Part 1 - Baroque Era Flashcards
Baroque
- 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.
Figured bass
- 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 guided improvisation.
Basso continuo
- 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.
Homophonic texture
A single line of melody supported by a harmonic accompaniment.
Polyphonic texture
A combination of two or more melodic lines.
the Affections
- Also referred to as the ‘Doctrine of Affections’ or ‘the affects’;
- A Baroque philosophy inspired by ancient Greek and Roman writers and orators;
- Refers to 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.
Ornamentation
- Musical embellishment to decorate a melodic line;
- Either represented with symbols, or improvised.
Concerto
- A popular instrumental genre of the Baroque era for soloist(s) and orchestra;
- Generally in three movements, fast-slow-fast;
- Frequently employed ‘ritornello’ form;
- Intended to showcase the virtuosity of the soloist(s).
‘Ritornello’ form
- 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.
Ripieno
- Italian for ‘full’ or ‘complete’;
- A term used to denote the use of the full orchestra in the Baroque concerto.
Ostinato
- Italian for ‘obstinate’ or ‘persistent’;
- A rhythmic or melodic pattern repeated for an extended period.
Pedal point
A note, or a series of notes, sustained through harmony changes in other parts.
Idiomatic writing
- Highlights the unique technical capabilities of an instrument in the style of writing;
- Opposite of ‘generic’;
- Developed in the Baroque era.
Programmatic wtiting
- Music with a descriptive element, inspired by extramusical associations, like a story or painting;
- Evolved into a significant feature of 19th-century instrumental writing (program music).
Equal temperament
- A method of tuning keyboard instruments;
- The octave is divided into twelve equal half steps;
- Facilitated the composition and performance of music in all keys.
Clavier
A German word for keyboard instruments other than the organ.
Prelude
A short keyboard work in improvisatory style, often paired with a fugue.
Fugue
A highly structured, imitative contrapuntal composition, in which a single theme or subject prevails.
Counterpoint
Combination of two or more independent melodic lines, also referred to as ‘polyphonic texture’.
Subject
The initial statement of the main theme of a fugue, in the tonic key.
Answer
The second statement of the main theme in a fugue, usually in the dominant key.
Real answer
An exact transposition of the subject.
Tonal answer
A statement of the subject in which one or more intervals is adjusted to accommodate the harmony.
Countersubject
A recurring countermelody, which accompanies entries of the subject and answer.