Music of the Baroque Period (1600-1750)

Baroque Historical Highlights Age of Absolutism; Kings and Queens are all-powerful Known for extreme decadence and extravagance of aristocracy (e.g. Louis XIV and his palace of Versailles) Church Splits in Two; Europe split into Catholic countries (Italy, France, Spain) and Protestant countries (England, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden)

The Palace at Versailles

The Royal Chapel, Hall of Mirrors & Royal Coach

The King’s Bedroom, Marie Antoinette’s Room, The Opera House

“Baroque” Defined Baroque means exaggerated or over-ornamented; these adjectives relate to music and visual arts Baroque period, era in the history of the Western arts roughly coinciding with the 17th century. Its earliest manifestations, which occurred in Italy, date from the latter decades of the 16th century, while in some regions, notably Germany and colonial South America, certain of its culminating achievements did not occur until the 18th century. The work that distinguishes the Baroque period is stylistically complex, even contradictory. In general, however, the desire to evoke emotional states by appealing to the senses, often in dramatic ways, underlies its manifestations. Some of the qualities most frequently associated with the Baroque are grandeur, sensuous richness, drama, vitality, movement, tension, emotional exuberance, and a tendency to blur distinctions between the various arts. A term used in the literature of the arts with both historical and critical meanings and as both an adjective and a noun. The word has a long, complex and controversial history (it possibly derived from a Portuguese word for a misshapen pearl, and until the late 19th century it was used mainly as a synonym for `absurd' or `grotesque'), but in English it is now current with three principal meanings.

Bernini, Baldacchino (altar canopy) of St Bernini, Baldacchino (altar canopy) of St. Peters 1624-33 Gilt bronze, Height approx. 100 ft.

Ecstacy of St. Teresa Bernini

Triumph of the Barberini by Pietro Da Cortona

Baroque Artistic Highlights Emphasis on DRAMA (extreme and heightened emotion) in music and visual arts Caravaggio’s paintings show this emphasis on DRAMA

Judith Beheading Holofernes Artemisia Gentilleschi - Student of Caravaggio c. 1598; Oil on canvas, 56 3/4 x 76 3/4 in; Galleria Nazionale dell'Arte Antica, Rome

CARAVAGGIO, Michelangelo Merisi da The Crucifixion of Saint Peter 1600-1601 Oil on canvas 90 1/2 x 70 in. Cerasi Chapel, Santa Maria del Popola, Rome

Baroque Musical Highlights Birth of OPERA - theatrical presentations with music and elaborate stage spectacle New focus on instrumental music and instrumental accompaniment to voices New emphasis on chords and use of BASSO CONTINUO

Baroque Music Style Characteristics Timbre new emphasis on instrumental music & instrumental accompaniment to voices Rhythm beat is emphasized; lots of forward motion Melody elaborate, ornamented, continuously expanding, long and winding Form one main theme repeated over and over Dynamics sudden changes from loud to soft and soft to loud called terraced dynamics Texture more rapid changes in texture (homophony, imitative polyphony) throughout a single movement or piece of music Harmony new emphasis on chords; orchestra mainly consists of strings and basso continuo (bass melody instrument like cello or bassoon + chord generating instrument harpsichord, organ, or lute) Mood the same mood throughout movement; this heightened emotional state called affect (vocal music is exception; vocal music has many changes of mood, but closely follows text)

Baroque Music Genres Vocal Music Genres Instrumental Music Genres Opera Oratorio Cantata Instrumental Music Genres Chamber Music Concerto Grosso

Opera Sung theatrical work Staged with costumes and sets Example: HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament" from Dido and Aeneas CD#1/69-70

Henry Purcell

HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament" from Dido and Aeneas Aria vs. Recitative

Aria Song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment usually expressing an emotional state through its outpouring of melody found in operas, oratorios, and cantatas

Recitative Vocal line in opera, oratorio, or cantata that imitates the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech, often serving to lead into an aria

Libretto Librettist Text of an opera Dramatist who writes the libretto, or text, or an opera

HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament" from Dido and Aeneas Listen for Basso continuo in Recitative

Basso Continuo (‘continuous bass’) Baroque accompaniment made up of a bass part usually played by two instruments: A keyboard (or other chord-making instrument, such as a lute or organ), and A low melodic instrument (such as cello or a basson)

HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament" from Dido and Aeneas Aria built on Ground bass

Ground Bass (basso ostinato) A repeating bass line This one has dark-sounding harmony and is descending in pitch Variation form in which a musical idea in the bass is repeated over and over while the melodies above it constantly change Common in Baroque music

Dido’s Lament from Dido and Aeneas Dido sings: Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me, On thy bosom let me rest; More I would be death invades me; Death is now a welcome guest.

Dido’s Lament from Dido and Aeneas When I am laid, am laid in earth, may my wrongs create No trouble in thy breast. Remember me! But ah! Forget my fate.

Oratorio Like opera, but unstaged Uses a religious story Example: GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL’s Messiah "Hallelujah" CD#2/11-16 "Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted" CD#2/10

George Frideric Handel

G.F. Handel’s “Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted” from The Messiah Listen for Terraced dynamics Emphasis of beat Ornamented melody Continuous affect Word painting

Terraced Dynamics Abrupt alternation between loud and soft dynamic levels Characteristic of Baroque Music Not found in Medieval or Renaissance Music

Affections /Affect p.95 of text The expression of one basic mood in Baroque music Specific rhythms or melodic patterns were associated with specific moods Not characteristic of OPERA, but found in oratorio and cantatas

G.F. Handel’s “Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted” from The Messiah (text painting highlighted in blue and purple) Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, and ev’ry mountain and hill made low, The crooked straight, and the rough places plain.

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL’s "Hallelujah” Chorus from Messiah Listen for Changes in texture Hymn-like Homophony Imitative Polyphony Pedal Point Emphasis of beat

Cantata Like opera, but unstaged, with religious text Performed ONLY in churches Examples: J.S. BACH Cantata No. 140: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Sleepers Awake) Mvt. 4 [Tenor Chorale] CD#1/71-73 & Mvt. 7 [Chorale] CD#1/74-75

Chorale Hymn tune sung to a German religious text

Johann Sebastian Bach

J.S. BACH Cantata No. 140: Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Sleepers Awake) Mvt. 7 [Chorale] Listen for Hymn-like homophony Complete and incomplete cadences Mvt. 4 [Tenor Chorale] Listen for Ornamented melody Continuous affect

Chamber Music Uses a small group of musicians, with one player to a part Meant for smaller, more intimate performance venues Includes music for solo instruments J.S. Bach’s Organ Fugue in G Minor “The Little”

Fugue Polyphonic composition based on one main theme, or subject

J.S. BACH Organ Fugue in G Minor (The "Little") Fugue form (features imitative polyphony) Subject (Main Theme) stated in different “voices” during Exposition Exposition followed by alternating Episodes (non-imitative) and Subject Entries (imitative) Countersubject - countermelody that accompanies Subject in Exposition & Subject Entries Picardy Third

Concerto Grosso Composition for several instrumental soloists and small orchestra common in late Baroque music

Concerto Grosso Ritornello form - Ritornello (a homphonic or polyphonic block of music) alternating with Episodes (contrasting melodic, softer dynamics, virtuosic scales and arpeggios) Tutti vs. Soli groups

Tutti In Italian, “all” The full orchestra, or a large group of musicians contrasted with a smaller group Often heard in Baroque music

Solo, Soli In Italian, “one” or “ones” The individual instrument or vocalist featured or a small group of individual musicianss contrasted with a larger group Often heard in Baroque music

Antonio Vivaldi

Examples of Baroque Concerto Grosso J.S. Bach Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major Movement 1 Antonio Vivaldi Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra, Op. 8, No. 1, La Primavera [Spring] from The Four Seasons

Bach Brandenburg Soli - EPISODE Tutti group - RITORNELLO Flute Violin Harpsichord Tutti group - RITORNELLO Full orchestra - string and basso continuo