Baroque Unit 1600 - 1750

Composers Germany Bach 1685 – 1750 Handel 1685 – 1759 England Purcell 1659 – 1695 France Couperin 1668 – 1733 Rameau 1683 – 1764 Italy Scarlatti 1600 - 1725

The Background to Baroque Music Musicians came to use the word Baroque to describe a period of musical history from the birth of opera and oratorio to the death of J.S Bach. The 17th Century saw the invention of several new forms and designs including opera, oratorio, fugue, suite, sonata and concerto. The violin family replaced the viols and the orchestra gradually started to take shape with strings as their foundation.

Vocal Music - Opera Like a play with music where everything that would be spoken is sung. Libretto – the text containing the story and words to be set to music. Singers – some to take solo parts as the main characters, and others to make up a chorus. Orchestra, Stage, Costumes and Scenery.

Oratorio This is setting religious text to music but without stage settings or costumes. Usually performed in churches and concert halls.

Cantata & Passion Cantata: (‘sung’) these are for soloists and chorus accompanied by orchestra and basso continuo, and are like miniature oratorios. Passion: a special type of oratorio telling the story of Christ’s crucifixion. The text is in German.

Recitative Recitative: A style of singing in which the main points of the plot are given to the listener in an Opera, Oratorio or Cantata. The words are set in a way that imitates the natural rise and fall and rhythm of speech.

Aria Aria: (songs) which portrayed the characters’ thoughts and emotions in an Opera, Oratorio or Cantata. Singers were expected to add vocal decoration, partly for variety and partly to show off their virtuosity. Da Capo Aria: written in ternary form with only the first two sections written out. At the end of section B, the composer wrote da capo (or D.C) meaning ‘from the beginning’. In repeating the first section (A) the singer was expected to add their own vocal decorations to the printed melody - coloratura.

French/Italian Overture The introduction to a large scale work e.g. opera, oratorio.

Instrumental Music Basso Continuo: A bass line, played by a low string instrument, such as a cello accompanied by a harpsichord or organ.

Fugue A contrapuntal piece based on a theme (subject) announced in one voice part alone, then imitated by other voices in close succession. In a fugue, the second time the melody enters it is called the answer. As the answer plays, the first part continues with the counter subject above. In a fugue, after the subject or answer is played, the continuation of that same instrument or voice is called the countersubject. The entries in a fugue are separated by sections of music called episodes.

Stretto Where voices or instruments enter very quickly one after the other, as in Fugue.  Each entry or part enters closely after the previous part, thus adding tension and excitement.

Chorale Prelude An extended composition for organ based on a chorale melody. The melody can be treated in a variety of ways, e.g. fugal style and variation form.

Suite A set of dances or a collection of pieces which are part of a larger scale work.

Hemiola It is a rhythmic device which is usually used in dance music where the meter changes briefly - 2 bars of 3 beats feel like 3 bars  of 2 beats, or vice-versa. 

Sonata Written for one or two instruments, many Baroque sonatas were written for two violins and continuo and were called trio sonatas.

Concerto Grosso A group of soloists -concertino showed off their skill against an orchestra of strings called either ripieno or tutti (everyone). A harpsichord or organ continuo filled out the texture.

Ritornello Little return. A 17th-century term for a brief introduction or interlude in a vocal composition, or for a brief instrumental passage between scenes in a 17th-century opera. In a Concerto grosso, the ritornello is the main theme played by the Ripieno group (the orchestra) and sometimes by Concertino (the soloists). The ritornello may return frequently throughout the movement, similar to a Rondo.

Solo Concerto From the concerto grosso grew the solo concerto, in which a single instrument plays along with the orchestra.

Ornaments An ornament decorates a melody by adding extra notes. Acciaccatura sounds like a crushed note played very quickly on the beat or just before it.  Appoggiatura takes half the value of the main note 

Ornaments Turn is four notes which turn round the main note with the note above, the main note, the note below, and the main note again. Inverted turn starts with the note below reversing the process.

Ornaments Trill is the rapid and repeated movement between two adjacent notes. Mordent is an ornament which sounds the main note, the note above and then the main note again. 

The Main Characteristics of Baroque Music The basso continuo becomes the foundation for most types of Baroque music. Viols were gradually replaced by the violin family; the string section becomes the basis of the Baroque orchestra, always with continuo filling out the harmonies and adding texture. By the end of the 17th century, the system of modes is replaced by the major-minor system. Main forms used: binary, ternary (da capo aria), ritornello and fugue. Many ornaments such as trills were added.