1. THE MUSIC IN THE BAROQUE PERIOD

2. CONTENTS Musical context. Chronology. Characteristics Introduction
Instruments of Baroque
Instrumental forms
The Baroque opera
Other vocal forms
Composers

3. Introduction CONTEXT It was known as the “age of enlightenment”
The power of reason was as important (or more) as faith
The influence of middle class rose, and helped lay the groundwork for the American and French Revolutions
It was the time of absolute monarchies, with Louis XIV: the king and the aristocracy marked the artistic patron, not the church
The scientific method came into being: Newton (gravity), Harvey (circulation of blood), Kepler ( the elliptical motion of planets)…
ARTS
The term Baroque was derived from a portuguese word meaning “a pearl of irregular shape”
It was used to imply strangeness, abnormality and extravagances applying more to art than music
Architecture: featured by movement, chiaroscuro, and the grandeur. Borromini, Bernini.
Sculpture: eagerness by the movement, exalted expression and gesture and theatricality. Bernini.
Painting: predilection by the naturalism, dynamism, optic effects and a strong expressivity; dramatic intensity and especial use of the lights and shadows. Velázquez, Rubens, Murillo, Rembrandt.

4. Some examples of baroque art:

5. II) MUSICAL CONTEXT
The technical, compositional and organizational demands on music directors for the royal courts were quite high, and it was necessary for influential musical figures to curry the favour of the court
Music directors in churches also had the juggle organizational and educational demands on his time with the need to constantly promote new music
The demands of performance settings were quite high, and possibly as a result, some of the highest quality compositions ever created came from this period
Chronology:
1. Early Baroque ( ): homophonic and polyphonic textures
2. Middle Baroque ( ): spread from Italy throughout Europe; mayor and minor scales in compositions
3. Late Baroque ( ): instrumental
compositions became just as important as
vocal compositions

6. III) CHARACTERISTICS GENERALS
Bass continuo: a keyboard and a bass instrument help to convey the harmonic support of chords under the melody
Major/Minoir tonalities
Functional harmony: melodic and harmonic sequences, free use of disonance
Doctrine of affections
Metric beats are very strict in tempo/ “senza batuta” tempo
Contrast of dynamic, texture, rhythm, colour and number of voices and instruments…
Terraced dynamics
Use of imitative polyphony and homophonic texture
Rich counterpoint and a highly decorated melodic line
Improvisation and virtuosity

7. III) CHARACTERISTICS INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC Increase of its importance
Use of absolute music
Use of monothematic compositions, thematic variations and sequencings
Inclination to contrast large sounds against small sounds (concerto grosso)
The orchestra and forms such as concert, suite, sonata appear
Some ancient instrument disapperar and other news appear
VOCAL MUSIC
Ensemble size is usually quite small (chois of 12 – 25 not uncommon)
Camerata instigated monody, recitatie and opera, against Renaissance polyphony
1631: professional female singers appear on the stage
The opera was conceived with its homophonic style to focus the listener’s concentraon on the poetic melody of the singer
Cantata, oratorio and pasion were conceived too

8. IV) INSTRUMENTS OF BAROQUE
KEYBOARDS
Organ
Harpsichord
Clavichord, virginal,
espineta
STRING
Violin, viola, cello double-bass
Guitar, lute, “vihuela”
WIND
Woodwind: bassoon, flute, oboe
Brasswind: horn, trumpet, trombon
PERCUSSION - Timpani

9. V) INSTRUMENTAL FORMS ¾ 4/4 6/8
CONCERTO GROSSO: a solo instrument or a small group of soloists contrasts with an orchestral ensemble; presents a contrast in texture between the group (tutti) and the soloists (ripieno). Composers: Corelli, Torelli, Haendel. Bach and Vivaldi used the type of ripieno and solo concerto too, with three movements with the quick ones in ritornello form.
SUITE: collection of small pieces based on dances, grouped togheter into a set with the same key but differing in tempo, meter and character; their structure of each one was binary (section A, ending to the dominant and returning to tonic during B). Composers: Bach, Haendel, Couperin, Froberger ac
TITLE
COUNTRY
CHARACTER
METER
ALLEMANDE
Germany
Moderate, stately
4/4
COURANTE
France
Quick, lively
SARABANDA
Spain
Slow, stately
GIGUE
England
Fast, lively
6/8

