About us
Add page
Leaderboard
Login
No account yet?
Create Account.
Forgot password?
Baroque Era
View
Edit
Definitions
Flashcards
Hide Questions
Baroque Era 1600s-1750
Background
Began late 16th century, ended with the death of Bach in 1750
Sacred and secular music =
equal importance
New opera performed for the public while concerts and opera were given in royal courts
Music was
not
just functional anymore---could just listen to music to listen to music, enjoy it!!!
Polyphony gave way to homophonic writing
Major and minor scales began to replace church modes
Chords, which had only really occurred by accident in the Renaissance era, became more deliberately
Strong use of improvisation and embellishments in melodies
Instrumentation
More independent lines in choral works
Instrumental music became more important, and composers began to write for specific instruments (rather than just having whoever was there)
Orchestra was not standardized but usually had flutes, oboes, bassoons, and keyboard instruments plus strings
Harpsichord
was the most prominent instrument---"if you hear a harpsichord, it's probably Baroque." About 9/10, they used it so often in this era.
Viola da gamba
Viola d'amore
Bach "brilliant" trumpets
Melody
Melodies are flowing, sometimes very ornamental, over chordal accompaniment
Frequent melisma
Emotion-charged words ("death" and "cross") are frequently word-painted by chromatic contour and dissonance in the accompaniment
Melodic subjects usually evolved via repetitions and modification of a motif
Texture
Usually homophonic---although late works have a full harmony created by contrapuntal lines passing through chords
Contrapuntal
---one line ascending, one descending
Basso continuo or figured bass is also used
Basso continuo
---performer is given a bassline, and little numbers designate what the chord is.
Recitative---talk singing, rhythm of natural speech but it is vocal. Popular in opera, where they were supposed to be talking
Counterpoint
---melodic material that is added above or below an existing melody to fit together like
Structure and Forms
Wanted to sustain one mood and one subject throughout a work
Some Renaissance forms, such as the passion, fantasia, and toccata are further developed
New forms: opera, oratorio, cantata, chorale prelude, trio sonata, concerto grosso, and overture. All stemmed from earlier forms
"Aria da capo"---ternary form with only two contrasting sections, the second has a "da capo" at the end that tells you to go to the top
Aria---a solo vocal piece with instrumental accompaniment
"Italian overture"---three sections, fast-slow-fast
Fugue---polyphonic composition
Musical dramas:
Opera---secular, fully staged with sets, casts, etc.
Oratorio---
li
ke
Opera. Based on religious works. NO sets, casts, etc.
Cantatas---smaller-scale. Started secular (though now they are often religiously-affiliated) with only a solo voice and a basso continuo instrument. Performed at private social events.
Sonata---a work in several movements, for one or more instruments (usually violins) and a basso continuo.
Concerto---One instrumental soloist and an orchestra
Concerto grosso---small group of soloists with a larger ensemble (fell out of fashion following this period).
Composers
Jean Baptiste Lully
Founder of French Opera
Italian, but lived in France
Introduced more dance types---minuet, bourree
Alessandro Scarlatti
Italian
Founded Neapolitan Opera (dominant for nearly a century)
Increased importance of strings, decreased importance of harpsichord
Antonio Vivaldi
Italian
Established the three-movement fast-slow-fast form with the solo concerto
Many elaborate virtuoso passages with lots of wide melodic leaps, expansion of violin technique
Johann Sebastian Bach
German
Wrote for almost all Baroque forms except opera (which is weird)
Lots of sacred compositions
Relatively high degree of dissonance
Wrote the
Well-Tempered Clavier,
which was exercises in every key for keyboard players
Lots of his works influenced how we think about harmony today.
Editors
allisonmustync - 577 words.
View count: 1781