henry Purcell
Antonio Vivaldi
George Fridirich Handel
Johann Sebastian Bach
• German,Lutheran master of the keyboard
• Came from a long line of
musicians/composers
• Most prestigious post: court conductor for
the Prince of Cothen (first position in which
he was not involved in church or organ
music
J.S. Bach cont.
• Director of St Thomas Church in Leipzig
for 27 years
• Very religious man (J.J. and S.D.G.)
• 2 wives- 20 children
• Two important keyboard collections: The
Well Tempered Clavier and the Notebook
of Anna Magdalena
Types of Compositions
• Concerto Grosso: A multi-movement
instrumental composition for a small group
of soloists and orchestra.
• Usually 3 movements
– Fast
– Slow (usually quieter)
– Fast (sometimes dance-like)
• The two groups alternate in ritornello form
The Concerto Grosso
and Ritornello Form
• Ritornello
• Frequently used in 1st & last movements
of concerto grosso
• Theme repeatedly presented by the
orchestra (tutti) in fragments
• Contrast between solo sections and tutti
Brandenburg Concerto #5,
Allegro
• Solo group: flute violin and harpsichord
• 3 movements: fast-slow-fast
• Allegro movement opens with the ritornello
theme. Notice the contrast in dynamics,
texture and timbre
• The last section has an impressive
harpsichord solo
Baroque Forms cont.
• Fugue: a polyphonic composition based on
one main theme, called a subject. The
texture usually includes three, four or five
voices and includes a counter subject and
episodes - The fugue is often introduced by
a short piece called a prelude
– Example: J.S. Bach’s Little Fugue in G Minor
The fugue begins with the exposition of its subject
sounding in one of the voices alone in the tonic key.
After the statement of the subject, a second voice enters
with the subject transposed to the dominant, which is
known as the answer. Sometimes the answer is the tonic
or subdominant; to avoid disturbing the sense of key, it
may also have to be altered slightly.
When the answer is an exact transposition of the subject to
the dominant, it is classified as a real answer; if it has to be
altered in any way it is a tonal answer.
Main Sections
Exposition
Development
Coda
Baroque Forms cont.
• The Baroque Suite: a collection of stylized
dances written for listening rather than for
dancing
– The French Overture and the air are the only
two movements of the suite that are not dances
– Example: J.S. Bach’s Suite No. 3 in D Major
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Ouverture
Air
Gavotte I/II
Bourrée
Gigue
Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme
Cantata No. 140
Johann Sebastian Bach
• Cantata: multi mvt. Composition for chorus,
vocal soloists and instrumental ensemble
based on a chorale
• Chorale: hymn tune with one note per
syllable, religious text
• Chorale prelude: Short composition for
organ, based on a chorale and used as a
memory jogger
Wachet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme
J. S. Bach
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BWV 140 is a chorale cantata
Its primary melody and text are drawn from a Lutheran chorale, Wachet auf,
ruft uns die Stimme.
First movement is a chorale fantasia based on the first verse of the chorale,
Second movement is a recitative for tenor that precedes the third movement,
Third movement is a duet for soprano and bass with obbligato violin. In the
duet, the soprano represents the soul and the bass represents Jesus.
The fourth movement, based on the second verse of the chorale, is written in a
trio sonata-like texture for the tenors of the chorus, oboe da caccia, and
continuo.
The fifth movement is a recitative for bass, preceding the sixth movement,
The sixth movement is another duet for soprano and bass with obbligato oboe.
This duet, like the third movement, is a love duet between the soprano soul
and the bass Jesus.
The final movement, as with many of Bach's cantatas, is based on the final
verse of the chorale and is a four-part harmonization of the chorale melody.
Sonata and Trio Sonata
J.S. Bach
• Solo Sonata: multi movement work for
soloist plus basso continuo
• Trio sonata: multi movement work for two
solo instruments plus basso continuo (4
musicians)
Antonio Vivaldi
1678-1741
• Italian violinist-composer
• AKA : “The Red Priest” (red hair and was a
priest for one year)
• Most of his career he was composer,
conductor and teacher at an all girls school
• Composed operas and church music but is
best known for his concerti grossi and solo
concertos
La Primavera from The Four Seasons
Antonio Vivaldi
• Composition is a solo concerto
• Program music: instrumental music
associated with a story, poem, idea or scene
• Read sonnet
• Listen for ritornello, terraced dynamics,
tremolo, glissando and trills
La Primavera - Spring
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Allegro
Springtime is upon us.
The birds celebrate her return with festive song,
and murmuring streams are softly caressed by the breezes.
Thunderstorms, those heralds of Spring, roar, casting their dark mantle over
heaven,
Then they die away to silence, and the birds take up their charming songs once
more.
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Largo
On the flower-strewn meadow, with leafy branches rustling overhead, the
goat-herd sleeps, his faithful dog beside him.
