Unit 2: Cantata Flashcards
1
Q
Cantata background and origins
A
- from Italian cantare, “to sing”
- began as form of chamber music for solo voice with continuo
- adopted into Lutheran church service in 18th century
- Johann Sebastian Bach composed over 300, of which approx 200 survived
2
Q
Cantata characteristic features
A
- multi-movement vocal work
- sacred or secular
- for vocal soloist(s) and chorus with instrumental accompaniment
- consists of recitatives, arias, ensembles, and choruses
- sacred cantatas performed as part of Lutheran church service in 18th-century Germany
3
Q
cantata
A
- multi-movement choral work
- sacred or secular
- for soloists, chorus, and orchestra
- consists of recitatives, arias, emsembles, and choruses
4
Q
chorale
A
- hymn tune associated with German Protestantism
- intended for congregational singing: moves mostly by step or narrow leap
- used as basis for many genres including cantata
- sometimes adapted from Gregorian chants as well as from other popular sources
- harmonized for 4 voices (SATB) by composers including J.S. Bach
5
Q
canon
A
- from Greek word for “law”
- strict type of polyphonic composition in which each voice enters in succession with the same melody
- canons in which each voice enters on the same pitch are referred to as rounds
6
Q
fugue
A
- from Latin fugere, meaning “to flee”
- highly structured imitative contrapuntal composition
- single theme or subject prevails
- generally begins with successive entries of the subject in each voice
7
Q
ritornello
A
- recurring theme that functions as refrain in Baroque compositions
- can serve as introduction and postlude in arias or choruses, or as a unifying thread in concertos
8
Q
(augmentation)
A
- a compositional procedure in which a theme is presented in longer time values
- often the melody becomes twice as slow as the original
- often used in fugal writing
9
Q
(arioso)
A
- a short vocal passage
- more lyrical than a recitative but more modest (in scale) than an aria
10
Q
(oboe da caccia)
A
- an alto oboe
- built in the shape of a curbed hunting horn but with a pear-shaed bell that gave the sound an outdoor quality
11
Q
(oboe d’amore)
A
- a mezzo-sopprano oboe
- pitched lower than a regular oboe with a pear-shaped bell
12
Q
(taille)
A
-a tenor oboe with a pear-shpaed bell
