Late Baroque Music (1710-1750 AD)

Late Baroque Music (1710-1750 AD)

1. Instrumental

   • Sonata
     • Chamber Music
     • Played in home
     • Collection of short movements
       • Movement
         • An independent section of a larger instrumental work
       • Most are 4-6 movements
       • Each movement has a dance like character
         • Allemand, sarabarde, gavotte, gigne
         • Played as concert music
           • People didn't dance
           • Stylized dance music
     • Ways to designate a sonata
       • By People
         • Solo Sonata
           • A soloist and two performers playing basso continuo
         • Trio Sonata
           • Three Parts
             • Melody 1
             • Melody 2
             • Basso Continuo
       • By Location
         • Sonata da Camera
           • "Chamber"
           • Residential Settings
           • Movements bore the name and character of a particular dance
         • Sonata da Chiesa
           • "Church"
           • Performed during church services
           • Movements are designated by tempo markings
           • Considered inappropriate to play secular music in church
   • Concerto
     • Marked by a friendly contest or competition between a soloist and an orchestra
       • Solo Concerto
         • One soloist and an orchestra
       • Concerto Grosso
         • A small group of soloists (2-4) and an orchestra
           • Soloists
             • Concertino
               • "Little Concert"
             • Normally first chair players
             • More virtuosic style
           • Orchestra
             • Tutti
               • "Everybody"
       • Typically three movements
         • First
           • Serious
           • Ritornello Form
         • Second
           • Lyrical and tender
           • Free Form
         • Third
           • Often rustic, dance-like character
           • Ritornello Form
             • Refrain, Return
             • All/part of main theme returns throughout the movement
             • Played by tutti
         • Fast, Slow, Fast

2. Antonio Vivaldi

   • 1678-1741
   • Career
     • A virtuoso violinist who gave concerts throughout Europe
     • Noted Teacher
       • Associated with the Ospedale della Pieta from 1703-1740
         • Taught music lessons and conducted orchestra
           • Ultimately become its music director
       • Composed hundreds of solo concertos for the all female orchestra

3. Baroque Asthetic

   • Refinement rather than innovation
     • Old forms polished and perfected
     • Culmination of Baroque style
   • Drama through contrast
     • Large blocks of sound placed in opposition
     • Musical forms provide framework for contrast
   • Melody
     • Continuing Development
     • Long, expansive and irregular phrases
     • Melodic Sequence
   • Rhythm
     • Most distinctive and exciting element
     • Strong recognizable sense of meter
   • Texture
     • Return of counterpoint

4. Orchestra

   • Rarely more than 25 players
   • More instruments added for festive occasions
   • Strings form the core of the ensemble
     • Violins replace viols
     • Multiple sting players per part
   • Woodwinds
     • Oboes or flutes
     • Bassoons
   • Brasses
     • Trumpets or French horn
       • Both usually played by same musican
   • Percussion
     • Rarely Used
     • Parts were not written out
   • Basso continuo still essential

5. Johann Sebastian Bach

   • 1685-1750
   • Career
     • Weimar
       • 1708-1717
       • Organist
     • Cöthen
       • 1717-1723
       • Court conductor and composer
     • Leipzig
       • 1723-1750
       • Cantor
     • Typical Baroque musical patronage
   • Reputation
     • Incredible improviser
     • Known more as a great organist than as a composer
     • Brought the cantata to the highest point of development
     • Arguably the greatest composer of contrapuntal music in the history of Western music

6. Fugue

   • Subject
     • The theme that serves as the fugue's primary musical idea
   • Exposition
     • Opening Section
     • Each voice in turn presents the subject
   • Episode
     • Freer sections where the subject is not heard in its entirety
   • Three or more parts (vocal/instrumental)

7. Cantata: Awake a voice is calling

   • Matthew 25:1-3

8. Handel

   • Career
     • Hamburg
       • 1703-1706
     • Italy
       • 1706-1710
     • Hanover
       • 1710
     • London
       • 1710-1759
     • New free market support of music emerges
   • Reputation
     • Most famous composer in Europe and a national institution in England
     • Fame continued to increase after death
     • Scholars (e.g. William Weber) argue that the English canon largely formed around Handel