Baroque Music

Before Baroque music, there was renaissance and medieval music

Baroque music (17th Century, 1600 - 1750)

Scientific discovery - Galileo, Newton

Main composers - J.S. Bach, Vivaldi, Handel

Three periods:

• Early: opera, homophonic (chordal) texture
• Middle: instrumental music
• Late: polyphony (different parts all at once)

Unity of Mood: a piece usually expresses one mood

Rhythm: Patterns are repeated throughout, the beat is emphasized

Melody: repeated

Dynamics: Terraced dynamics (alternation between loud and soft dynamics, organ and harpsichord could not crescendo)

Basso Continuo: Common type of accompaniment, Bass line with improvised chords (cello or bassoon on bass, harpsichord or organ on harmony)

Baroque forms: Movements - a piece that sounds fairly complete and independent but is part of a larger composition

Baroque Orchestra:

• Small (10 to 40 players)
• Basso continuo and violin family strings
• Brass, woodwinds and percussion used occasionally
• Tone colour was subordinate (meaning lower rank to;) to the melody, rhythm or harmony
• String dominated orchestra

Baroque Form: Movements that sound fairly complete

Music in Baroque Society
Music written to order: demand for new music,
Main source of diversion in the courts of the aristocracy
Church musicians
Town musicians
Opera houses

Elements of Opera:

• Opera: a drama in which some or all of the lines are sung to an orchestral accompaniment
• Libretto: the test of the opera
• Librettist: the one who writes the libretto
• Overture or prelude: the orchestral introduction to an opera
• Aria: A song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment
• Recitative: A vocal line that imitates speech, accompanied by basso continuo
• Ensembles: compositions for two or more singers
• Oratorio: sacred work based on the bible

The Baroque Sonata:

• A composition in several movements for one to eight instruments (during the early baroque)
• any instrumental soloist with basso continuo 

The Concerto and Concerto Grosso:

• Concerto: piece for instrumental soloist, string orchestra, and basso continuo
• Concerto Grosso: piece for instrumental soloists, string orchestra, and basso continuo

The Concerto Grosso: Performers

• Soloists - between two and four, best paid - better players
• Tutti - string orchestra
• Ritornello form: solo, followed by everyone coming in

Fugue:

• A polyphonic composition based on one theme called a subject
• Written for three, four or five voices (labelled SATB whether sung or played)
• Subject - the melody or theme of a fugue. Subjects are staggered
• Theme - a short melody used to build a larger composition
• The answer is the subject in the dominant
• Countersubject - a different melodic idea which always appears with the subject
• Episode - transitional section
• Stretto - close imitation
• Pedal point - a single held-out tone, usually in the bass
• Drone is two notes
• Chord is 3 or more notes

Bach - Church Cantatas:

• Most of his vocal music is sacred
• No difference between sacred and secular forms
• Used operatic forms such as aria and recitative in sacred cantatas (Italian concerto, Frech suite)
• All genres except opera
• A Cantata is vocal and orchestral

Baroque Suite:

• A set of orchestral pieces
• Usually dances or preludes

Chorale - hymn tune sung to a religious text

Chorale prelude - a short composition played by the organist and based on a hymn tune

Cantata - for chorus, vocal soloists, organ and small orchestra

Cantata:

• Written for chorus, vocal soloists, organ and small orchestra
• Text from bible or familiar hymns
• Used to reinforce the sermon
• Half-hour duration
• Included choruses, recitatives, arias, and duets. (all are also found in opera)
• Bach composed about 295 cantatas

Oratorio:

• a large-scale composition for chorus, vocal soloists, and orchestra
• uses choruses, arias, duets, recitatives, and orchestral interludes (chorus acts as commentary)
• lasts approximately 2 hours
• set to a narrative text
• no acting or scenery
• most are biblical
• originally performed in prayer halls called oratorios