Final Flashcards
Pietro Francesco
Leading composer after Monteverdi
Wrote 33 operas - Giasone (most famous)
Strophic arias
Antonio Cesti
15 operas
Arias (mostly strophic)
Arioso style
Comic scenes
Arioso Style
Style of recitative (NOT aria) w/more passion/expression that provides more melodic interest and faster-moving basso continuo
Alessandro Scarlatti
Composed over 40 operas
Drama per musica
Standardized recitative-aria pairing
La Griselda (his last surviving opera)
Drama per musica
Serious plots w/happy endings
Historical or imaginary characters
Short arias
Baroque Italian Opera Style
Tightened plots Separation of material Opera Seria Sinfonia (Italian opera overture; only instrumental music in Italian opera; Fast, Slow, Fast) No chorus Secco Recitative Arioso style Da capo aria
Francois Couperin
Most important French suite/ordre composer
Pieces de Clavecin
L’art de toucher le clavecin (“The Art of Playing the Harpsichord)
Pieces de Clavecin
Francois Couperin 4-24mvt suite Same tonality (D, D minor, etc.) Fanciful titles Select pieces for performance (not required to perform all 24 at a time)
L’art de toucher le clavecin (“The Art of Playing the Harpsichord)
Couperin
Proper performance of embellishments/agreements
Standardization of agreements and symbols
Arcangelo Corelli
Outstanding composer of sonata
The first to be known as a composer of the “modern” era
Clear key tonality w/no trace of modality
Earliest composer to write exclusively in major-minor tonality
5 sets of 12 sonatas
Sonata de Chiesa
Arcangelo Corelli
Used as filler between mass movements or as the postlude
Usually had fugal writing
Four movements set as Slow-Fast-Slow-Fast
Basso Continuo type 2
Violone w/organ continuo
Sonata da Camera
Arcangelo Corelli
Used in court for diversion or entertainment
Stylized dance movements that began w/a preludio followed by several dance movements
Basso continuo type 2
Violone w/harpsichord accompaniment
Antonio Vivaldi
The master of Baroque Italian Concerto
Ospedale della Pieta–girl’s orphanage
Teacher, Composer, and Music director
Recognizable tutti theme used to hold the piece together
Johann Sebastian Bach
- Church organist in Weimar and Cöthen
- Weimar–Court Organist/Konzertmeister for Duke Wilhelm; Wrote Orgel Buchlein, chorale arrangements for organ based on the liturgical calendar; wrote English suites
- Cöthen–Kapellmeister for Prince Leopold; secular duties rather than sacred; 6 cello suites; 6 sonatas and partitas for violin; 6 Brandenburg concertos; 2 Orchestral suites; Clavier-Buchlien, written for his son Wilhelm Friedman; Early versions of inventions, sinfonias, preludes, and fugues
- Anna Magdalena Notebook
- Kantor at Thomasschule and Music Director of Leipzig (supervised music for 4 churches, oversaw music for civic occasions)
- 5 complete cycles of church music
- Cantatas
- Passions
Anna Magdalena Notebook
Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue
Well-Tempered Clavier I
Demonstration of equal temperament
Division of the octave into twelve equal semitones
In every key possible
Inventions and sinfonias
Written in no more than 4 sharps or 4 flats
Practical keys; keys that students were able to play in
Discuss Bach’s responsibilities as the Music Director in Leipzig
4 Churches: St. Peter’s (Unison boys choir, didn’t attend this church), St. Matthew’s (4 part choir, simple chorale settings, didn’t attend this church) and St. Thomas’ and St. Nicholas’ (Polyphonic motets, full-scale cantatas every Sunday, personally attended and conducted at these churches)
Discuss Bach’s cantatas
Text comes from Lutheran Bible, chorales, and new compositions (poetry--Picander/Henrici) -Solos, small choir, orchestra -6mvts Opening Chorus Solo Recitative Aria/Duet [sermon] Recitative Aria/Duet Chorale
Discuss Bach’s passions
5 total, only 2 survived
St. John Passion
St. Matthew Passion
Discuss Bach’s Models of Baroque Style
Well-tempered Clavier (equal temperment, Godlberg variations)
B-minor Mass (displayed transition from stile antico to stile moderno)
Musical Offering (gift for a king)
The Art of the Fuge (his most technically complex composition, greatest practical study of contrapuntal technique, instrumentation wasn’t finished before his death)
George Friderich Handel
German and English composer
Worked for the Elector of Hanover (who became King George I of England)
Italian Opera (wrote 40)
Turned to Oratorio
Discuss Handel’s Italian Operas
Wrote 40
Subjects-historical, mythological, romantic
Giulio Cesare (His best Italian Opera)
Aria (da capo w/o excessive repetitions; displayed character’s feelings)
Discuss England’s opinion on Italian Opera
Didn’t like it because
- in a foreign language
- mythological plots
- castrati
- turned against it, causing the downfall of the Royal Academy of Music
Explain the significance of the Royal Academy of Music’s failure
- The Beggar’s Opera (J. Gay and J. Pepusch)
- Performed 61 times
- Ballad opera (spoken word, popular songs, basso continuo)
- Political satire and contemporary characters
- Words in English
- Simple music
- No castrati
Oratorio
Appealed to bourgeois No castrati No sets Written in English Subjects based on Bible Chorus
Discuss Handel’s oratorio style
3 acts Solo recitatives as dialogue Arias provide expression of individual Often begins w/French overture English chorale anthem tradition Basses have leading roles
Intermezzo
Separate works between acts to provide comic relief 2 acts Simple plots-present day, slapstick Italian opera style Reduced orchestra/no overture La serva padrona by Pergolesi
Jean-Philippe Rameau
Traite de l'harmonie (Treaty of Harmony) Harmony based on triads Hierarchy of chords Pivot chord modulation Melody derived from harmony
Galant Style
Response to Baroque style
Implies elegance, grace, charm
Light texture
Single melodic line in short phrases (usually 2mm)
Major keys w/simple harmonies
Sparse voicing in accompaniment
Trommelbass (“drum bass”; rhythmic animation to provide movement in slow harmonic line)
Domenico Scarlatti
Song of Alessandro Scarlatti Keyboard sonatas - predecessor to classical sonata Single movement in binary form Clarified structure Keyboard Master to Maria Barbara
Trace Recitative
Jacapo Peri (Stile Rappresentativo)
-New declamatory style w/flexible rhythm
Secco (Dry) Recitative
-Simple, chord-sing-chord-sing
Arioso Style
-more melodic recitative w/faster basso continuo
Trace (Italian) Aria
Bel canto (Monteverdi?)
-“Beautiful singing”, slow and resonant
Florid
-more movement and agility/flexibility
Da capo (Scarlati)
-ABA; return to A allows for embelishment
Trace Opera Overture
Monteverdi–opening tocatta
3 movement FSF (instrumental music reserved for beginning of opera only)
Sinfonia
Trace Comic Opera
Coronation of Poppea, Monteverdi (Comedic scenes)
Plots tightened, comic parts removed resulting in Opera Seria
Intermezzo (2 act work sandwiched into an opera that provided comic relief the public missed)
