Baroque- opera Flashcards
The Florentine Camerata, conducted research that led to the earliest experiments with opera. Among the more famous members of the Camerata was Vincenzo Galilei, who was both a composer and a theorist.
Beginning in the 1570s, the Camerata met to discuss topics such as music and poetry, and the drama of ancient Greece.
Vincenzo Galilei was actually the father of the famous astronomer Galileo Galilei.
Who was Giulio Caccini?
A member of the Camerata, a singer and composer, and one of the earliest practitioners, if not the inventor, of recitative.
What is Le nuove musiche?
A work by Giulio Caccini published in 1602. An important collection of monodic arias and madrigals for voice and continuo. In addition to vocal pieces, Le nuove musiche contains instructions for the most effective ways of ornamenting a melody.
Italian for “work”
drama that is sung
combines vocal and instrumental music with drama (staging and acting), visual arts (costumes and scenery), and often dance
components include recitatives, arias, ensembles, and choruses
originated in Italy around 1600 and remains one of the most popular forms of musical entertainment
Opera
Italian for “work”
drama that is sung
combines vocal and instrumental music with drama (staging and acting), visual arts (costumes and scenery), and often dance
components include recitatives, arias, ensembles, and choruses
originated in Italy around 1600 and remains one of the most popular forms of musical entertainment
Opera seria
Italian for “air”
a solo song with accompaniment, heard in an opera, oratorio, and cantata
highly emotional and often virtuosic
may have lyrical or dramatic qualities; often serves to reveal the character’s feelings and emotions
aria
an aria (solo song) employing a ternary (ABA) structure the most common type of aria in Baroque opera and oratorio in performance, the return of Section A is generally ornamented
da capo aria
a Baroque compositional device
consists of the continuous repetition of a short melody over which free variations occur
often provided the basic structure of a Baroque aria
ground bass
a vocal ensemble, large or small, usually consisting of several voice types
adds musical variety to the operatic works of many composers
singers may be participants in the plot (group or crowd scenes) or may be set apart from the staging, serving to comment or reflect on the action, much like a narrator
chorus
literally “one song”
a new style that developed in the late 16th century
led to the development of recitative
a single vocal melody with simple instrumental accompaniment
allowed for greater expression of emotion and clarity of text than the complex polyphonic textures of earlier madrigals and motets
monody
Italian for “representational style”
the term used by Florentine Camerata musicians to describe the monodic style
a recitative-like melody moving freely over a foundation of simple chords
the music was meant to heighten the emotional power of the text
can refer to recitative or simply to an emotional presentation of the text
stile rappresentativo
a speech-like, declamatory style of singing used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas
follows inflections of the text, resulting in rhythmic flexibility
usually used for dialogue and to advance the plot
recitative
Italian for “dry recitative”
a speech-like, declamatory style of singing
supported only by basso continuo
employed in opera, oratorio, and cantata
became a prominent practice in the 17th century
recitativo secco
Italian for “recitative with accompaniment”
melodic recitative style with orchestral accompaniment
a more dramatic style than in recitativo secco
became prominent in 18th-century opera
recitativo accompagnato
the text of an opera, oratorio, or cantata
usually written by someone other than the composer
often based on a play, novel, or episode in history
liberetto
the author of the libretto is called the librettist
a male soprano or alto voice-type
a castrato voice was created by a surgical procedure before puberty that prevented the male voice from changing
castrati were often cast in heroic roles in 17th and 18th Italian operas
castrato
What is the plot of L’ORFEO?
The myth about Orpheus and Euridice
What was the original voice type and description of the What was the original voice type and description of the character Orfeo in L’orfeo?
tenor
a shepherd blessed with a beautiful singing voice
What was the original voice type and description of the character Euridice in L’orfeo?
castrato
a shepherdess, the young wife of Orfeo
What was the original voice type and description of the Messenger in L’orfeo?
castrato
the bearer of tragic news
What was the original voice type and description of the character Caronte in L’orfeo?
bass
gatekeeper of Hades (the spirit world)
What is the structure of L’Orfeo?
It includes a prologue and five acts. We will focus on two musical highlights from Act 2. They are Orfeo’s recitative, “Tu se’ morta,” and the chorus, “Ahi, caso acerbo,” which echoes Orfeo’s sorrow.
What is happening in “Tu se’ morta”?
Orfeo has learned that Euridice is dead, and resolves to bring her back from the underworld
What musical characteristics are exemplified in this recitative?
recitativo secco.
homophony
Who wrote L’orfeo?
Montiverdi
Who wrote Dido and Aeneas?
Henry Purcell
What is the plot of Dido and Aeneas?
From the Aeneid.
What was the original voice type and description of the character Dido in Dido and Aeneas?
soprano
Queen of Carthage
What was the original voice type and description of the character Aeneas in Dido and Aeneas?
baritone
Trojan prince, founder of Rome
What was the original voice type and description of the character Belinda in Dido and Aeneas?
soprano
Dido’s handmaid
What was the original voice type and description of the Sorceress in Dido and Aeneas?
mezzo-soprano
Antagonist who plots the destruction of Carthage and the queen
What is the structure of Dido and Aeneas?
three acts
We will focus on the opera’s final scene, which includes the now-famous aria known as “Dido’s Lament.” We will consider the recitative “Thy hand, Belinda” and aria “When I Am Laid in Earth,” that the queen sings as she contemplates her death, and the chorus “With Drooping Wings” that mourns her tragic fate.