10. V) INSTRUMENTAL FORMS
SONATA: multimovement work composed for an unaccompanied solo sonata (one instrument), accompanied solo sonata (one instrument with basso continuo) and trio sonata (two instruments and basso continuo). Their movements contrast in tempo and texture. They can be Church Sonata, played in parts of a church with organ in the continuo parts, or Chamber Sonata, with dance movements and harpsichord in the continuo parts.
FUGUE: a composition (or technique) in which a theme is developed by imitative counterpoint. It stars with the exposition of the subject (main theme in the tonic); while the 2nd voice enters with the answer (subject in the dominant) the 1st proceed with the countersubject. This procedure is repeated until all the voices have entered. Then, the entries of the subject are separated by “episodes”. The middle entries can be in other keys, treating the theme in stretto or other variations. The final entry of the subject is in the tonic key. It’s performed by keyboards.

11. V) INSTRUMENTAL FORMS
Improvisatory forms, such as prelude, fantasia, toccata. Without specific rules, they share some common items: contrapuntual texture, rapid scales, sustained chords and figuration. They are usually performed by keyboards.
Chorale prelude: Played in church music, a cantus firmus has longer note values in any part of the piece, e.x. in the pedals, while at other times each phrase of the chorale would appear in imitative counterpoint. It’s performed by organ.
Variation forms: such as canzona, cantus firmus, dance suites. They are also called passacaglia and chaconne. They´re performed mainly by keyboards.
Overture: it’s an orchestral piece introducing an opera or other longer work. French overture has two movements (slow-fast) and Italian overture has three movements (fast-slow-fast)

12. VI) THE BAROQUE OPERA
ORIGIN: It began in Italy, in the early 1600s, inspired by Greek mythology and ancient history, to flatter a identified aristocracy with this subjects and themes. It’s composed of music, orchestra, libretto, performers, costuming and stage design.
STRUCTURAL PARTS:
- Solo vocal lines:
. Recitative, that follows the rhythms and intonations of speech and will serve to tell the story and to carry the action
. Aria, that are more expressive and melodious, serves to reflect upon the eventes and to express feelings
- Orchestral parts:
. Overture, that opens the opera. Two types: French ( sections slow-fast) Neapolitan (3 sections fast-slow-fast)
. Instrumental interludes

13. VI) THE BAROQUE OPERA EVOLUTION ITALIAN OPERA
- Florence: The Camerata Florentine brought back ancient Greek tragedy and created the new style. Early operas collected recitatives and occasional orchestral interludes. Monteverdi (“Orfeo and Eudidice” 1607) Peri, Caccini. Music was subservient to the words.
- Rome: (1620s) The separation between recitative and aria was more marked; music started became more important and it was more focus on religious subjects.
- Venice: The opera was more popular, the fist commercial opera house was opened (San casiano, 1637). It used recitatives, arias, duets, historical subjects, elaborate stage machinery and complex and improbable plots. Composers: Monteverdi, Cesti, Cavalli.
- Naples: It became more artificial and formalized, it used aria da capo (ABA) but less recitative. The castrati, the superstars, improvised with their vocal technique and virtuosity.

