Terms Flashcards
Intermedio (Pl. Intermedii)
A sort of drama between the acts of a play, involving song, dance, and dramatics. Unrelated to the other play.
The Intermedio could be related or stand-alone.
Monody
Solo singing with basso continuo.
Italy in the 1600-1640.
Included Passagio: runs, arpeggios
Florentine Camerata (Camerata de’Bardi)
Studied ancient Greek thoughts on music and strived to create music that could recapture the emotional/ethical influence of music.
Guilo Caccini
Involved in the first opera. Wrote the book Nuovo Musiche in 1602.
Stile Recitativo
Was raprassentativo - dramatic, theatre style music.
Castrata
Castrated males with a high singing range.
Ballet de Cour
Dramatic story that unfolded -
Included:
simple, strophic songs
choruses
large dance numbers
instrumental interludes
pantomime
spectacular scenery
Tragedie en music
(Lyrical tragedy - French version of Opera)
Usually has flexible recitative - more tuneful
Always honors the king
Academie royal de musique
Began in 1669, run by Lully in 1672
Each year would put on two operas, both by Lully.
French Overture
French Overture includes:
-Over dotting
-Ornaments
-Notes Inegales (unequal eighth notes)
-Instrumental; lots of strings.
Difertissement
Section in the opera which allows the gods to come sing and dance - usually not related to the plot.
Louis XIV
Aka- the Sun King, King of France during 1673-1715
Jean-Baptiste Lully
1632-1687.
Inventor of truly French Opera -
Masque
Similar to a ballet de cour -
Involves praising English court, ect.
Different -
Involves spoken dialogue.
Wasn’t performed during commonwealth.
Semi-Opera
Spoken dialogue, also music and dance
Main characters ONLY speak
minor characters only sing/dance
Ground Bass
Recurring/repeating bass line.
Henry Purcell
1659-1695
A Great English composer.
Wrote Dido and Aeneas
Opera Seria
Serious, not funny opera.
De Capo Aria
in ABA form, the singer was expected to embellish A’.
Castrato
A Castrated male, which allowed full-grown males to sing with the high range of a woman or boy.
Fainelli
A celebrated Italian castrato singer
Countertenor
The highest male singing voice - in female range.
Ballad Opera
Spoken dialogue is interspersed with popular songs re-texted. Much more popular in England.
John Gay
Writer of the Beggar’s Opera in 1728
Johann Christoph Repusch
Arranger of the music for the Beggar’s Opera
Handel
1685-1795
Agrements
Notes Inegales
Notes with equal rhythms played unequally
Oratorio
Composition for vocalist, chorus, and orchestra on a very grand, showy scale.
Giacomo Carissimi
Da Camera
Chamber sonata; has dance movements
Da Chiesa
Church sonata; does not have dance movements.
Trio Sonata
2 soloists plus basso continuo; four players total.
Scordatura
Changing the tuning of a string instrument for a composition.
Stile Brise
Broken style
Arpeggiated chords broken up to sound like different voices.
Weimar
Bach’s first significant job as an organist was in Weimar in 1708-1717.
(went to jail over conflicted contracts, but also started Well-tempered clavier?)
Cothen
Bach’s second significant job was in Cothen. (1717-1723) He was director of music at the court, which was mostly instrumental (as were his compositions, consequently)
Leipzig
His final significant job was in Leipzig - he was very busy (1723-1750). He was an overseer of church music - wrote a lot of chorale preludes.
Orgelbüchlein
Little Organ book
Chorale Preludes
Written by Bach while in Weimar as organist.
Chorale Prelude
Organ had two functions:
Reminder congregation of chorale melody
Express mood or character of text
Clavichord
A mini piano kind of
Well-Tempered Clavier
A book with 24 preludes and fugues in every key
Chorale Cantata
Cantata using a Luther Chorale
Starts with a large choral number (based on the chorale) and ends with SATB.
Passion
An Oratio about the crucifixion of Christ
Dietrich Buxtehude
(c. 1673-1707)
A skilled organist before Bach’s time.
Had to marry the previous organist’s daughter to get the job in Lubeck.
Johannes Sebastian Bach
(1685-1750).
Fugue
A composition in which a melody or phrase (the subject) is introduced by one part and then taken up by other and reintroduced in different ways.
Stretto
Overlapping subject entrances in a fugue
Inversion
Inverting the subject matter in a fugue
Augmentation
Impresario
The group that would rent out a theatre and organize an opera production when they became public events in 1673.
Cantata
Has voices and instruments
Multiple movements
Choir, orchestra, and soloists.
Chorale fantasy
A composition based on a chorale tune
