Baroque Era Flashcards
Basso Continuo
Two performers:
- Playing noted bass line
- Realizing the harmonies (as indicated by the figured bass)
Equal Temperament
Method of tuning keyboards. Done by dividing all semitones within an octave equally, therefore creating harmonic equivalents.
Homophonic
Accompanying parts in the same rhythm as the melody
Polyphonic
Two or more parts, each with its own melody
Terraced Dynamics
Change of dynamics abruptly resulting in a stark contrast
The “affections”
Emotional states of the soul, one affection generally projected throughout entire composition and movement
Ospedale della Pietà
Vivaldi Worked Here
Drone
A continuous low humming sound
Ostinato
Continually repeated musical phrase or rhythm
Ripieno
Refers to the bulk of instrumental parts of a musical ensemble who do not play as soloists, especially in Baroque Music.
Ritornello Form
A recurring passage in baroque music
Bach’s birthplace
Germany
Bach’s birth and death years
1685 - 1750
Bach’s education
Greek and Latin theology
Instruments Bach played
Violin and organ
Bach’s places of employment
Arnstadt
St Thomas school
Collegium Musicum
Bach’s patrons
Duke of Weimar
Prince Leopold of Cöthen
Genres Bach cultivated
None, he perfected the baroque style
Hallmarks of Bach’s style
Influences of international styles
Virtuoso composer
Dedicated all works to the Glory of God
Anna Magdalena Wilcke
Bach’s second wife
Da Capo Aria
Very common opera/oratorio
Ternary form
In performances, section A is ornamented
French Overature
Two parts (1. Slow, homophonic, rhythmic flexibility 2. Fast, imitative style)
Orchestral
Homorhythmic texture
All voices sing the same rhythm, resulting in blocked chordal textures)
Libretto
Text of the opera (usually not written by the composer)
Melisma
A group of notes sung on a single syllable or vowel
Recitativo Accompagnato
“Accompanied recitative”
Supported by an instrumental ensemble or orchestra
Recitativo Secco
“Dry recitative”
Speech like
in opera, oratorio, cantata
Handel birthplace
Germany
Handel birth and death years
1685 - 1759
Handel’s education
Law at university of Halle
Instruments Handel played
Violin and harpsichord
Handel’s employment
Co-founded The Royal Academy of Music
Handel’s patrons
Prince Ferdinand de Medici
Prince Francesco
Maria Ruspoki
George Ludwig
Queen Anne
Earl of Burlington
Duke of Chandos
Genres Handel Cultivated
Cosmopolitan style
Hallmarks of Handel’s style
Homorhythmic
Basic elements
Dramatically theatrical
Word painting
Charles Jennens
Assembled scriptures for Handel’s Messiah
Counterpoint
Two or more melodies combined to create a single harmonic texture
Subject
Initial statement of main theme in fugue (in tonic key)
Real Answer
Exact transposition of answer
Tonal Answer
One or more intervals in the subject are adjusted to accommodate harmony
Counter Subject
Recurring counter melody
Episode
A passage in a fugue where neither subject or answer is present
Stretto
A section at the end of a fugue where successive introductions of theme follow at shorter intervals than before
Pedal point
A sustained tone, typically in bass, during which at least one foreign (e.g. Dissonant harmony) is sounded in other parts
Tierce de Picardie
Major chord at the end of the piece (written in a minor key)
