1. Early Music & The Baroque Period

2. Early Music & The Baroque Period Lesson 1
Learning Intentions
I am…
revising my understanding of concepts covered in National 5.
learning about vocal styles in Early music and the Baroque period.
learning about instrumental music in Early music and the Baroque period.
Success Criteria
I can….
understand and identify the concepts covered at National 5.
identify the vocal and instrumental styles used in Early and Baroque music.

3. Task 1 – Matching Task
Each group has been given flashcards, some with concepts and some with definitions. Your task is to match the correct concept with the correct definition.

4. Plainchant
The earliest music we know, both sacred and secular consists of a single melodic line – This texture is called Monophonic.
Early church music, known as plainchant, was sung without accompaniment and the melody set to words of the Roman Catholic liturgy.
Plainchants are modal and have no regular metre. They follow the rhythm of the Latin words.
Plainchants are still in regular use today in many churches and Abbeys.

5. Gregorian Chant/Plainchant - Higher Recap
Gregorian chant was named after Gregory the Great, who was Pope from 590 until his death in 604.
Homophonic
Unaccompanied
Features of
Plainchant
No regular meter
Set to the words of the Roman Catholic Liturgy
Modal
Top Tip: Set your notes out as a mind map!

6. Modes/Modal
Early music was very different to what we are used to in the 20th century.
Tonality as we know it did not exist
(i.e. Major, Minor, Atonal)
Early music was based on a System of Modes of which there are 12.
Music of this period was therefore called Modal.

7. Modes

8. Modes
Music during the Medieval and Renaissance period was very different to what we are used to hearing today.
Tonality as we know it today did not exist. (ie Major, Minor & Atonal)
Music during the Medieval period was based on a system of 12 modes.
Music of this period was therefore modal.
The system of modes if thought to have originated in Greece where an attempt was made to put available sounds in order.

9. Modes in other Era’s We often find modes used in: Jazz music.
Scottish/Celtic music.
Klezmer music.
Flamenco music uses the Phyrigian Mode which is also called the ‘Spanish Gypsy Mode’.
Some Pop music such as Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” & Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water”, these both use the Dorian Mode. The Beatles often used the Myxolydian Mode.

10. Mass
The Mass is a sacred choral work and is the service of the Roman Catholic Church. Features of the Mass incluse latin text and polyphonic texture, and it is usually sung in a cappella. Originally used in church worship it became a focus for many composers through the ages as a major style of composition. There are five parts to the Mass:
Kyrie eleison – ‘God have mercy’
Gloria – ‘Glory to God in the Highest’
Credo – ‘I believe in God’
Sanctus and Benedictus – ‘Holy, holy’ and ‘Blessed is he’
Agnus Dei – ‘Lamb of God’

11. Renaissance Era – Sacred Music
The Mass – Sacred choral work using sections of the Roman Catholic Liturgy.
Latin Text
Contains ‘Religious Buzzwords’ from the sections of the Mass: Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus & Agnus Dei
Features of
The Mass
Polyphonic
Usually A Cappella*
Top Tip: Use the song previews in iTunes to listen to examples.

12. Renaissance Era – Sacred Music
The Mass eventually evolved to be a large scale work for soloists, chorus and orchestra.*
This means more modern masses would have had an accompaniment.
Listening Guide: Listen to some works by the following composers: Palistrina & Thomas Tallis.
Palistrina – ‘Pope Marcellus Mass: Kyrie’
Tallis – ‘Mass for 4 Voices: I Gloria’ & ‘Puer Natus Est Nobis: II Sanctus’

13. What am I? I am a vocal piece of music. 100 points
I am sacred in nature points
My text is in Latin points
I am polyphonic in texture points
I am usually A Cappella points
I use many voices points
I evolved to be a large work for orchestra & chorus points
I have 5 sections including the Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Santus & Angus Dei point
I am…………
A Mass!!

14. What am I? I am a vocal piece of music. 40 points
I am sacred in nature points
I am modal points
My text is from the Roman Catholic Liturgy. 10 points
I am homophonic in texture points
I am usually performed A Cappella point
I am…………
A Gregorian chant/Plainchant!!

