Baroque Period Part One

Baroque dates

1600-1750

Baroque =

drama, emotion, virtuoso, Shakespeare, Architecture is dramatic

What did inventors finance?

Opera Houses

Where and when was the first opera house established?

Venice, Italy 1637

There was a demand for what?

sheet music, instruments, lessons

Public pays for what?

tickets, subscriptions to seasons

What was the name of the second practice?

Secunda Practica

Secunda Practica is

1st practice: don't violate counterpoint rules controlled dissonance 2nd practice: Counterpoint is broken Surprise dissonance by Monteverdi

General characteristics of the Baroque: Texture

polarity between bass and melody Basso Continuo cello, bassoon, and viola da gamba played the bass line Improvised performances (toccata and prelude) Concertato Medium

Basso Continuo

figured bass

Concertato Medium

an agreement between instruments and voice

General Chacteristics of the Baroque: Tuning and Harmony

equal temperament became more common Harmony was thought of in chords Chromaticism is introduced and later explored commonly

General Characteristic: Performance Practice

ornamentation cadenzas by singers organists could change the length of pieces arias could be added or deleted from operas (could be tailored to certain singers)

Opera literally means

work in Italian

Baroque means

Misshapen pearl in Portuguese

What were used as the model for opera?

Greek tragedies

Girolamo Mei believed that Greek tragedies were

sung in full

What year was Peri's Dafne (only fragments still exist)

1598

What year was Peri's Euridice

1602

What year was Monteverdi's Orfeo

1607

What was the FIRST GREAT OPERA?

Orfeo 1607

Orfeo

composed in Mantua songs are in strophic/variation form each verse is separated by a ritornello

Why is Orfeo so important?

first great opera instruments are specified in the score

After Orfeo...

Rome becomes the center for opera development in the 1620s range of the topics expanded: saints, religious aspects, comedy Big stage effects extended finales for choral singing and dancing

What are Castrato Singers?

Men are castrated before puberty to sing female parts (so they can sing higher)

10 years later in Venice, Italy

the first public theaters are developed in 1637 libretto becomes very important (the words) main composers of venetian opera: Cesti and Cavalli The singers were in charge - "diva"

LISTENING: "Tu Sei Morta" from Orfeo (you will die)

composer: Monteverdi Date: 1607 Salient Features: Chromaticisim, polarity between bass and voice, Italian text

Ricecar becomes what?

Fugue

Ricecar is Italian for

"to seek out"

Ricecar

derives from motet: both feature points of imitation what's new in Baroque? just ONE POINT OF IMITATION, Augmentation and Stretto polyphonic

Augmentation is...

note value is longer

Stretto is...

"narrow" repeating the subject before the subject finishes

Canzona means

Italian for "song"

Canzona becomes

sonata (sounded) aka no instruments

Canzona

derived from French Chanson: both have familiar style and begins with L-S-S rhythm What's new in Baroque? sections get larger > eventually "movements" with contrasting tempos > sonata homophonic texture (predominately)

Dance music becomes

suite (aka partita)

Dance music

New in Baroque: dances are grouped in movements to form a suite; movements have contrasting tempos

Suite Plan

Improvisatory piece , allemande, courante, sarabande, gigue

Improvisatory piece -

prelude

allemande

german for dance

courante

french for run, triple meter

sarabande

slow use for court

gigue

3/8, dotted rhythm, fast

Improvisatory types

toccata and prelude

LISTENING: Toccata No. 3

1615 Frescobaldi (1583-1643) harpsichord, noodling, virtuosic (lively), showy, arpeggio, sections are short

Style Catholic Sacred Music

Concertato Medium Basso Continuo Stile antico - ancient style

Genres of C.S.M

Grand Concerto Concerto for few voices Sacred oratorio

Grand Concerto

a large work for singers and instruments (not an oratorio yet) often in 2 or more choirs usually at large churches voices and instruments are in CORI SPEZZATI

Concerto for Few voices

smaller, cheaper, easier for fewer voices and continuo derives from secular cantata more common than grand concerto Convent music meant for devotion, no public audiences (meaning women can sing)

Sacred Oratorio

a sacred drama sung throughout with recitatives, arias, ensembles, and instrumental preludes "church hall" derives from opera leading composer is Carissimi (1605-1674)

How is oratorio different than opera?

no stamina, no costumes ensembles could take on roles narrator is sung

Carissimi dates

(1605-1674)

Characteristics of Sacred oratorio

Biblical text - old testament Two Types: Oratorio Latino (Latin), Oratorio Volgare (Italian) action was not staged, instead it is narrated only solo and choral - no duets

LISTENING: Jephtha (oratorio latino) "Pirate Fulli Israel"

1648 Carissimi (1605-1674) latin text, stretto, strings

Names to know for French Opera

Cardinal Mazarin (brought opera over from Italy) Perrin - librettist Lully (1632-1687)

Lully dates

1632-1687

Lully

considered a jerk because he was a political animal instrumental composer to the Sun King Louis IV a ballet dancer

Lully's operas were called

tragedies lyriques

Characteristics of Lully's operas

lots of dancing participation of chorus more scenery less distinction of aria and recit. more instruments FRENCH OVERTURE (only instruments)

Frenh Overture had two parts

Slow - dotted rhythms Fast - polyphonic

Overdotting

dotted note performed longer than notated

Argrements

ornamentation (brief)

LISTENING Armide Overture,

Lully (1632-1687) 1686 pompous, overdotting, 2 sections

English opera is after

1660

Two popular genres

Masques and Semi-Operas

Masques

an early variety show (consisted of recitatives, songs, choruses, dances, costumes, good poetry)

Semi- Operas

a series of brief, unrelated masques drama is more important than music

English Opera composer

Henry Purcell (1659-1695) Dido and Aeneas (1689) - famous opera

LISTENING When I am Laid in Earth

1689 from Dido and Aeneas Purcell (1659-1695) no vibrato, ground bass, english text

Invention of Ground Bass

Bass doesn't change, repeats throughout the whole section