Baroque Era (1600 - 1750)

Question 1

Oratorio (Style)

Answer 1

Usually a story from the Bible set to music for soloists, chorus and orchestra

Oratorio emerged during the Baroque period and was pioneered by Bach and Handel. As in Opera, Oratorio typically include recitatives, arias, duets and chorus

No stage design or costumes

Question 2

Aria (N5 Style)

Answer 2

The opposite of recitative. The most important factor in Aria is the melody, rather than the words

An Aria usually conveys strong emotions that the character is feeling such as love, anger, sadness

The melody in an Aria will usually be beautiful

Question 3

Recitative (Style)

Answer 3

Almost like speaking but still in tune with the accompaniment

Usually a chord or short passage is played before the soloist tells the story

It is a good way of making the story move along quickly as lots of words can be crammed into a small space of time

Question 4

Coloratura (Timbre/Dynamics)

Answer 4

A style of singing involving scales, runs, ornaments and melisma. This results in singing which is decorative and first became popular during the Baroque period

These were often improvised by the performer

Question 5

Obbligato

Answer 5

A prominent solo instrument part in a piece of vocal music

Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n8NZF2tkgY&ab_channel=TerraNovaCollective

Question 6

Concerto Grosso - “Big Concerto” (Texture/Structure/Form)

Answer 6

Started in the Baroque period but continued in the Classical

A Concerto Grosso has 3 main elements:

• Concertino - describes the small group of soloists
• Ripieno - describes the larger ensemble group
• Basso Continuo - describes the bass line and harmony

Question 7

Ritornello (Texture/Structure/Form)

Answer 7

Ritornello is a returning theme

This is used in Rondo form - where the key theme keeps returning interspersed with different material (A, B, A, C, A, D…)

Ritornello is a key feature of the Concerto Grosso, where the Ripieno (larger ensemble) group play this recurring theme between different sections played by the Concerto (small group of soloists)

Example: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtS5kkndrS4&ab_channel=chriswrightmusic

Question 8

Passacaglia (Texture/Structure/Form)

Answer 8

Variations over a Ground Bass (A repeated pattern in the bass)