AOS1 - Baroque Music and the Coronation Anthems and Oratorios of Handel Flashcards
Common features and details of the music in the baroque period
When was baroque music composed
1600s - 1750s
What were the harmonies like in baroque music
Simple and mainly diatonic
What are terraced dynamics
Clear contrasts between loud and quiet (no crescendos or diminuendos)
Examples of Ornamentations
Trills, Passing Notes, Turns, Vibrato
What instruments did orchestras include in the baroque era and how big were they
Violins, Cello, Double Bass, Harpsichord, Bassoon (mainly string)
Orchestras were very small only containing a few instruments and string quartets were also popular
Important composers of the baroque period
Handel, Bach, Vivaldi
What was the role of the harpsichord in the orchestra
To play with a cello or another bass instrument to form the basso continuo
To look ornate
To act as a sort of ‘conductor’
What were coronation anthems written for and what instruments did they include
Important events and they were played by a large orchestra
Some of the instruments included trumpets for fanfares, an organ, oboes, bassoons, and a timpani
Examples of coronation anthems
Zadok the Priest
The King Shall Rejoice
What key are the coronation anthems in?
Mostly major, but for more solemn parts of the occasion, minor was used too
What are oratorios
Similar to operas, they include music but tell a sacred story usually from the bible
What were 3 common parts of an oratorio
Recitatives which narrate the story, arias which are very elaborate solo vocal pieces and choruses where the whole choir sings and it sums up the action
Common texture used in baroque music
Complex, Polyphonic textures
