Notes
from Wednesday, February 13 class session:
Preparation For Wed.
Feb 13:
1. Read textbook Chapter 5 (Baroque)--pages 31, 32, 36 and 37 (Music Guides
12, 13, 20, 21)
2. Listen to "Classical Music
Online" examples for Baroque Vocal Music.
3. Read Lecture
Notes from Feb 4 and 6 (these have been updated to reflect the last of the
Renaissance material covered on Feb 11) and Lecture
Notes from Feb 11.
Note: You will need to
complete Quiz 6 (Baroque) in WebCT/Vista/Blackboard by 3PM Monday. Feb 18
(click here for
instructions on how to log onto WebCT)
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Mid-Baroque
Opera
(See Chapter 5 for
details)
The
following bold or bold/italic terms/works/composers were studied:
Mid-Baroque
Opera
- Purcell:
"Dido's Lament" from Dido and Aeneas (1689)--Music Guide 13
-
Clearly-defined separation of "recitative" and "aria"
- More
refined style than seen in Monteverdi's L'Orfeo (Purcell is modeling his style
after mid-Baroque ITALIAN approach f Alessandro Scarlatti)
- Baroque
"dramatic contrast" seen in opposition of recitative vs. aria, basso
continuo vs. solo voice in recitative section, solo voice vs. orchestra in aria
section, A vs. B (binary) form.
- Aria
features a repeating ostinato melody/rhythm pattern in the bass.
- The
orchestra plays a significant dramatic role in the aria, especially in
instrumentally depicting Dido's suicide at the end of the example.
Late-Baroque
Vocal Examples
(See Chapter 5 for
details)
The
following bold or bold/italic terms/works/composers were studied:
Oratorio
- Handel:
"Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted" from Messiah (1741/Dublin)--Music Guide 21
- Handel
composed this entire 54-movement oratorio in just three-and-one-half weeks!
- As seen
in this aria, Handel's style is very ornate with extremely long and difficult
melismas.
- Handel's
operas (such as Giulio Cesare/Julius Ceasar) were in the same style as this--very ornate
and stately.
-
Orchestral accompaniment set up in a ritornello design (orchestra returns in
back-and forth alternation with the singer)
- Messiah is an oratorio (long/multi-movement religious work
for soloists, choir, orchestra that is NOT staged.
Cantata
- Bach:
Cantata No. 80 "Ein' Feste Burg"(see Guide below)
- A
cantata is a
shorter multi-movement religious work for soloists, choir, orchestra that is
NOT staged.
- Bach
composed over 200 such cantatas for use in Lutheran church services.
- This
cantata is a clear example of Bach's extremely use of Baroque counterpoint in his works.
- Cantata
No. 80 is a famous Bach cantata that was written for Martin Luther's festival
day.
- In
Cantata No. 80, Bach uses one of Luther's own chorale melodies ("Ein' Feste
Burg...--"A Mighty Fortress is Our God")
- We looked
at the last movement (mvt. 8) of this cantata, which is set in a homophonic
4-part Lutheran hymn style.
- Movement
8 is based in D major, but the second half of its binary design modulates
suddenly from D major to F# major--then back to the stability of D major to
depict the text "they can take my home, my child, my wife, but I will
remain steadfast in my faith--it will avail them nothing."
- Movement
1 features Bach's ornamented version of Luther's chorale melody. This ornamented melody becomes the
subject of a 4-part fugue, that is eventually enclosed by a strict 2-part canon
on Luther's simple chorale tune as stated in the trumpets then echoed exactly 1 measure
later by the double basses. Next,
Bach amazingly splits Luther's chorale tune in half, then puts the
"head" of the chorale tune directly against the "tail" of
the chorale tune to create a 4-voice double fugue that is then enclosed in the
two-voice canon!