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Allegro
Led by the festive sound of rustic bagpipes, nymphs and shepherds lightly
dance beneah the brilliant canopy of spring.
Claudio Monteverdi
1567-1643
• Italian (Cremona) violist, singer composer
• “the last great madrigalist and the first great
opera composer” bridging the Renaissance
and the Baroque eras
• Mostly wrote vocal music with instrumental
accompaniment
Orfeo
Claudio Monteverdi
• His 1st opera
• Composed for the Mantuan court with a
healthy budget; soloists, chorus, dancers
and a 40 piece orchestra
• Incorporates recitative and aria
• Recitative: Sung speech without meter
• Aria: Song for solo plus accompaniment
(soliloquy)
Tu Se Morta
from Monteverdi’s, Orfeo
• Sung by Orfeo after he hears of Eurydice’s
death
• Accompanied by basso continuo: organ and
bass lute
• Homophonic, no meter or beat, no apparent
structure
• An example of recitative
Tu Se' Morta
Claudio Monteverdi
This recitative is from Claudio Monteverdi's opera Orfeo.
It is an important for several reasons:
• Orfeo is considered by many to be the first great Italian opera. It dates from
the early 1600s and is one of the works used to mark the beginning of the
Baroque era. It builds on the ideas of the earlier Florentine Camarata
concerning the use of the recitative, and the homophonic texture in preference
to polyphony.
• This selection is an example of the recitative form.
– The singing style is simple and designed to provide the singer with a
vehicle for a dramatic delivery of the text rather than just a chance to show
off his beautiful voice. This is the opposite of the aria, in which the
beautiful melodic contour takes precedence over the text.
– In the recitative there is usually one syllable or word per note with very
little melodic embellishment.
– Note the simple, chordal accompaniment
• Several striking examples of word painting occur in this recitative.
– The words "abysses," "death," and "farewell" are sung on low notes.
– The words "stars," "sky," and "sun" are sung on high notes.
Tu se' morta, se morta, mia vita
You are dead, you are dead, my dearest,
ed io respiro, tu se' da me partita,
And I breathe, you have left me,
se' da me partita per mai più,
You have left me forevermore,
mai più non tornare, ed io rimango-
Never to return, and I remain-
no, no, che se i versi alcuna cosa ponno,
No, no, if my verses have any power,
n'andrò sicuro a' più profondi abissi,
I will go confidently to the deepest
abysses,
e, intenerito il cor del re de l'ombre,
And, having melted the heart of the king of
shadows,
meco trarotti a riverder le stelle,
Will bring you back to me to see the stars
again,
o se ciò negherammi empio destino,
Or, if pitiless fate denies me this,
rimarrò teco in compagnia di morte.
Addio terra, addio cielo, e sole, addio
I will remain with you in the company of
death.
Farewell earth, farewell sky, and sun,
farewell.
Henry Purcell
1659-1695
• Known as the greatest of English composers
• Appointed organist of Westminster Abbey
and later organist of the Chapel Royal
• Wrote church music, secular choral music,
instrumental chamber music, songs and
theater music.
• Greatest hit: Dido and Aeneas
Dido’s Lament
from Purcell’s Dido and Aeneas
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An example of recitative aria and chorus
Written for girls boarding school
No virtuosos singers or musicians needed
Written in English
Basis for aria is ground bass
George Frideric Handel
1685-1759
• Master of Italian opera and the English
oratorio
• Oratorio: large composition for chorus,
vocal soloists, and orchestra. Religious text
(usually Biblical) that is narrative. It’s like
opera without costumes and sets. It contains
choruses, duets, arias, recitatives and
orchestral interludes
Handel (cont.)
• Not from a musical family but began
musical training at age 9
• Age 18: he traveled to Hamburg where he
became a violinist and harpsichordist in an
opera house
• Age 20: produced his first opera
• Age 21:Went to Italy and wrote operas
Handel (cont.)
• Returned to Germany in 1710, landed an
impressive position and asked for leave to
go to England
• In England, he became Queen Anne’s
favorite composer and popularized the
oratorio
The Messiah
George Frideric Handel
• Oratorio is 2 1/2 hours long, composed in
24 days
• Written in 3 parts: Part I: the prophecy and
Christ’s birth, Part II. Redemption by
sacrifice, mankind’s defeat when trying to
oppose God, and Part III: faith in eternal life
after death
Every Valley Shall Be Exalted
Aria for tenor, strings and basso continuo
• Describes the creation of a desert highway
on which God will lead his people back to
their homeland
• Examples of text painting: exalted, every
mountain and hill made low, the crooked
straight and the rough places plain
Hallelujah Chorus
• Contrast of three textures used to reflect
text: monophonic- for the Lord God
Omnipotent reigneth, polyphonicHallelujahs set against for the Lord God
omnipotent reigneth reflects joy and
homophonic: hymn like the kingdom of this
world