Baroque Period Flashcards
Equal Temperment
A tuning system for the keyboard instruments allowing them to play in all keys without having to retune
Doctrine of affections
- there are no key changes in a song. If it starts in A major, it stays that way
- it can be in major or minor but it will stay that way throughout the song
Virtuoso
An outstanding performer of an instrument
Terraced Dynamics
- How loud or soft was made in music at this time
- used soli and tutti
- to get soft music, they would cut the number if musicians playing a part
Soli
-when only a few would play a part to ensure it was quiet. Used to make piano.
Tutti
- used for loud parts of the song
- all instruments and players would play
Basso Continuo
- the core group of instruments in almost all pieces and kinds of music
- harpsichord + cello, bass, or bassoon
- everybody reads off of the figured bass
Figured Bass
- the piece of music that basso continuo musicians read from
- all on the same piece of paper
- notes are for the cello, bass, bassoon and numbers are for the harpsichord
The Baroque Orchestra
- it’s the group of musicians that composers want the most
- had string, woodwind, brass, percussion, keyboard in the ensemble
- very small compared to modern day orchestra
- May not have all of every instrument kind
Possible instruments in a concerto grosso
STRING: violin, viola, cello, bass WOODWIND: recorder, oboe, bassoon, flute BRASS: trumpet, French horn PERCUSSION: timpani KEYBOARD: harpsichord, pipe organ
Concerto Grosso
- written only for the orchestra
- had 3 movements. 1 and 3 were fast. 2 was slow.
- had soli and tutti parts sometimes played in ritornello
- was around 20 minutes long
Ritornello
- sometimes in the concerto grosso
- when the soli and tutti groups alternate strictly every certain number of measures
Suite
- music written for orchestra or smaller group
- has several dance related movements
- the movements reminded audience of dances
Types of court dances
- minuet
- gigue
- polka
- bourree
- gavotte
- allemande
- sarabande
Sonata
- written for small group (1-8)
- has several movements
- trio sonata which means it’s written for basso continuo and 2 melody parts
Fugue
- written only for one instrument
- the pile organ or harpsichord
- Bach wrote the best fugues
- based on one melody that’s repeated
- there are 5 parts to a fugue
5 parts to a fugue
- ) Subject = the first entrance of the melody
- ) Answer = every time the melody comes in after the subject
- ) Episode = a fragment of the subject. Played between entrances of the melody in the song
- ) Pedal Point = a low sustained note played on the pedals
- ) Countersubject = the new melody introduced near the end of the fugue. (Not played in all fugues)
Bach
- from a musical family
- had 20 kids and 4 became prominent composers
- was a keyboardist
- st. Thomas Lutheran church
- wrote 295 cantatas for his church
- wrote “JJ” at beginning and “SDG” at end of pieces
- wrote “art of the fugue” and “well-tempered clavier”
- wrote 6 Brandenburg concerto grosso
Handel
- not from a musical family
- worked for Queen Anne of England
- wrote Italian operas and possibly invented English oratorios
- “Messiah” and “Easter” oratorios
- “water music” and “fireworks” suites
Vivaldi
-from musical family
-was an ordained priest at St. Marks cathedral
-outstanding violinist
-started a girls orphanage orchestra in Venice
-wrote 450 concerto grosso’s
-created the solo concerto where there’s only 1 featured instrument in the orchestra
Wrote “4 seasons”
Who created the opera
- Camerata
- in Florence, Italy
- by a group of artisans and nobility who paid for it
Things needed for an Opera
- singers
- orchestra
- composer
- opera house
- a stage and a pit for the orchestra
Libretto
-the text or story of the opera
Librettist
- the people who tell the story or sing the story of the opera.
- it puts the text in song format
Greek and Roman Mythology
- all stories told in the opera are from mythology
- because that was the popular literature of the day
Aria
- a major point that a character adds to the story
- a major song
Recitative
- it imitates talking in the opera
- it moves the action forward
Overture of an opera
- piece of music that’s played by the orchestra before the opera begins
- made up of melodies that will be the arias of the opera
- intended to get audiences attention
Info about the opera
Made up of :
- libretto
- librettist
- aria
- recitative
- lasted 2 1/2 to 3 hours
- overture
Oratorio
- performed for religious holidays on religious holidays
- for the English church
- performed in English
- the libretto is taken from the bible
- not performed in an opera house. More of a concert
- 2 1/2 to 3 hours
- no acting like with opera. People stood when it was their turn to sing
Cantata
- associated with Lutheran Church
- it’s a part of their weekly service and done every week
- libretto based on that weeks sermon
- purpose is to reinforce sermon
- 30 minutes long max.
- no acting. Performance style