14. EVOLUTION OF ITALIAN OPERA
1. FLORENCE: The Camerata Florentine brought back ancient Greek tragedy creating the new style. Early operas collected recitatives and occasional orchestral interludes. Monteverdi (“Orfeo and Eudidice” 1607) Peri, Caccini. Music was subservient to the words.
3. VENICE: The opera was more popular, the first commercial opera house was opened (San casiano Theatre, 1637). It used recitatives, arias, duets, historical subjects, elaborate stage machinery and complex and improbable plots. Composers: Monteverdi, Cesti, Cavalli.
4. NAPLES: It became more artificial and formalized, it used aria da capo (ABA) but less recitative. The castrati, the superstars, improvised with their vocal technique and virtuosity.
2. ROME: (1620s) The separation between recitative and aria was more marked; music started became more important and it was more focus on religious subjects.

15. ENGLISH OPERA
- Italian operas were tipically performed in London.
They were more involved in theatre music forms: a masque and incidental and entr’acte music
Haendel’s operas in England, in italian style. He used arias da capo in a strictly way, form that abandoned “Xerxes” by strophic ones.
Henry Purcell composed one important opera, based in mythology, “Dido and Eneas”
FRENCH OPERA
Inspired by popular french dramas and court ballets
With Lully, ballets were entered into operas, creating its tragedies-lyriques
Use of Greek myths, clear texts, importante of the drama, recitatives and arias merged into one another
French overture
Ballets were the major part
Rameau used sophisticated orchestral effects

16. GENRES OF BAROQUE OPERA
COMIC OPERA
With vigour, exuberance, spontaneity and charming fluency; parody of serious opera, satire and humour
Plots and characters more down-to-earth and light
Aria ca capo disregarded in favour of less closed forms
Use of small ensenmble groups, chorus, spoken dialogues and popular tunes
Opera buffa (Italy), Opera Comique (France), Ballad Opera (England)
SERIOUS OPERA
Reform of Zeno and Metastasio
Librettos divested of comic scenes and supernatural or implausible elements
Texts that exalt virtues, such as loyalty, patriotism…
Arias and recitatives sharply separated
Aria gained importance, while chorus declined
Castrati

17. VII) OTHER VOCALS FORMS
CHORAL: It’s a hymn used in Luteran church service in German, adapting folk songs and Catholic hymns. It reached its highest point of development in the chorale harmonizations of J. S. Bach.
ORATORIO: It’s a large composition that contains choruses, arias, duets, recitatives, oral interludes and orchestra; based on sacred texts (non liturgical); approximate to opera but performed without scenery, costumes and action. Handel (Messiah), Bach, Carissimi.
CANTATA: It’s a non-theatrical composition, short in length, and based on texts of narrative character. It contains chorus, organ, small orchestra and arias and recitatives, and it was performed in the Luteran service. Bach.
PASSION: It’s a kind of oratorio about the Christ’s Passion and Death. It’s performed by a narrator (a evangelist), the soloist as the main characters (Christ, Virgin) and the crowd.

18. VIII) COMPOSERS VIVALDI (1678-1741)
From Italy, he’s very famous by his concerts above all, because he created the “ritornello” form and the three movements plan (fast-slow-fast)
Soloist of his concerts: violin, flute, viola d’amore, lute, chalumeaux
His concerts are very descriptivs (“The four seasons”)
He wrote sacred music and operas
Characteristics: vigorous rhythm, quick scales, violinistic figuration
BACH
He has held several posts as organist, chamber musician, musical director in St. Thomas Church…
Less opera, he wrote all the musical forms: sonatas, concerts, cantatas, suites, fuges, oratorios, passiones…His work is huge
He wrote above all for organ
Counterpunctual artifice predominates in his work
Mix international styles: French rhythm, Italian melody, German texture (use of counterpoint)

19. VIII) COMPOSERS HAENDEL
Although he was german, he worked most of the time in England
He’s very famous by his concertos, suites, operas Purcell and oratorios
His style is very influenced by Italians
OTHER COMPOSERS:
. Monteverdi: wrote the first known opera, “Orfeo”
. Corelli: composed only instrumental music
. Purcell: wrote music for the court, the church and the stage (“Dido and Aeneas”)
. Rameau: one of the greatest french theoreticians, transformed the rules of harmony
Purcell
Purcell
Monteverdi