Baroque Terms Flashcards
Aria
Lyric song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment, generally expressing intense emotion; found in operas, cantatas, and oratorios
Eg. Dido and Aeneas OR Marriage of Figaro
Arioso
Short recitative of the more melodious, aria-like type. Was frequently used for a passage in regular tempo in or after a recitative
Eg. Cantata No. 80 A Mighty Fortress is our God
Basso Continuo/Figured Bass
Italian for continuos bass. Baroque practice consisting of an independent bass line which continues throughout a piece and often includes numerals indicating the harmony to be supplied by the performer
Eg. The Coronation of Poppea
Binary Form
Binary form is based on a statement and a departure, without a return to the opening. Each section is normally repeated
Eg. Water Music
Canon
Type of polyphonic composition in which 1 musical line strictly imitates another at a fixed distance throughout
Eg. Cantata NO. 80 A Mighty Fortress is our God
Cantata
Baroque vocal genre for solo singers, chorus, and instrumentalists based on a lyric or dramatic poem. Might be based on either secular or sacred themes. Generally consists of several movements including recitatives, arias, and ensemble numbers. Sacred cantata was integral part of Lutheran church service
Eg. Cantata No. 80 A Mighty Fortress is our God
Chorale (Lutheran)
Hymn tune associated with German Lutheran church. Luther and fellow reformers created the 1st chorales by adapting tunes from Gregorian Chant, popular sources, and secular art music
Eg. Cantata No. 80 A Mighty Fortress is our God
Chorus
Group of singers who perform together, usually in pairs, and can be found in operas and oratorios.
Concertino
Small group of instruments that played the solo in Baroque concerto grosso
Eg. Bradenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major
Concerto Grosso
Type of concerto based on opposition between concertino and ripieno
Eg. Bradenburg Concerto No. 2 in F major
Da Capo Aria
Lyric solo song in ternary form, commonly found in Baroque operas, cantatas, and oratorios. Composer usually didn’t write out 3rd part, instead the words “da capo” are at the end of the 2nd section, indicating the performer was to repeat the first section, freely elaborating it with ornamentation
Eg. Dido and Aeneas
Doctrine of the Affections
Doctrine related to union of music and poetry in Baroque period. Composers believed that the aim of music was to move the passions (joy, anger, love, hate, fear). In Baroque an entire piece or movement was normally built on a single affection
Eg. Cantata No. 80 A Mighty Fortress is our God
Empfindsamkeit
German “sensitive” style of the mid-18th century, using simple melody and homophonic texture to express natural feelings
Eg. CPE Bach Fantasia (NOT REQUIRED WORK)
Equal Temperament
Tuning system based on division of octave into 12 equal semitones.
Eg. The Well Tempered Clavier (NOT REQUIRED WORK)
French Overture
Baroque instrumental introduction to an opera, oratorio, ballet, or suite, in 2 sections: slow opening section (often repeated), marked by stately dotted rhythms, followed by a lively fugal second section. Often a brief return to style f opening at end of fast section
Eg. Water Music OR Dido and Aeneas
Fugal Texture
based on the principle of imitation in which a theme or subject pervades the entire work, entering in 1 voice and then in another, creating a complex structure in which each voice is sounded by a different performer or group of performers
Eg. Cantata No. 80 A Mighty Fortress is our God
Ground Bass
a repeating melody, usually in the bass, throughout a vocal or instrumental composition while upper parts proceed and vary
Eg. Coronation of Poppea OR Dido and Aeneas
Harpsichord
early Baroque keyboard instrument in which the strings are plucked by quills instead of being struck with hammers like the piano
Eg. Sonata in D major K430
Homophonic Texture/Homophony
texture with one principal melody and accompanying harmony
Eg.Canata No. 80 A Mighty Fortress is our God
Le Nuove Musiche
A collection of vocal works on the new style of monody published by Baroque composer Caccini in 1601-1602. The title represented this new expressive style of music that consisted of a melody moving freely over a foundation of simple chords
Eg. Le Nuove Musiche: La bella man vi Stringo
Libretto
the text of an opera or oratorio
Eg. Coronation of Poppea OR Dido and Aeneas OR The Creation
Monody
Vocal type, associated with the Florentine Camerata, in which a single melody predominates with simple instrumental accompaniment
Eg. Le Nuove Musiche: La bella man vi Stringo
Oboe D’amore
Love oboe. Baroque alto oboe pitched somewhat below the ordinary oboe, with the pear-shaped bell of the English Horn
Eg. Cantata No. 80 A Mighty Fortress is our God
Oboe Da Caccia
Hunting oboe. Baroque tenor oboe built in the shape of a cured hunting horn
Eg. Cantata No. 80 A Mighty Fortress is our God
