Baroque Terms

Question 1

Baroque

Answer 1

• from the Portuguese barroco meaning “irregularly shaped or misshapen pearl”
• first used as a derogatory term in reference to the overly ornate art of the era
• now applied to art, architecture, and music of the 17th and early 18th centuries

Question 2

Figured Bass

Answer 2

• a musical shorthand developed in the Baroque era
• numbers are placed below the bass line to show harmonic progression
• performed or realized by the basso continuo
• provides the structure for the guided improvisation

Question 3

Basso Continuo

Answer 3

• Baroque performance practice
• generally involves two performers—one playing the notated bass line, one realizing the harmonies as indicated by the figured bass
• harmonies usually played on harpsichord or organ
• provides harmonic framework

Question 4

Homophonic Texture

Answer 4

• a single line of melody supported by a harmonic accompaniment

Question 5

Polyphonic Texture

Answer 5

a combination of two or more melodic lines

Question 6

the affections (the affects)

Answer 6

• also referred to as the “Doctrine of the Affections” or “the affects”
• a Baroque philosophy inspired by ancient Greek and Roman writers and orators
• refers to the emotional states of the soul
• in Baroque music, a single “affection” or “affect” (one clear emotion) is usually projected through an entire composition or movement

Question 7

Ornamentation

Answer 7

• musical embellishment to decorate a melodic line
• either represented with symbols or improvised

Question 8

Ritornello Form

Answer 8

• a structure employed in the first and third movements of the Baroque concerto
• the opening passage (ritornello) is restated throughout the movement, serving as a refrain

Question 9

Ripieno

Answer 9

• Italian for “full” or “complete”
• a term used to denote the use of the full orchestra in the Baroque concerto

Question 10

Ostinato

Answer 10

• Italian for “obstinate” or “persistent”
• a rhythmic or melodic patterns repeated for an extended period

Question 11

Pedal Point

Answer 11

a note, or a series of notes, sustained through harmony changes in other parts

Question 12

Idiomatic Writing

Answer 12

• highlights the unique technical capabilities of an instrument in the style of writing
• opposite of “generic”
• developed in the Baroque era

Question 13

Programmatic Writing

Answer 13

• music with a descriptive element, inspired by extramusical associations, like a story or a painting
• evolved into a significant feature of the 19th-century instrumental writing (program music)

Question 14

Equal Temperament

Answer 14

• a method of tuning keyboard instruments
• the octave is divided into twelve equal semitones
• facilitated the composition and performance of music in all keys

Question 15

Clavier

Answer 15

a German word for keyboard instruments other than the organ

Question 16

Counterpoint

Answer 16

• combination of two or more independent melodic lines
• also referred to as “polyphonic texture”

Question 17

Subject

Answer 17

• the initial statement of the main theme of a fugue
• in the tonic key

Question 18

Real Answer

Answer 18

the exact transposition of the subject

Question 19

Tonal Answer

Answer 19

a statement of the subject in which one or more intervals is adjusted to accommodate the harmony

Question 20

Countersubject

Answer 20

a recurring countermelody; accompanies entries of the subject and answer

Question 21

Episode

Answer 21

• a passage within a fugue in which neither subject nor answer is present
• frequently sequential

Question 22

French Overture

Answer 22

• a Baroque orchestral genre, often the orchestral introduction to an opera or oratorio
• first developed at the court of Louis XIV by Jean-Baptiste Lully
• generally in two parts:
  first part - slow tempo, homophonic, texture, features dotted figures
  second part – fast tempo, imitative texture

Question 23

Libretto

Answer 23

• the text of an opera, oratorio or cantata
• usually written by someone other than the composer

Question 24

Recitative

Answer 24

• a speech-like style of singing used in operas, oratorios, and cantatas
• follows inflections of the text, resulting in rhythmic flexibility
• usually used to advance the plot or storyline
• moves through text quickly

Question 25

Recitativo Secco

Answer 25

• Italian for “dry recitative”
• a speech-like, declamatory style of singing
• supported only by continuo
• employed in opera, oratorio, and cantata

Question 26

Recitativo Accompagnato

Answer 26

• Italian for “accompanied recitative”
• a speech-like, declamatory style of singing
• supported by instrumental ensemble or orchestra
• allows for greater connection with the text
• employed in opera, oratorio, and cantata

Question 27

Aria

Answer 27

• Italian for “air”
• a solo song with accompaniment, heard in an opera, oratorio or cantata
• highly emotional and often virtuosic
• may have lyrical or dramatic qualities
• often serves to reveal the character’s most intimate emotions

Question 28

Da Capo Aria

Answer 28

• an aria (solo song) employing a ternary (ABA) structure
• in performance, the return of Section A is generally ornamented
• the most common type of aria in Baroque opera and oratorio

Question 29

Word Painting

Answer 29

• musical pictorialization
• the music mirrors the literal meaning of the words
• achieved through melody, harmony or rhythm

Question 30

Melisma

Answer 30

• a group of notes sung on a single syllable/vowel
• demonstrates vocal virtuosity and often serves to highlight key words