3.1 - Baroque Song Background

Question 1

Coronation of Poppea

Answer 1

genre: Italian opera
comp: Claudio Monteverdi
date: 1642
librettist: Giovanni Busenetto
plot source: Roman history

Question 2

Coronation of Poppea characters

Answer 2

Nero: castrato: Emperor of Rome
Poppea: soprano: Nero's mistress
Ottavia: mez. soprano: Nero's wife
Seneca: bass: philosopher and advisor to Nero
chorus of consuls: tenors and basses

Question 3

Coronation of Poppea composer info

Answer 3

Monteverdi composed this near end of his career
written for public opera house and intended for a wide audience
composer believed “ text is the master, music is the servant”

Question 4

Dido & Aeneas

Answer 4

genre: English opera (first great eng. opera)
comp:Henry Purcell
date: 1689
librettist: Nahum Tate
plot source: “Aenid” by poet Virgil

Question 5

Dido & Aeneas characters

Answer 5

Dido: soprano: Queen of Carthage
Aeneas: baritone: Trojan prince, founder of Rome
Belinda: soprano: Dido’s lady in waiting
Sorceress: mez soprano:
chorus of courtiers, sailors, cupids, witches
originally performed by students @ Josias Priests school for girls

Question 6

Ein Feste Burg ist unser Gott

Answer 6

genre: cantata
comp; JS Bach
date: 1715, revised 1744
based on: choral by Luther
librettist: Salomo Frank
lang: GERMAN**
structure: 8 mvmts
perf forces: SATB soloists, SATB chorus, strings, continuo, oboes (trumpets added later)

Question 7

Brandenburg Concerto No 2 in F

Answer 7

genre: concerto grosso
comp: JS Bach
date: 1721
perf forces: string orchestra, continuo, violin, oboe, recorder and trumpet
one of a set of six, 1st has 4 mvmts, rest have 3

Question 8

Water Music

Answer 8

genre: orchestral suite
comp: GF Handel
date: 1717
structure: 22 mvmts in 3 suites
perf force: strings, continuo, trumpets, horns, oboes, bassoons
originally written for outdoor performance

Question 9

Sonata in D+ L463/K430

Answer 9

genre: harpsichord sonata
comp: Domenico Scarlatti
date: early 18th cent.
perf: harpsichord
key: D+
time: 3/8
texture: mostly homophonic
structure: rounded binary