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Music 315
Public School Music
Dr. Peter LaRue

Baroque Music
(There follows some basic information which you might find interesting or helpful regarding this particular musical era. It is my hope that you may glean from this materials, two types of learnings; a) an understanding of this primary era of music, and b) ways to incorporate music from this era in your classroom)

The Baroque 1600-1750

the stabilization of music as we know it today - a time of - more personal expression - trends towards the decorative - trends towards the emotional - excessive emphasis on flamboyant/dramatic

.....Visual Arts: fully decorative ["every square inch filled"]
.....Fashion: elaborate hair styles, frilly clothes,
.....Religion: splendor of cathedrals/services
.....Music: tried to paint pictures
.....Paintings: tried to produce motion

The World

Americans were colonized - Louis XIV "The Sun King"  of France; most important court of the day - Literature; Milton-England, Cervantes-Spain - Painting; Peter Paul Reuben, Rembrandt-Netherlands - Phil./Science; Bacon, Galileo, Descartes and Newton

Music in General: dominated by Italian ideas - [Venice leading, Florence, Naples, Rome] - written for specific medium [strings, voice, etc.] - express/represent a wide range of ideas/feelings

The Two Practices: [conflicting in intent and content]
.....stile antico - first practice
.....stile moderno - second practice

stile antico: music dominated the text [polyphony]
stile moderno: text dominated the music [monody]

Monody: invention/development of [both sacred and secular]
[problem with polyphony telling stories-too much]

.....rise of Opera
     because of monody and use of music to tell stories
.....flavor for extravagance
.....rise of patronage [music for hire]
.....great royal houses/cities/courts
.....German-Kapellmeisters [masters of chapel]
.....rise of middle class-Leipzig/Hamburg

First Opera of note [probably] Peri and Caccini "Euridice" 1600 in Florence

operas: oft-used text from Greek and Roman Mythology - orchestra, chorus, 
soloists, staging, costumes, dancing

Rise of the Oratorio: could not perform operas during Lent/Advent

oratorios: primarily religious texts and subjects - chorus, orchestra, soloists,
no staging, costumes, dancing

Four Primary Elements of Baroque Music:

Rhythm, Melody, Texture and Harmony

Baroque Rhythm: Motor Rhythm
based upon dance with strong/metrical/accents
drive/vigor/steadiness of beat through a movement
pulse established by the bass line and maintained

Baroque Melody: Fortspinnung
previously main medium was voice - rise of use of instrumental melodies - use of specific instruments for sounds - melodic extensions [spinning out/Fortspinnung

Baroque Texture: Monody
move away from massive layers of polyphony - clear melody supported by chords and bass line - bass line-basso continuo - standard form; duet w/basso continuo - 2 for duet, 2 for basso continuo

Baroque Harmony
harmonies supported melodies - start with harmonic structure/melody fit - unlike renaissance horizontal feel - Baroque had a sense of vertical orientation

Dynamics in music: how loud or soft [ff >>> pp]
Baroque use of terraced dynamics; levels - more play, less play
Terraced Dynamics; contrast/emotion/descriptive

Popular Instrumental Form: Concerto Grosso; large concerto
.....concertino - soloist or group of soloists
.....ripieno - full orchestra
.....ritornello - repeated or primary themes

Review of Baroque Musical Traits
.....terraced dynamics
.....fortspinnung
.....motor rhythm
.....basso continuo
.....monody

Consonance versus Dissonance

Dissonance: sounds wrong to western ears/ jangling/ bad
Consonance: sounds right/ logical
The Baroque music versus Renaissance approach

English Baroque [a little later as the English were also in the renaissance]

John Blow and Henry Purcell
.....Purcell wrote many religious works, instrumental and keyboard selections, 
     secular vocal compositions.
.....Purcell Main Fame: Dido and Aeneas [based on Virgil's Aeneid]
     opera written for girls boarding school [1 hr.] - Main Players: four soloists, chorus, dances  
     trio of witches, instrumentalist - and one drunken sailor - work is very emotional, tells a  
     story has recitatives

