©2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 1

2 The orchestra began in the baroque period Orchestras first used to accompany singers Royalty and wealthy families hired musicians and composer-conductors to provide instrumental music Originally orchestras consisted of only bowed stringed instruments

©2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 3 Handel composed Water Music for King George II of England in 1717 Composed to be performed for the king and guests on a barge on the Thames River Water Music is can be divided into three suites of dances Performance of this work on the king’s barge did not include the harpsichord because of limited space

©2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 4 Listening Guide Example from CD 3, track 19, p. 103 Orchestral suite Homophonic texture ABA form (minuet and trio) Triple meter Strings, horns, oboes, bassoon, harpsichord Listen to the entire example : Notice that only strings and continuo play the middle trio section

©2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 5 From the Latin word concertare, which means to fight or contend Concertos developed out of the interest in contrasting soft and loud sounds Composers applied this idea in music by contrasting dissimilarly sized groups of instruments Types of concertos Concerto grosso (small solo group & orchestra) Solo concerto (solo instrument & orchestra)

©2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 6 Multi-movement work contrasting a small group of solo instruments ( concertino ) and full orchestra ( ripieno ) Three-movement structure (fast- slow- fast) commonly used Ritornello ( Italian for “return” or “repetition ”) Common in concerto grosso; thematic material for ripieno returns between concertino passages Read “The Live Experience: Playing Solos in Baroque Music” (p. 104) about musicians inserting personalities into performances

©2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 7 Bach composed music for court orchestras, particularly at Anhalt-Cöthen Six works dedicated to Christian Ludwig, the Margrave of Brandenburg Three follow concerto grosso style of concertino and ripieno groups Bach created timbre contrast within the concertino as well as between concertino and ripieno

©2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 8 Listening Guide Excerpt from CD 3, Tracks 20-22, pp Concerto grosso Allegro tempo Ritornello form (typical for first movement) Quadruple meter Concertino : flute, violin, harpsichord Ripieno : string orchestra with continuo Listen to the opening of this movement: The ripieno plays the ritornello at the beginning and end of the excerpt The concertino plays contrasting music in between

©2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 9 Shaped like a small grand piano Metal strings are pluckedCrisp tone quality Commonly used in baroque orchestras

©2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 10 Desire for more contrast led to solo concerto: multi-movement work in which concertino consists of only one instrument Ripieno plays without a solo instrument or group prolific composer of solo concertos: Antonio Vivaldi

©2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved Violinist father taught him to play violin Interested in priesthood and music, became known as the Red Priest because of his red hair Composed solo concertos each week for Sunday concerts at the orphanage Worked as violin teacher and composer at a girl’s orphanage; orphanage’s orchestra became famous Born in Venice, Italy and died in Vienna, Austria Composed over 500 concertos, many sonatas, operas and cantatas

©2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 12 The Four Seasons is a set of 4 violin concertos and is one of Vivaldi’s best- known works instrumental music associated with a nonmusical idea stated in the title or program The Four Seasons is an early example of baroque program music: Each concerto is named for a season and a sonnet about the season introduces the music Music depicts seasonal sounds: birds singing, streams murmuring, thunder and lightning, leaves rustling

©2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 13 Listening Guide Excerpt from CD 1, Tracks 10-14, pp Solo concerto Allegro tempo Ritornello form (typical for first movement) Quadruple meter Concertino : solo violin(s) Ripieno : string orchestra with continuo Listen to an excerpt from this movement: The concertino plays trills like bird calls followed by the ripieno playing the ritornello theme

©2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 14 Hear these movements on CD 3, Tracks 23-24, pp Second Movement Solo concerto Largo tempo Triple meter Solo violin, first and second violins, viola Provides contrast with first movement Third Movement Solo concerto Allegro tempo Ritornello form Quadruple meter Solo violin, string orchestra, continuo Dance-like

©2009, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 15 Texture Tonality Rhythm Singing Style Large Vocal Works Small Vocal Works Musical Instruments Solo Instrumental Music Group Instrumental Music Other Features Homophonic, polyphonic Major-minor system with dissonance used for special effects Cantata Measured Monody, recitative, aria, arioso, large-scale choral works Opera, oratorio, Passion, Mass Harpsichord, organ, lute, orchestras made up of bowed strings with some woodwinds and/or brass instruments with basso continuo Fantasia, prelude, toccata, fugue, suite Sonata da chiesa, sonata da camera, concerto grosso, solo concerto Activity, contrasts, and much improved embellishment to decorate the musical lines