Baroque Period – Review Outline

Political/Social Trends and Influences The term “Baroque” Like the Ars Nova, musicians in the early 17th century knew they were creating something new

1300 – Ars Nova, rhythm 1400 – Renaissance, from Greek philosophy 1600 – drama, opera, affections

Musical influences Originally shaped mostly by politics – musicians depended on royal courts, churches, or the city Later, shaped by the public – in the middle to late Baroque

Expanding population, increased trade and travel, growing middle class High demand for new music

Each important church day required new music Parties, weddings, private entertainment, etc. required new music In general, there was a high demand for new music in preference to the old Led to high output from composers, rapid speed in composing, and changing styles Longer instrumental works without text conditioned listeners to pay attention to the music

Revivals and respect for past composers Later, Bach revived composers from 50 years earlier from Italy and France This started a tradition of revival and respect for the developments of older pieces and composers

Musical Styles and Performance Practice Focus on drama Contrast through 1) Range of Affections and 2) Rhythm Basso Continuo (“Continuous Bass” or “Thoroughbass”)

Used for accompanying, not solo playing Composer wrote out the melody and bass line; the performer filled in the chords and inner parts Players “realized” this “figured bass” – shows improvisational skill

Focus on Solo Instruments Soloists became popular, so composers wrote specifically for solo instruments (violin or solo voice) Music styles and compositional techniques for each individual solo instrument were developed Monody Violin became popular because of overhand bowing (as opposed to the underhand bowing of viols)

Concertato (“to reach agreement”) Consorts were more popular in the Renaissance; Mixed ensembles became popular in the Baroque Concerted works – taking existing vocal works and adding instruments

Tuning systems – Well Tempered and Equal Temperament Embellishment and Improvisation in Performance

Written music was a basis for performance, not something unchangeable Performers were expected to add to what the composer wrote Ornaments – trills, turns, appoggiaturas, mordents, etc.

Ornamentation was supposed to move the affections, not just decorate Extended embellishments

Scales, arpeggios, created a “paraphrase” of the original line Cadenzas – decorating important cadences in arias

The Baroque in Italy

Opera In 1620’s, the center for opera moved to Rome

No women on stage in Rome – Castrati, first used mid-16th century in churches in Italy Plots were chosen because of the potential for stage effects Monody was becoming more and more popular (as opposed to choruses)

Aria and recitative took over Public Opera and Popularity

Venice was more independent politically and religiously than Rome 1637, the first public opera house in Venice – Teatro San Cassiano

Before, supported by wealthy patrons; now, supported by the paying public Lyrical style of Venice opera spread, and center of opera became Austria – opera house built in 1654

Tension between drama, spectacle (in 1620’s), lyrical style and divas showing off By 1650, Italian opera had developed it’s main features

Solo singing rather than ensembles or instrumental music Varied styles in solo singing (monody) and instrumental music Recitative and aria

By 1700, opera was the most popular genre Principal genre in Venice, with famous public opera houses; stars and big arias attracted audiences

Arias Librettists would write in poetic meter good for arias, and… Composers would add arias whenever they could, whenever the text allowed Arias featured repetition

Refrains (repeated sections) allowed the singer to embellish and ornament and show off Strophic songs with verses led to strophic variations The da capo aria was most popular in operas and other vocal works

Italian Composers Peri Caccini Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643)

Trained in organ and composition, he is best known for keyboard music Music served as a model for Bach

Giacomo Carissimi (1605-1674) Antonio Cesti (1623-1669)

Student of Monteverdi’s, wrote 4 operas for the Austrian theater Recitative becomes a way to get lots of dialog quickly; becomes the commons style

Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713) – P.393 First composer to be known for his instrumental music (not vocal) Only trio and solo violin sonatas and concerto grossos survive – earliest in 1681

Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725) Student of Carissimi and father of Domenico Famous for operas (over 25), oratorios, and over 600 cantatas!

Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (1678-1741) Great Italian violin makers

Nicolo Amati (1596-1684), Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) P.392, Giuseppe Guarneri (1698-1744)

The Baroque in France

Music in France Court Ballet

Established by Louis XIII and his son, Louis XIV, was a great dancer Court Music

150 to 200 musicians total Music of the Royal Chapel – singers, organists, instrumentalists for religious services Music of the Chamber – string, lute, harpsichord, and flutes for indoor entertainment Music of the Great Stable – wind, brass, timpani for military and outdoor ceremonies Created the first large ensembles of the violin family

Twenty Four Violins of the King (est. Louis XIII) – 5 part texture Small Violin Ensemble (18 violins) was created in 1648 for Louis XIV private use

Dance Music Stylized

Not intended for dancing, but retained the basic characteristics of each dance Used more for entertainment or for a small audience

Dance Suite – a series of stylized dances Each suite has a different meter, tempo, rhythms, etc. that made for contrast in a suite Prelude Allemande Courante Sarabande Gigue

French Opera French Overture

Homophonic, majestic, with dotted rhythms Faster and more fugal

Divertissement between acts, not really connected to the plot – opportunity for ballet, choruses Airs – songs with rhymed text, regular meter and phrasing, often in a dance form

Less elaborate than Italian arias Other elements distinctly French

Lute Style – broken/arpeggiated chords imitated by harpsichord Agréments

More subtle, elegant than Italian embellishments, meant to emphasize important notes and give the melody shape

Elaborate embellishing of Italian singers was considered bad taste Overdotting

Composers and Musical Influences King Louis XIV (1643-1715) Jean Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) Jean-Phillipe Rameau (1683-1764)

The Baroque in England

In Venice, Italy – opera was supported by the public In France, opera was supported by the king In England, neither – so opera itself didn’t develop until the late 1800’s (Arthur Sullivan, Britten) Like the French resisted Italian opera, so did the English, who preferred their own genres Masque

Similar to opera: music, dancing, songs, choruses, costumes, scenery, stage effects Differences: Collaborative efforts, not unified in plot or style – more like individual scenes, like

French court-ballets; almost like a series of intermedi Semi-opera – a spoken play with an overture and 4 or 5 masques Public Concerts

Before 1670, concerts were private. Audiences were invited by the performers if they were amateurs, by the court, or by conservatories or learning academies.

In London, trends merged: A middle class interested in listening to music Large numbers of excellent musicians employed by the court The King couldn’t pay his musicians well, so they needed other means to supplement income

1672, first public concert advertised in London Gazette – see P.378 Public concerts came to Paris in 1725 and German cities in the 1740’s

Henry Purcell (1659-1695) Dido and Aeneas (1689) English Recitative

Developed by Purcell to fit the English language More text painting than French or Italian

The Baroque in Germany

Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) – struggle between Catholicism and Protestantism in Germany Blending of Styles

Musicians went from post to post, foreign musicians lived in Germany, German composers traveled Germans drew on Italian and French styles, and blended them in new ways, adding more counterpoint

Professional musicians Court Musicians (for royalty: princes, dukes, etc.)

Rulers wanted to hold on to power, and they imitated Louis XIV use of the arts as propaganda City musicians – employed a “town piper” with exclusive rights to produce music in the city

Public ceremonies, weddings, parades, etc. In Lutheran areas, the city or town was responsible for hiring musicians for churches

Amateur musicians – many towns (or schools) had a collegium musicum Educated middle class Played or sung together, or went to concerts to hear professionals together Aristocrats became performs and composers as well as patrons

German Opera Center was Hamburg, first public opera house in 1678

Catholic Church Music Two styles: older contrapuntal style (Palestrina) and newer concerted style (more like opera)

Lutheran Music Chorales

Composers & Instrumentalists Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) Dieterich Buxtehude (1637 – 5.9.1707) Georg Philipp Telemann (3.14.1681 – 6.25.1767) George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)