Baroque Period

Big Composers :George Frideric Handel & Johann Sesbastian Bach Other Composers: Claudio Monteverdi, Henry Purcell, Arcangelo Corelli and Antionio Vivaldi Most music forgotten until 20th century:baroque revival in 1940s

Baroque Period Three Phases: early( ),middle ( ),late ( ) Music know today mostly comes from late baroque Monteverdi ( ) early baroque composer created passion and dramatic contrast in music; laid the foundation for beginning of opera;emphasis on drama and text;melodic lines imitated the rhythm and inflection of speech

Early Baroque Composers favored homophonic texture (choral style); believe words projected more clearly by using one melody with chordal accompaniment Late baroque; return to polyphonic texture Used dissonace with new freedoms: lots of unstable chords Contrast of sounds stressed:solo singer vs. chorus;voices vs. instruments Melodic lines composed for instruments; no ins. Copying vocal parts

Middle Baroque ( ) Music spread from Italy to all over Europe Church modes gave way to major and minor scales;by 1680, basis for composition Rise of instrumental music;music written for specific instruments;string family most popular

Late Baroque ( ) Most of baroque music heard today Harmony: Dominant to tonic relationship, V-I (modern harmony) Instrumental music just as important as vocal music Lots of polyphony Focus on Late baroque

Characteristics of Baroque Music Unity of Mood: stays in one context; happy, sad;moods called affections; composers wrote music to describe affections; mostly in vocal music Rhythm; rhythmic patterns heard at beginning played throughout music; beat emphasized greatly

Characteristic: Melody Opening melody heard over and over; even when varied, style of melody remains constant;continuous development and unfolding of melody Melodic sequences constant;baroque melodies sound ornamented; not easy to sing or remember, lots of notes after short melodic introduction

Characteristic: Dynamics Constant dynamic level within section Dynamic level shift suddenly: Terraced dynamics; sometimes subtle changes (expressive purposes) Gradual changes (crescendo,decrescendo) happen, but not as prominent as terraced dynamics

Characteristic: Texture Mostly polyphonic:two or more musical lines that were interesting Imitation common; ideas in one line occurred in another Some composers did things different Bach: consistent polyphony; Handel: contrast between polyphonic and homophonic sections

Chords/Basso Continuo Chords became more important; earlier focus was melodic line. Composers began to think of chords to match the melody; sometimes wrote melody to fit harmonic structure Interest in chords brought prominence to bass; harmony centered around bass

Basso Continuo Accompaniment composed of bass part with numbers above to indicate which chords where played above bass; AKA “figured bass"; most characteristic aspect of baroque music Continuo played by at least two instruments: organ/harpsichord and low instrument Left hand bass part (low instrument);right hand, melodic line or chords Numbers specified only specified basic chord; not how chords are played. Allowed for great freedom by keyboardists. Similar to jazz/pop lead sheets

Figured Bass Advantages: emphasis of bass, use of numbers saved time for baroque composers Saved paper at a time when paper was expensive

Words and Music Very similar to renaissance music, add chromatic notes.

Baroque Orchestra Based on the string family of instruments Small by today's standards Basic orchestra: basso continuo and upper strings; use of other strings was based on the piece: recorders, flutes,oboes, trumpets, horns, trombones, etc… Trumpets and timpani added for festive music. Later orchestra has four sections

Baroque orchestra Baroque trumpet has no valves, but given high melodic lines; associated with royalty Treated like the aristocrat; in war, if captured was treated like a military officer Composers would experiment; tone color subordinate to melody, rhythm and harmony; arrange own works for different instruments, keeping the same qualities. Instruments would interchange parts or imitate each other.