THE BAROQUE ERA 1600-1750 Journal Entry #8 Given what you know about the Renaissance, what new innovations and styles you do THINK are coming up in the Baroque era? How will music progress from here?

Composer Research Paper Assignments Chris Pearson – Johann Sebastian Bach Nick Caban – Louis Armstrong Bilal Aziz – Ludwig van Beethoven Claire Chandler – Frederic Chopin Andrew Drake – Scott Joplin Blake Noud – Andrew Lloyd Webber Jacob Burns – Claude Debussy Kalyn Moore – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Dominique Flyte – Felix Mendelssohn Julian Harvey – Carl Orff Emma Brown – Sergei Rachmaninoff Kieryn Beyerl – Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Phil Kosydor – Franz Schubert Aaron Brunnworth – Antonio Vivaldi Taimoor Aziz – Henry Purcell Alec Camp – Richard Wagner Sami Greytak – Leonard Bernstein Nate Novak – John Williams Ryan Kaminsky – Aaron Copland Anna Stamer – Igor Stravinsky

THE BAROQUE WORLD History Literature 1607 – Jamestown founded 1643-1715 – Louis XIV reigns in France 1692 – Salem Witch Trials, Salem, MA 1715-1774 – Louis XV reigns in France Literature 1600 – Hamlet (Shakespeare) 1605 – Don Quixote (Cervantes) 1611 – King James Bible 1667 – Paradise Lost (Milton) 1719 – Robinson Crusoe (Defoe) 1726 – Gulliver’s Travels (Swift)

THE BAROQUE WORLD, cont… Science 1610 – Galileo confirms that Earth revolves around the sun 1687 – Newton’s Principia Mathematica New approach to science based on mathematics + experiment Discovered mathematical laws governing bodies in motion New inventions, improvements of medicine, mining, navigation, industry

THE BAROQUE WORLD, cont… Art Effort to completely fill space Emphasis on motion and drama Potential of color, depth, contrasts of light and dark Artists wanted to create totally structured worlds

THE BAROQUE WORLD, cont… Judith Slaying Holofernes (1612) Artemisia Gentileshi

THE BAROQUE WORLD, cont… 1623 – Bernini: David Slaying Goliath

THE BAROQUE WORLD, cont… 1653 – Rembrandt: Aristotle with a Bust of Homer

THE BAROQUE WORLD, cont… “Age of Absolutism” Aristocracy very rich, powerful, lived in luxury (Rest of population barely survived) Splendid palaces, magnificent balls, events Absolute power – Duke of Weimar and Bach

THE BAROQUE WORLD, cont… Religious institutions also shaped style Churches used the emotional and theatrical style of the day to make worship more attractive/appealing Competing views: Europe divided into Catholic and Protestant Catholic: France, Spain, Italy, Austrian Empire Protestant: England, Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Germany

BAROQUE STYLE Baroque = “barroco” = irregularly shaped pearl, term of criticism Highly decorated, elaborately ornamented Emphasis on motion and drama

MAJOR COMPOSERS Two giants: George Frederic Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach Bach’s death: 1750 Other important composers: Monteverdi, Purcell, Corelli, Vivaldi

GENERAL BAROQUE MUSIC Divided into 3 phases Early: 1600-1640 Middle: 1640-1680 Late: 1680-1750

GENERAL BAROQUE MUSIC, cont… Music composed for texts conveying extreme emotion, text ruled music Stress on drama and text led to opera – drama sung to orchestra accompaniment Melodies imitated the rhythms/inflections of speech

GENERAL BAROQUE MUSIC, cont…

GENERAL BAROQUE MUSIC, cont… Early Baroque: Homophonic over polyphonic texture Words were clearer with one melody over chordal accompaniment Dissonance and contrasts of sounds were used to depict extreme emotions Contrasts of sound examples: one solo singer against an entire chorus Singers against instruments

GENERAL BAROQUE MUSIC, cont… Middle Baroque: New style spread from Italy all over Church modes officially gave way to major and minor scales Instrumental music important Violin family most popular

GENERAL BAROQUE MUSIC, cont… Late Baroque: Most music heard today is from late Baroque Dominant to tonic chords Instrumental as important as vocal Polyphonic texture returns

