1. Chapter 7 LATE BAROQUE MUSIC BACH AND HANDEL Craig Wright’s Listening to Music, 4/edition

2. Timeline

3. Late Baroque Aesthetic
Refinement rather than innovation
Old forms polished and perfected
Culmination of Baroque style
Drama through contrast
Large blocks of sound placed in opposition
Musical forms provide framework for contrast

4. Late Baroque Musical Style
Melody
Principle of continuing development
Long, expansive, and irregular phrases
Melodic sequence
Rhythm
The most distinctive and exciting element of Baroque music
Strong, recognizable sense of meter
Harmony
Continuation of major and minor keys, basso continuo
Constant rate of harmonic change a new feature
Texture: Return of counterpoint

5. Late Baroque Orchestra
Modern symphony orchestra emerges
Rarely more than 25 players
More instruments added for festive occasions

6. Late Baroque Orchestra
Modern symphony orchestra emerges
Strings form the core of the ensemble
Violins replace viols
Multiple string players on each part

7. Late Baroque Orchestra
Modern symphony orchestra emerges
Strings form the core of the ensemble
Woodwinds
Oboes or flutes
Bassoon

8. Late Baroque Orchestra
Modern symphony orchestra emerges
Strings form the core of the ensemble
Woodwinds
Brasses
Trumpet or French horn
Both instruments usually played by one musician

9. Late Baroque Orchestra
Modern symphony orchestra emerges
Strings form the core of the ensemble
Woodwinds
Brasses
Percussion
Rarely used in Baroque music
Parts were not written out

10. Late Baroque Orchestra
Modern symphony orchestra emerges
Strings form the core of the ensemble
Woodwinds
Brasses
Percussion
Basso continuo still essential

11. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Career
Weimar ( ), organist
Cöthen ( ), court composer and conductor
Leipzig ( ), cantor
Reputation
During his lifetime known more as a great organist than as a composer
Brought the cantata to the highest point of development
The greatest composer of contrapuntal music in the history of western music

12. Organ Fugue in G Minor (ca. 1710)
Subject: the theme that serves as the fugue’s primary musical idea
Exposition: opening section of fugue during which each voice in turn presents the subject for the first time
Episode: freer sections where the subject is not heard in its entirety
Definition of fugue
A composition for three or more parts, either vocal or instrumental
Begins with each part presenting the subject one after the other
Continues with alternating passages of episodes and further appearances of the subject

13. Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
Completed in 1721
Violin, flute, and harpsichord constitute the concertino
Harpsichord treated as a soloist and not relegated to the basso continuo
Considered the first concerto for a keyboard instrument
First movement in Ritornello form
Nine ritornello sections
Played by the tutti
Theme consists of two parts, A and B

14. Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (cont)
Solo sections
Concertino instruments play motives derived from ritornello themes
Ritornello theme, part A
Solo Section 1
· Last solo section concludes with a lengthy cadenza for the harpsichord

15. Opera / Cantata

16. Cantata: Awake, A Voice is Calling
First performed on November 25, 1731, the last Sunday before Advent
Text elaborates the Gospel reading: St. Matthew 25: 1-13
Wise and foolish virgins symbolize the contrast between those who are prepared to receive the coming Christ and those who are not
The message: get your spiritual house in order
Three movements for chorus based on the tune and text of a traditional chorale
Chorale: German hymn tune
Awake, a Voice is Calling (Wachet auf)

17. Cantata: Awake, A Voice is Calling (cont.)
First movement a chorale fantasy
Sopranos sing chorale tune in long tones
Altos, tenors, and basses sing contrapuntal lines that reflect the meaning of the text
Orchestral accompaniment
Opening ritornello introduces three motive
Orchestra plays an interlude between each phrase of the chorale tune

18. George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
Career
Hamburg ( )
Italy ( )
Hanover (1710)
London ( )
Reputation
Most famous composer in Europe and a national institution in England
Reputation continued to increase after his death
Perhaps the finest composer for chorus who ever lived

19. Water Music (1717) Composed for a public entertainment A dance suite
A collection of instrumental dances
Each movement has its own distinctive rhythm and character
All movements in binary form (A and B)
Intended as concert music, not to accompany dancing
Horn Pipe
Energetic dance derived from the country jig, a popular dance among sailors
Triple meter, with syncopations
Minuet and Trio
Minuet a moderate, triple meter dance
Second minuet is shorter and called a trio
Composition was an immediate success

20. OPERA / CANTATA / ORATORIO

21. Messiah Composed during the summer of 1741
Premiered in Dublin, Ireland, April, 1742
Choir of 23 voices and small orchestra
Enthusiastic response
Tells the story of Christ in a general way
Divided into three parts
Prophecy and Incarnation of the Messiah
Triumph of the Gospel
Victory over Death
Mood of lyrical meditation and exaltation
Nineteen choruses

22. “Hallelujah” Chorus Concludes Part II of the oratorio
Text based on passages from The Revelation of St. John
Hallelujah (Rev. 19:6)
For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth (Rev. 19:6)
The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ (Rev. 11:15)
And he shall reign for ever and ever (Rev. 11:15)
King of Kings, and Lord of Lords (Rev. 19:16)
Each phrase of the text given its own musical identity
Tradition states the George II was so moved that he rose to his feet in admiration