Western Classical Music Flashcards
What is a Oratorio?
An oratorio is a large-scale composition for solo voices, choir and orchestra, usually on a Biblical subject, but intended for concert performance.
When did Handel write Messiah?
1741.
Handel wrote more than 20 oratorios, but Messiash (1741) is the most famous.
Why did Handel write oratorios?
During Lent, theatres were not allowed to present staged works on certain days. Concert works were allowed, and so Oratorios allowed Handel to keep his musicians in his opera company in work.
The frequently dramatic music went some way to compensate for the lack of acting. By the late 1730s, the novelty of Italian opera had worn thin in London, and so Handel concentrated mainly on writing and presenting oratorios during the later part of his life.
What are the key features of Baroque music?
Simple, mainly diatonic harmonies.
Movements that usually keep to the same mood throughout.
Terraced dynamics (changes in volume are sudden, rather than gradual.
Ornamentation - melodies are often high decorated.
Complex contrapuntal writing in some pieces (two or more different melodies sounding at the same time).
Orchestras made up largely of string instruments.
The use of a continuo - a group of instruments that provides a bass line and harmonic accompaniment. Usually consists of a keyboard instrument (harpsichord or organ), with one or more bass instruments (such as cello or double bass).
When was the Baroque period?
1600-1750.
What years cover the Western Classical Music period?
1600-1899
What are terraced dynamics?
Changes in volume that are sudden, rather than gradual.
Name four important composers in the Baroque era.
Bach
Handel
Purcell
Vivaldi
What does melismatic mean?
A vocal style in which several notes are such to the same syllable. ie. one syllable sung over several notes.
(Melismatic is the opposite to Syllabic).
What does syllabic mean?
A vocal style in which each syllable is set to its own note. i.e. one syllable per note.
(Syllabic is the opposite to Melismatic).
How do classical era orchestras differ from the baroque?
The classical era saw orchestras increase in size.
Regular use of woodwind, brass and strings.
This new orchestra increased the amount of available tone colours.
New instruments were also created and used, e.g. the clarinet, horn and piano. The harpsichord quickly disappeared, as the piano was much more expressive.
How did compositional style change in the classical era, compared to the baroque era?
The classical era saw more emphasis on simplicity and clarity, but also an interest in creating dramatic contrasts rather than relying on a single mood throughout a movement.
Name four important composers in the Classical era.
Haydn
Mozart
Beethoven
Schubert
All four lived and worked in Vienna (in Austria) for parts of their lives, so the music of this period is sometimes described as ‘Viennese Classical’.
What are the typical features of the Viennese Classical style?
A preference for homophonic textures (melody and accompaniment).
Pairs of balanced phrases that can sound like questions and answers.
The increased use of wind instruments in orchestras.
The use of the piano, rather than the harpsichord, as the keyboard instrument.
Mainly simple harmony, but a tendency to modulate more widely than most Baroque music.
Expression markings in scores, including features such as accents and crescendo signs.
The use of contrasting moods within longer movements.
What are some important facts about Handel?
George Fredrick Handel
Lived: 1685-1759
Born in Germany
