Baroque Era Flashcards
What is Le Nuove Musiche?
1602 publication by Florentine composer Giulio Caccini
Exemplified emphasis on outside voices, clarity/emotional intensity of text, monody, and continuou
What is the Florentine Camerata?
Group of intellectuals, artists, composers trying to recreate performance style of ancient Greek drama
- First operas written in early 1600s in Florence, Italy
Developed Monody (musical texture consisting of vocal melody over bass line) and Continuou
Solo singer presented text with clarity, emotional intensity
Emphasis on outside voices (soprano/bass)contrasts greatly with dense polyphony
What was the first opera and who was it by?
“L’Eurdice” in 1600
By Jacopo Peri, Guilio Caccini
What was Monteverdi’s first opera and when was it performed?
“L’Orfeo”
1607
Introduced musical line into operas, monody used to move plot along in form of recitative/speech-song
Give examples of opera houses that were constructed during the Baroque era.
Haymarket Theatre in London, 1732
La Scala in Milan, 1778
Who is Claudio Moneverdi?
Wrote Coronation of Poppea
Most important composer of early Italian opera
Built on foundation of FLorentine Camerata
Spent 12 ears at court of Duke of Mantua in Northern Italy
1613 - appointed choirmaster to St. Marks Cathedral
8 books of secular madrigals, showed transition from older polyphonic style of Renaissance to monodic accompanied solo madrigal of Baroque
Introduced Bel Canto (operatic singing with purity, control, agility, precision) and Buffa (comic farcical elements) to Baroque opera
Originated Stile Concitato (agitated style), expressed hidden emotions of sould
Used dissonance and instrumental colour for dramatic expressiveness, atmosphere
Contrasts between characters emphasized with changes of key
Who was the librettist of “The Coronation of Poppea”?
Giovanni Busenello
Describe the plot of Act I of “The Coronation of Poppea”
Empero Nero wants to remove his wife (Ottavia), marry mistress (courtesan Poppea)
Nero’s advisor (Seneca) voiced opposition to idea, condemned to death for expressing opinion
Describe the plot of Act II of “The Coronation of Poppea”
Took place in Seneca’s garden
Told of his death sentence, Poppea happy since he stood in her way
Ottavia wants Poppea’s husband (Otho) to kill Poppea, dresses as woman to try to murder her, gets away
Describe Act III of “The Coronation of Poppea”
Rome
Love scenes between Nero and Poppea
Nero exiles Otho, Drusilla (lady of court), and Ottavia
Nero and Poppea married, Poppea becomes queen
What are the musical stylistic features of “The Coronation of Poppea”?
Powerful emotions expressed in recitatives, arias, choruses, passages in arioso style (between aria and recitative)
Sinfonias played by orchestra provide musical interlude between scenes, add variety especially when there is lots of recitatives
Each section has different ritornello, played by orchestra, gave singers chance to rest
Love duets show Poppea’s manipulation of Nero - forces him to change keys
Final love duet has descending ground bass ostinato
Stile concitato showed through dissonant phrases (“piu non peno”)
Describe the sinfonia of “The Coronation of Poppea”
Orchestral section
Moving bass line
Jubilant in character
Sets up love scene between Nero and Poppea
Provide musical interlude between scenes, added variet
Describe the duet between Nero and Poppea in “The Coronation of Poppea”
Poppea forces Nero to change keys
Descending ground bass ostinato
Melody lines close to each other, overlap as lovers interrupt one another
Emotional phrase “pur t’annodo” emphasized by melisma
Dissonance on phrases shows stile concitato
Who is Henry Purcell?
Wrote “Dido and Aeneas”
Career began at court of Charles II, continued through turbulent reign of James II and into time of William and Mary
Assimilated achievements of continental Europe into English music
- Dynamic instrumental style, movement toward major-minor tonality, recitative and aria of Italian opera, accentuated rhythms of the French)
Used ground bass
Where did “Dido and Aeneas” premier? Who was the librettist? What was it based on?
1689 - Mr. Josias Priest’s boarding school
Librettist - Nahum Tate
Baed on ancient Rome epic tracing adventures of hero Aeneas after fall of Troy
Describe the plot of “Dido and Aeneas”
Aeneas and men shipwrecked at Carthage (northern shore of Africa)
Aeneas falls in love with Dido (Carthaginian queen)
Mission is to reach Italy, destined to be founder of Rome
Dido burns herself to light Aeneas’ way out of harbour
What are some stylistic features of “Dido and Aeneas”?
Emphasis on choruses and dances, typical of English court masque tradition
Courtiers function as true Greek chorus, made solemn comments in unison on action
Dido’s recitative secco in final scene “Thy hand, Belinda” uses word painting
- Word “darkness”, used faster notes to decorate word and a melismatic text setting
- “death” used neumatic setting in minor key, recitative soft and somber
Lament unfolds over five-measure ground bass/ostinato, descends chromatically (symbol of grief)
‘“Laid in earth” sung in half notes, ascending, syllabic setting
Dotted rhythms prevalent
Ends with emotional chorus mourning Dido’s fate