BAROQUE MUSIC (SHMRFT) Sound Unity of Mood Usually expresses one basic mood throughout (but not in vocal music) Emotional states represented – joy, grief, agitation, called affections Specific rhythm/melodic patterns became associated with specific moods

(SHMRFT) cont… Harmony Chords increasingly important Chords gave prominence to the bass, which is the foundation of a chord Basso continuo – accompaniment made up of a bass part usually played by two instruments a keyboard plus a low melodic instrument like cello or bassoon

Harmony, cont… Basso continuo played in left hand, while right hand creates chords based on numbers written in the music, called figured bass Example: pg. 129

(SHMRFT) cont… Filling in chords according to figured bass is called realization Figured bass only specifies basic chords Performer has great freedom Also saved time for busy Baroque composers Also saved paper, which was very expensive

(SHMRFT) cont… Figured bass is the shorthand system that leads to song lead sheets and jazz improvisation of today

(SHMRFT) cont… Rhythm Patterns repeat throughout piece Created forward momentum Forward motion rarely interrupted Beat emphasized more than Renaissance

(SHMRFT) cont… Melody Repeated throughout piece, melodies heard again and again throughout Character of the melody remains constant Continuous expanding, unfolding, and unwinding of melody Sequences used Ornamentation Hard to sing and remember

LISTENING FOR ORNMENTATION Sonata da chiesa, Op. 5, No. 1 Arcangelo Corelli Also listen for harpsichord

(SHMRFT) cont… Dynamics Volume level stays constant for long time Terraced dynamics – sudden shifts in dynamics Organ, harpsichord, clavichord: narrow dynamic changes Organ and harpsichord – incapable of gradual dynamic changes Clavichord – very small piano-like instrument Capable of gradual dynamic changes, but only within small range (ppp-mp)

LISTENING FOR TERRACED DYNAMICS Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah George Frederic Handel Listen for trumpet and timpani

(SHMRFT) cont… Texture Early Baroque: homophonic Late Baroque: usually polyphonic Soprano and Bass: most important Imitation Some vocal pieces may switch texture for change of mood

SHMRFT, cont… Texture, cont… Music depicts specific meanings (word painting) “heaven” – high, “hell” – low, “grief” – descending chromatic scale Words emphasized by writing many rapid notes for a single syllable of text - mellismas Technique also demonstrated singer’s virtuosity

LISTENING TO MELLISMAS Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted from Messiah George Frederic Handel

THE BAROQUE ORCHESTRA 10-40 players Based on instruments of violin family Main parts Basso continuo – harpsichord & cello or bass & bassoon Upper strings – 1st and 2nd violins & violas

Use of woodwind, brass, percussion varied Other instruments could be added – recorder, flute, oboe, trumpet, horns, trombone, timpani Trumpet & timpani joined in for festive music

LISTENING FOR FESTIVE TRUMPET Gloria from Gloria in D Major Antonio Vivaldi

Different than modern orchestra: Trumpet was different, no valves 4 groups of instruments Trumpet was different, no valves Difficult to play, associated with royalty Trumpeters were the top of the orchestra ladder Treated like military officers

BAROQUE FORMS movement – a piece that sounds fairly complete and independent but is part of a larger composition each movement: has its own themes comes to a definite end is separated from the next movement by a brief pause

Always contrast between bodies of sound Examples: 3-Part: ABA 2-Part: AB Through-composed Always contrast between bodies of sound Examples: alteration between small and large groups of instruments Voices and instruments

VOCABULARY Galileo Newton Baroque Ornamentation Opera Affections Basso continuo Figured Bass Realization Terraced dynamics Sequences Clavichord Orchestra

GROUP PRESENTATIONS Isaac Newton Baroque Dance Famous Baroque Operas Alec Camp Dominique Flyte Chris Pearson Aaron Brunnworth Claire Chandler Nate Novak Taimoor Aziz Emma Brown Ryan Kaminsky Nick Caban Julian Harvey Blake Noud Galileo Baroque Royal Courts Bilal Aziz Phil Kosydor Jacob Burns Kalyn Moore Kieryn Beyerl Andrew Drake Anna Stamer Sami Greytak