music of early baroque & invention of opera Flashcards
italian musicians
devised new idioms: bass continue, monody, recitative
new genre: opera,
greater focus on solo instruments or voice
Character of Baroque Music
> express and represent a wide range of feelings,
> tool of expression was dissonance,
> either free or very metric
Monteverdi 1567-1643
> Italian madrigals
> Free use of dissonance and chromaticism,
> motives are recitative rather than melodic
> He says that expressing emotions are better than following the rules in music
NAWM 71 cruel amarilli
> A lovers complaint based on a different poem,
> Written for 5 voices,
> Dramatizes the harsh sounds and meanings of the opening word cruel
> Introduces and solves dissonances incorrectly
the arutsi-monteverty conterovesy
Artusi criticized monteverdi for grating dissonances and contrapuntal liberties in his madrigals
Rhythm and Texture in Baroque music
> Either free or very metric unlike the flow of renaissance,
> Composers used flexible and speech like rhythms for vocal recitative and solo instruments,
> Texture is homophonic, firm bass and florid treble held together by harmonies,
> System of notation is through bass
Guilio caccini 1551-1618
> In demand as a teacher of the new style of solo singing,
> Wrote the first collection of solo songs with bass continuo
> Songs divided in two types: madrigal and air,
> Rejected counterpoint all together,
describe air and madrigal
Air:
strophic txt, several stanzas to one melody
Madrigal:
through-composed like the polyphonic madrigals,
NAWM 72 Ill see my sun
each line of poetry as a separate phrase ending in a cadence,
not comping any parts except treble and bass so that the text is more in focus,
the concerto medium
- Voices with instruments, assigning different roles to each.
- Contrasting forces are brought together in a harmonious ensemble.
Cantus Mollis and Durus and Tonal
Mollis: key signature of one flat and used chords of the flatter regions of spectrum, subdued and pleasant.
Durus: no sharps or flats, harmonies explored the sharper regions of the sharper and more intense emotions.
Tonal; music operating in the system of major and minor keys, 1722 it was introduced by treatise on harmony.
Early signs of opera
> Emerged in the effort to recreate ancient greek ideas of drama
> Drama sung to continuous music,
sung with costumes and scenery
> Another source for early opera was the pastoral drama: a play in verse with music,
Girolamo mei
> The prime mover behind the idea that the entire greek tragedy was performed in songs,
> Florentine scholar who edited several dramas,
> Research on greek music and its role in the theater,
> Created a club in which scholars, musicians, artists and scientists would gather
Vincento galilei (father of Galileo)
> Lute player, composer, singer,
> Used Mei’s idea to criticize the theory and practice of vocal counterpoint
> Proposed a revial of the greek ideal of the union of music and poetry through monody
> Equated ancient and modern music, in favor of ancient style
jacopo corsi
> Him and his group, set out to recreate ancient genre in modern form
> Experimented with rinuccinis pastoral poem DAFNE, performed privately for guests
> FIRST opera, staged drama set entirely to music, new kind of singing designed specifically for theater,
L’Euridice
> rinuccinis drama, set to music. by peri and caccini
> based on a myth of orpheus and eurydice,
> caccini’s. settings is more lyrical and melodious,
> peris setting is suited for the drama because he found a new way to immitate speech to suits the meaning of the texts,
jacopo peri
new style of singing known as recitative, which is an extreme form of monody seekins to eradicate the difference between speaking and singing
Orfeo by monteverdi 1607
Consisted of prolongs that linked the play to a heroic figure
singers could not be too impressive and good to not take the spotlight from the heroic figure,
it is continuo, 5 keyboard instruments, 7 plucked, wind and brass instrument,
based on a love story, reserves the modern style for dramatic dialogue and impassioned speeches,
francessca caccini 1587-1645
staged a cominaton of ballets and musical scenes in 1625
visited florence during his time, he was polish
his balets has trappings of operas:
opening sinfonia, a prologue, recitative, arias, choruses, instrumental ritornellos and elaborated staging,
opera in rome and venice
> center of new developments shifted to rome during 1620s
> wealthy people and lavish entertainments,
> solo singing divided into two parts: recitative and arias,
recitative: speechlike
arias: melodious and strophic
castrati
the srugery boys did to preserve their voice in puberty so they sing the women parts,
women were not allwed to sing at church
venation opera 1637
opening of the first opera house TEATRO SAN CASSIANO
freedom from religious and social constraints, therefore best spot for opera
Poppea by monteverdi
> the bad guys win,
love triangle,
kill his own wife,
reality tv vibes, overly dramatic,
> lacks varied instruments and stage efects of orfeo because it is written for commercial theater
Arioso
> The passage that often lies between recitative and aria style
> serves as a transition between the two
Francesso cavalli (1602-76)
monteverdi’s student,
Established essential structural, poetic and musical conventions of venetian opera
Mid 17th italian opera
> concentration on solo singing rather ensembles and instrumental music
> separation of recitative and aria
> intro of distinctive styles and forms for the aria
