Baroque Music () Questions and Answers 100% Pass

Baroque Music () Questions and Answers 100% Pass Two Giants of baroque composition George Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach (Bach's death in 1750 marks death of the period) Opera drama sung to orchestral accompaniment; melodic lines imitated the rhythms and inflections of speech Early baroque composers favored... homophonic texture (unlike the renaissance); characterizes early period; by the latter period they favored pholyphonic texture Tonal basis of most compositions (1690) major or minor scales Unity of Mood baroque piece usually expresses one basic mood: what beings joyful will remain joyful throughout Affections emotional states like joy, grief and agitation were represented in works in this period Rhythm continuity of rhythm is used to convey unity of mood; compels drive and energy Melody Creates a feeling of continuity; many baroque melodies sound elaborate and ornamental and are not easy to sing or remember; gives impression of dynamic expansion rather than balance or symmetry Dynamics parallels continuity of rhythm and melody: the level of volume tends to stay fairly constant for a stretch of time Terraced dynamics alternation between loud and soft; when dynamics do shift it is sudden like physically stepping from one level to another main keyboard instruments organ and harpsichord because both are well suited for continuity Texture imitation between various lines or "voices" of the texture is very common Music in society -music was composed to order for specific events -the primary areas of employment for musicians were in aristocratic courts, the church and the opera house. Composers working aristocratic courts were consdiered the servants -Some aristocrats became accomplished muscians -Large towns employed musicians for a variety of functions Important style features Mood and emotional expression, rhythm, dynamics, tone color, melody and harmony, texture Mood and emotional expression -in instrumental music, a section or entire movement will express one basic mood throughout ("unity of mood") -In vocal music, changes of mood in the text are often accompanied by changes in the music rhythm rhythmic patterns heard at the beginning of a piece are often repeated throughout -the rhythmic pulse is regular, consistent, and strong, typically featuring a constantly moving bass line, even when the music is in a slow tempo -the unity of rhythm provides compelling drive and energy that are characteristic of baroque music dynamics terraced dynamics change suddenly rather than gradually and are a major feature of baroque music tone color -the basso continuo-consisting of a bass melodic instrument, such as the cell or basson; and a keyboard instrument, such as the organ or harpsichord-is one of the most distinctive instrumental features of baroque music -stringed instruments predominate, along with the basso continuo. Woodwind, brass and percussion instruments are optional and variable in number when used -purely instrumental music grows in importance as a genre throughout the baroque period Melody and Harmony melodies are often complex and are not easy to remember on one hearing -melodies recur as a whole or in part throughout a movement or aria. -melodies give an impression of continuous expansion, even within a slow tempo -vocal melodies frequently use wide leaps and contain striking chromatic intervals -harmony is based on major and minor scales but may contain passages of striking chromaticism texture in late baroque music, the texture is predominantly polyphonic, with an emphasis on the lowest and highest melodic lines -the bass line provides a harmonic foundation for the music, often written as a figured bass that encouraged improvisation -imitation between the individual melodic lines of music is very common baroque performance practice performers of baroque music face numerous choices about how they are going to play the music written on the page. their decisions greatly affect the music you hear -baroque musical scores often do not specify either the instruments to be used in a performance or the exact numbers of performers required, expecially in early baroque music. Pay careful attention to the types and number of instruments or voices you hear -improvisation and viruosity by instrumentalists and vocalists were both expected and greatly prized by baroque audiences. Performing or "realizing" a basso continuo line relies heavily on its practice. Listen carefully for the dinstinctive sound of the basoo continuo, or note if the soloist embellishes the music if a section is repeated -performers of baroque music must choose to perform on either "authentic" period instruments that are typical of those used during the baroque era, or moder instruments that utilize technological advances made since the music was composed clavichord keyboar instrument; gradual dynamic changes within a narrow volume range basso continuo accompaniment made up of a bass part usually played by two instruments: a keyboard plus a low melodic instrument figured bass bass part of baroque accompaniment with figures (numbers) above it indicating the chords o be played movement piece that sounds fairly complete and independent but is part of a larger composition tutti in italian, all; full orchestra, or a large group of musicians contrasted with a smaller group; often heard in baroque music ritornello form compositional form usually employed in the baroque concerto grosso, in which the tutti plays a ritornello, or refrain, alternating with one or more soloists playing new material ritornello in italian, refrain; a repeated section of music usually played by the full orchestra, or tutti in baroque compostitions subject theme of a fugue answer second presentation of a subject in a fugue, usually in the dominant scale countersubject in a fugue, a melodic idea that accompanies the subject fairly constantly episode transitional section in a fugue between presentations of the subject, which offers either new material or fragments of the subject or countersubject stretto compositional procedure used in fugues, in which a subject is imitated before it is completed; one voice tries to catch another pedal point (organ point) single tone, usually in the bass, which is held while the other voices produce a series of changing harmonies against it; often found fugues inversion variation of fugue subject in which each interval of the subject is reversed in direction retrograde variation of fugue subject in which the subject is presented by beginning with its last note and proceeding backward to the first augmentation variation of a fugue subject in which the original time values of the subject are lengthened dimunution variation of a fugue subject in which original time values are shortened prelude short piece usually serving to introduce a fugue or another composition; a short piece for piano (see overture) libretto text for an opera librettist dramatist who writes the libretto, or text, of an opera voice categories of opera voice ranges which include coloratura soprano, lyric soprano, dramatic soprano, lyric tenor, dramatic tenor, basso buffo, and basso profundo, among others aria song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment, usually expressing an emotional state through its outpouring of melody; found in operas, oratorios and cantanas recitative vocal line in opera, oratorio or cantana that imitates the rhythms and pitch fluctuations of speech, often serving to lead into an aria ensemble in opera, a piece performed by three or more solo singers chorus (1) a group of singers performing together, generally with more than one to a part (2) in jazz, a statement of the basic harmonic pattern or melody prompter person who gives cues and reminds singers of their words or pitches during an opera performance. the prompter is located in a box just over the edge of scenter stage, which conceals him or her from the audience overture (prelude) short musical composition, purely orchestral, which opens an opera and sets the overall dramatic mood. orchestral introductions to later acts of an opera are called preludes camerata in italian, fellowship or society; a group of nobles, poets and composers who began to meet regularly in Florence around 1575 and whose musical discussions prepared the way for the beginning of opera castrato male singer castrated before puberty to retain a high voice range; the most important category of vocal soloists in opera during the baroque period countertenor male who sings in a female pitch range using a special kind of voice production secco recitative speechlike melody that is sung by a solo voice acompanied only by a basso continuo accompanied recitative speechlike melody that is sung by a solo voice accompanied by the orchestra da capo aria aria in A B A form; after the B section, the term da cap is written; this means from the beinning and indicates a repetition of the opening A section da capo from the beginning; an idication usually meaning that the opening section of a piece is to be repeated after the middle section ground bass (basso ostinato) variation form in which a musical idea in the bass is repeated over and over while the melodies above it continually change; common in baroque music fugue polyphonic composition based on one main theme or subject trill musical ornament consisting of the rapid alteration of two tones that are a whole or half step apart improvisation creation of music at the same time it is performed suite in baroque music, a set of dance-inspired movements all written in the same key but differing in tempo, meter and character french overture common opening piece in baroque suites, oratorios and operas; usually in two parts: the first slow, with characteristic dotted rhythms, full of dignity and grandeur; the second quick and lighter in mood, often starting like a fugue chorale hymn tune sung to a german religious text chorale prelude short composition for organ, based on a hymn tune and often used to remind the congregation of the melody before the hymn is sung