Chapter 7: The 17th century Flashcards
What is the Florentine Camerata
a group of poets, musicians, and noblemen that gathered informally at the house of Cunt Giovanni de’ Bardi in Florence to discus issues relating to the arts
What did the Florentine Camerata debate?
How to allow a single voice to predominate in a texture that was not essentially polyphonic
how to recreate the style of singing used by the ancient greeks in their dramas
Whether music should be driven by word
What is an intermedi?
What we would today call “entr’actes” or “intermezzos”
What was La Pellegrina “The Pilgrim Woman”?
A spoken comedy that was the centerpiece for the 1589 florentine wedding of the grand duke of tuscany to tthe princess of france
how many intermedid did “the pilgrim woman” have and what did they showcase?
there were 6 intermedi and each showcased the miraculous powers of music according to classical mythology
What is homophony
A principal melodic line with subordinate accompanying voices
What was the Prima Prattica
Renaissance polyphony
What was the seconda prattica and what was characteristic of the style.
Emphasis on the projection of the text
The use of basso continuo was characteristic of this style
What is basso continuo?
a “continuous bass” that provided the harmonic framework for the solo voice above it.
Could be used synonymously with the term “figured bass”
How was basso continuo notated and what instruments played it?
It was notated as a single bass line that performers needed to add upper voices that filled out the harmonies implied by the bass. It was played on any instrument capable of playing chords
What genre did the basso continuo contribute to the creation of?
The option of having a single voice allowed for the emergence of opera.
What is opera?
Sung drama where individual singers take on the role of individual characters
What is monody?
The combination of solo voice and basso continuo
What resulted of the use of monody?
The soloist was now free to embellish at will without rhythmic of motivic regard for any other melodic line. Ornamentation was now a very real option
What is sprezzatura
A freedom in the pace and manner of deliver, a noble disregard for the meter and rhythm