Mature Baroque: Main Players & Super-Heroes
Vivaldi/Italy--concertos//Rameau/France--operas//
J. S. Bach/Germany--cantatas//G. F. Handel/England--oratorios

Vivaldi: 
Father was a leading violinist at St. Mark's in Venice - educated for priesthood and music - ill-health kept him from the priesthood - oft-called the "Red-Haired Priest" - worked almost exclusively in Venice - continuous need for new music [Bach/Handel, etc. also] - one of the fastest composers to have lived - concerto grosso [review ripieno/concertino] - one or more solo instruments with orchestra - ritornello-returning part/basic musical idea - highest form of this art - Four Seasons - Concepts: terraced dynamics, ripieno, concertino, ritornello, program

Rameau
foremost French musician of the 18th century - practically unknown until the age of 40 - first recognized as a musical theorist/only later as composer - most significant compositions age 50-56 - essentially defined modern tonality [M/m/inversions/I/IV/V] - music generally exhibited heroic qualities/grace/clarity, etc. - as well-known as a theorist as for his compositions - famous works include: Castor et Polllux - Hippolyte et Aricie - [demonstration on piano major/minor I-IV-V/chords]

Super Hero: Johan Sebastian Bach

German - son of a violinist - family of many generations of working musicians-over 200 years - became an orphan at age 10 - went to live with brother who taught him the clavichord - copied music at night - later disaster to eyes - began composing for the organ at age 16 - at age 18 began long career as musician - working class musician/organist-violinist/choir director - married twice; 1st to cousin Maria [Bach was 22 at the time] - 2nd to Anna Magdalena [Bach was 36 at the time] - 7 children from 1st wife [at least] - 13 children from 2nd wife [at least] - several children went on to greatness - CPE, JC, etc. - was virtually blind and suffered strokes before his death in 1750 - Music known for strength, simplicity and nobility of spirit - Towering serenity, intricate design

Overall
high quality of enormous output
almost universal respect and veneration by all musician

Cantor of St. Thomas in Leipzig/Lutheran Heavy-Weight - great craftsman/pleasure and edification of fellowmen - all music was for the Glory of God - A Gift Back to the Giver - very religious - would have been surprised at his fame and notoriety today - wrote in most forms except opera - main forms: cantatas, motets, masses, chorales vocal & instrumental. - use of the fugue; subject/answer/counter subject - Mendelssohn resurrection of Bach in 1800's

Noteworthy Compositions
.....Brandenburg Concertos
.....Saint. John and Saint Matthew Passions
.....Cantatas
.....Motets
.....Chorales
.....Preludes and Fugues
.....Well-Known Songs/Tunes
     Air on a G String, Sheep May Safely Graze, Arioso,
     Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, Come Sweet Death

Word About Fugues:
the word "fugue" translates loosely to "fleeting" or "flight" - fugues are a tad like theme & variation - except main theme remains virtually unaltered - 1st voice - subject - 2nd voice - answer [subject in a different key] - countersubject [acc. of voice 1 while 2 on answer]

Super Hero: Georg Frederic Handel

Born in Germany - usually associated with England - thoroughly international composer - German seriousness/Italian suavity/French grandeur/ - matured in England with grand choral tradition - unlike Bach's very personal music-Handel-cosmopolitan - unlike others-popular then, popular now - organ/harpsichord-primary; oboe/violin-secondary - wrote in all forms; operas, instrumental suites, sonatas - concertos, etc. - oft-associated with Oratorios: massive choral and instrumental forces, English - soloists, recitatives [explain], religious story - unlike opera as there is no staging-cheaper - concepts: ritornello, terraced dynamics, ripieno-concertino] interesting stories of both fireworks music and water music - Highlights from the Messiah] Comfort Ye - Ev'ry Valley - And the Glory of the Lord - For Unto Us a Child Is Born - Hallelujah Chorus - concepts: oratorio, baroque traits throughout, narrative, etc. - use of soloists, recitatives, dramatic, expressive, magnificence-towering impressiveness

Noteworthy Compositions
.....the Messiah
.....Royal Fireworks Music
.....Water Music
.....discussion of others as time permits