15. Task 2 - Listening Task
Listen to the following example from the Bach’s Mass in B minor. Write down concepts which describe what you hear
Think about………
-Rhythm and Tempo
-Melodic concepts
-Instruments and instrumental techniques used

16. Baroque Period
The Age Of
Bach and Handel

17. Baroque
The word Baroque was first used to describe the highly decorative and often grand style of architecture and art of the 17th century. Musicians borrowed the word, and used it to describe the musical styles of the period spanning 150 years, from the birth of oratorio and opera to the death of J. S. Bach.

18. There were many important composers in the Baroque period
There were many important composers in the Baroque period.... The 2 most influential were
George Frederic Handel
Born Halle Saxony
Died London England
Johann Sebastian Bach
Born Thuringia Germany
Died Leipzig Germany

19. Bach and Handel
Both Bach and Handel composed mostly Religious/Sacred Music
Both Bach and Handel wrote Keyboard Music
Bach and Handel both wrote Concerti Grossi

20. Oratorio
The first Oratorios started to appear at the start of the Baroque Period and in many ways were similar to the Opera of the day. It featured Soloists (who performed Recitatives and Arias), a Choir and an Orchestra. The main differences lay in the fact that the Oratorio was always based on a religious subject, and had no scenery.
Possibly the best known example would be:
“Messiah” by George Frederick Handel.

21. Task 3 – Individual Listening
This question is based on the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah.
Listen to the excerpt and follow the guide score printed below.
Insert the rest missing from bar 1.
Insert the notes missing from bar 6.
Describe the interval formed by the two notes in the box in bar 10.
It is an interval of a/an
Insert the rhythm missing in bar 9.

22. Like an opera, there are three main types of song in an Oratorio.
ARIA – This is a song from an opera. It has a beautiful flowing melody and is accompanied by an orchestra.
RECITATIVE – This is half sung, half spoken and uses a free, speech like rhythm. It’s purpose is to tell the audience what is happening in the story and help move the plot along.
CHORUS – A group of singers (also known as a choir)

24. QUESTION
Listen to the following examples and decide whether you are listening to a RECITATIVE, ARIA or CHORUS.
This is an example of a/an

25. Da Capo Aria
An aria in Ternary form (ABA) used in opera and oratorio in the 17th and 18th centuries. The third section is not written out but the instruction Da capo (from the beginning) is given instead. The repeat of the A section was performed with the solo ornamented.
Task 3 – Pairs Task
In pairs, listen to the following excerpt from Handel’s ‘The Trumpet shall sound’ and fill in the blank spaces with the concept you hear.

26. Task 3 – Pairs Task
The piece opens with , and solo playing. The introduction ends with the solo instrument playing an ornament which is a A solo voice then enters and the solo instrument continues to play. This is known as a/an
harpsichord
strings
trumpet
trill.
bass
obbligato.

27. As you listen answer the following:
a) Identify the type of work: Pick from Opera or Oratorio
Identify the type of song:
The type of voice(s)

28. Effects of contrast, especially of dynamics and timbres.
Music for Orchestra
It was during the Baroque period that the orchestra first began to take shape. Here are some typical features of the Baroque Orchestra.
A firm basis of strings to which composers would add other instruments: one or two flutes (or recorders), oboes, bassoons, perhaps horns, occasionally trumpets and timpani.
The sound of organ or harpsichord continuo – a bass line in which the player was expected to fill in the harmonies. Sometimes figures were written under the bass line indicating the chords the composer would like played. This was called figured bass.
Effects of contrast, especially of dynamics and timbres.

29. Concerto Grosso
One of the most important instrumental forms used by Baroque composers was the Concerto Grosso.
The Concerto Grosso had two contrasting small groups.
Ripieno – the main body of strings
Concertino - a group of soloists
They were supported by the Basso Continuo which was played by a harpsichord or organ which usually had a cello or bassoon playing and reinforcing the bass line.

30. As you watch identify the instruments which are:
a) part of the concertino
b) part of the ripeno

31. Task 4 - Listening Task
You are going to listen to Bradenburg Concerto No. 4 written by J.S Bach. The excerpt is taken from the 3rd movement and you should answer the following questions;
What type of concerto is this work? Give reasons for your answer.
Which instruments are playing in this performance?
This line is heard at the start of the extract. Which instrument is playing it?
What else is heard at the opening of the extract?
The performance is an authentic performance – that is, it is played in a style and on instruments of the composer’s day. Give one change of instrument that would make such a performance unauthentic.