What are some of the characteristic features of “Thy hand, Belinda”?
The descending vocal line symbolizes death and grief.
The setting includes a melisma on the word “darkness” and chromaticism on the word “death.”
What are the surrounding circumstances of When I am Laid in Earth? (ARIA) FROM “DIDO’S LAMENT”
With Aeneas gone, Dido embraces her impending death, and asks Belinda to remember her but to forget her fate. Purcell’s G minor, triple-meter setting underscores the sombre mood of Dido’s final thoughts.
What characterizes Purcell’s musical setting?
solo vocal line that soars above the continuo and string accompaniment.
solo vocal line whose phrase structure that does not always coincide with the ground bass pattern
What happens in “with drooping wings”?
A chorus of cupids gathers to mourn Dido’s tragic fate.
Who was the liberettist for Dido and Aeneas?
Nahum Tate
Giulio Cesare in Egitto is an opera seria based on…
the lives of the Roman general Julius Caesar and the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra.
Who wrote “Giulio Cesare in Egitto”?
George Fredric Handel
What was the original voice type and description of the character Ceasar in “Giulio Cesare in Egitto”?
alto castrato
Roman emperor and general
What was the original voice type and description of the character Cleopatra in “Giulio Cesare in Egitto”?
soprano
Queen of Egypt
What is the structure of “Giulio Cesare in Egitto” and who was the liberettist?
This opera, based on a libretto by Nicola Francesco Haym, includes three acts. The opening scene of Act II is set in Cleopatra’s palace. We will focus on Cleopatra’s Act II aria, in which the queen disguises herself as a servant and aims to seduce Caesar.
What is happening in “V’Adoro Pupille”?
Cleopatra disguises herself as a servant and aims to seduce Caesar in order to secure her crown.
The notes C-A-G-A form a motive that is then imitated as…
D-B-A-B. This process occurs 4 times in all. This technique can be considered a type of fortspinnung.
What is the purpose of Caesar’s brief interjection?
to let the audience know that Cleopatra is succeeding
What was Monteverdi’s motto?
“The text is the master; the music is the servant.”
Claudio Monteverdi…
A. served as music director for the Duke of Mantua
B. served as capell maister for the Duke of Mantua
C. served as a priest at the Church of St. Francis
D. served as a Mc Donald’s drive thru attendant
E. served as Maestro di capella at Basilica of San Marco in Venice
F. served as music director at the Basilica of San Marco
A. served as music director for the Duke of Mantua
E. served as Maestro di capella at Basilica of San Marco in Venice
Claudio Monteverdi's notable genres are... A. Motet B. Madrigal C. Chanson D. Opera E. Sacred Vocal
A. Motet
D. Opera
E. Sacred Vocal
Claudio Monteverdi embraced elements of ______ style such as ______________________ and _____ while still maintaining respect for the traditions of Renaissance polyphony
Baroque;
figured bass, major-minor tonality, stile rappresentativo (monody), and “doctrine of the affections”
Claudio Monteverdi’s later works display a…
more highly developed, mid-century Baroque style
Claudio Monteverdi contributed to the development of: A. Chanson B. Dance music C. Orchestration D. Opera
C. Orchestration
Claudio Monteverdi used instruments to do what in his operas?
He expanded the role of instruments to create moods and define characters in operas
What genre did Claudio Monteverdi create?
established the love duet
True or False?
Claudio Monteverdi increased the role of vocal ensembles
True
How did Claudio Monteverdi use chromaticism and word painting?
used word painting in madrigals and operas
used chromaticism as an expressive device
How did Claudio Monteverdi increase emotional intensity?
increased emotional intensity through the use of stile concitato (agitated style), achieved through the use of tremolo and pizzicato in instrumental writing and rapid repeated notes in vocal writing.
What happened in Claudio Monteverdi’s later operas?
differentiated between recitative and aria style in his later operas
Who was Henry Purcell?
organist, singer, and, despite his short life, a prolific composer
Which of these were Henry Purcell’s notable genres?
- sacred vocal
- Mass
- Chanson
- opera
- semi-opera
- opera seria
- solo song
- harpsichord
- keyboard
- instrumental ensemble
sacred vocal opera semi-opera solo song keyboard instrumental ensemble
Henry Purcell is known for embracing the elements of the Baroque style. Which elements did he make use of?
incorporated many elements of Baroque style, including major-minor tonality, figured bass, ground bass, sequential repetition, ornamentation
Like Handel, Henry Purcell was a cosmopolitan composer who combined the musical styles of which countries?
lyric arias (Italian style), ornamentation and the French overture (French style), and the Renaissance madrigal and choral tradition (English style).
Which musical idea is Henry Purcell particularly known for?
word painting
What sort of writing is demonstrated in Purcell’s keyboard works?
virtuosic, idiomatic writing demonstrated in his keyboard suites
What sort of music was Handel’s “Rinaldo”?
opera
What sort of music was Handel’s “The Harmonious Blacksmith”?
keyboard
What sort of music was Handel’s “Israel in Egypt”?
oratorio.
