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Period: 1567 to
Claudio Monteverdi
Trained in the Renaissance style
Adept at composing “modern” music
Used dissonances in his music (madrigals) for text expression
Seconda prattica (monody with dissonance that was very expressive)
Published his ideas and his music
Extant works:
-9 books of madrigals
-Masses, Magnificats, Vespers, Motets
Italian operas and other dramatic music
Choirmaster at St. Mark’s Cathedral in Venice -
Period: to
Girolamo Frescobaldi
Organist of the earlyBaroque
Worked at St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome
Greatly influenced J.S. Bach
Toccattas, canzonas, dance suites, variation sets
Canzona, balletto, and corrente -
Period: to
Francesca Caccini
Soprano
1st woman to compose operas
Sang lead roles in several early operas (including Peri’s opera "Euridice" when she was 13)
Highest paid musican in Italy by age 20
Could play any string instrument (including harpsichord)
Composed balli, intermezzi, and sacred opera among other vocal works
Only one extant opera but composed many others
Wrote all her own texts for songs and her opera
Involved with male music societies
Published quite a few of her pieces -
Dafne
1st Opera
Composed by Giulio Caccini and Jacopo Peri -
Euridice
First extant opera
Composed by Caccini and Peri -
Period: to
Early Baroque
-most expressive melodic device was recitative, which wasn't very melodic in nature but rather a style of text setting that emphasizes the natural rhythms and accents of speech.
-rhythms were performed more freely in recitative
-chordal progression harmonies
-homophonic texture was new, but polyphonic textures continued to be popular
-strophic and binary forms
-piano and forte dynamics
-dialogue style between voice and strings or strings and winds
-organs, harpsichords, bassoons -
Orfeo
Monteverdi's 1st opera
Begins with a fanfare opening called a “toccata” followed by an instrumental prelude, then by recitative -
Period: to
Barbara Strozzi
Adopted by Giulio Strozzi
Studied under Francesco Cavalli at the Accademia degli Unisoni, which was founded by Giulio for her
Published 8 sets of songs (each dedicated to a different wealthy patron except for one book of madrigals and one book of cantatas for solo voice and continuo, most of her works are ariettas and arias)
Used various poets as writers for her songs (most were written especially for her)
Didn't write opera but her songs and cantatas were very dramatic -
Teatro de San Cassiano
1st public opera theater
Opened in Venice in 1637 -
Period: to
Louis the 14th of France
Accomplished dancer (always showed off his legs)
Was an excellent dancer from age 13
Believed that ballet demonstrated important qualities of a society (discipline, order, refinement, and restraint) -
The Coronation of Poppea
Final opera from Monteverdi (composed at 75)
Premiered in Venice
The characters are spread across the social spectrum (emperors to commoners)
Powerful emotions are expression in recitative, arias, ariosos, and choruses
Was calculating, ambitious, and smart -
Period: to
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber
Bohemian-Austrian composer and violinist
Lived in Salzburg
Very important composers for violin (especially in the violin's early years)
Wrote catholic sacred music, violin sonatas, and ensemble music
Developed a new technique of playing the violin, which allowed him to easily
-reach 6th and 7th positions
-play double stops and polyphony
-experiment with scordatura -
Period: to
The Ecstasy of Saint Therese
Marble sculpture sculpted by Gian Lorenzo Bernini during this time -
Period: to
Commonwealth
(Right before Opera in England)
Staged plays were forbidden in England because the Puritans thought theater was an invention from hell, but composers began setting plays to music -
L’astratto
A Cantata by Strozzi
Means "The Distracted One" in Italian
Text painting with chromaticism
Basso Continuo accompaniment -
Period: to
Middle Baroque
-Melodies became more organized with use of compositional techniques (repetition, sequence, and contrast)
-Rhythm became a central element in instrumental music; dotted rhythms (such as French overture) were common in variety of genres; dance rhythms were important
-24 major and minor keys continued to develop
-alternating between homophony and polyphony were common in pieces
-crescendoing and decrescendoing were so understood that they weren't marked in music often -
Period: to
Arcangelo Corelli
Italian composer
Made clear distinctions between the different types of sonatas
Was the master of trio sonata
Wrote Trio Sonata Op. 3, No. 3, (a sonata da chiesa) -
Period: to
G. F. Handel
Two very popular orchestral suites:
"Music for the Royal Fireworks" (a.k.a. "Fireworks")
"Water Music"
German composer from Hallewho lived in England who absorbed the Italian style
Very talented and intelligent
Worked in Italy early in his career
Wrote over 40 operas and many Italian cantatas
Appointed in 1720 as one of the music directors at the Royal Academy of Music in London
Became a naturalized British subject in 1727
Produced Italian operas in England for 8 years -
Period: to
Henry Purcell
Singer, organist, composer of instrumental and vocal music
Worked in the court of Charles II when stage plays were again allowed
Assimilated the musical styles of Europe:
-Italian operatic style
-Grand aspects of French music
-Lyric melodic quality of English song
Wrote incidental music for plays -
Opera Performances Begin in England
Charles II issued patents for 2 companies of theater troupes, and performances immediately began -
Period: to
Alessandro Scarlatti
The father of composer Domenico Scarlatti
A teacher in Naples, which many of his students helped him create the new classical style -
Period: to
Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre
"The wonder our century" (17th century)
French -
Period: to
Francois Couperin
French composer -
Sonata No. 1
Composed by Biber
Mid-Baroque violin sonata
Opening Praeludium is for violin and basso continuo
Violin part uses a virtuosic style (similar to solo vocal singing)
Melodic line allows the soloist to freely express emotions
The second section uses repetitions of bass
The finale gives the violinist an opportunity to display virtuosity
Separate movements were developed later -
Period: to
Antonio Vivaldi
Music director at the Pieta (orphanage for girls in Venice)
Composed many operas (sacred music and many instrumental works)
Popular during the 1720s (height of his career) but by 1741, he was forgotten
Wrote nearly 800 concertos of various types
-60 ripieno concertos
-425 concerto grosso types
-350 solo concertos
-45 double concertos (mostly for 2 violins)
Great master of the Baroque concerto (possibly the greatest) -
Period: to
Georg Philip Telemann
German composer
Extraordinarily prolific
Composed more than 125 orchestral suites
Helped establish the French-style orchestral suite in Germany
Published a collection called “Tafelmusik” in 1733
Friends with J. S. Bach and the godfather of Bach’s eldest son -
Period: to
Jean-Joseph Mouret
French composer who composed operas, suites, and "grand divertssements" (entertainments)
His works have been used in tv commercials and other medi -
Period: to
J.S. Bach
Greatest master of the fugue
Most important fugal contributions:
"Well-Tempered Clavier": Collection of preludes and fugues issued in two volumes
-Volume I (1722 ) contains 24 preludes and fugues (1 in each major & minor key)
Volume II (1742) also containing 24 preludes and fugues
“Well-tempered” new system of equal temperament they were experimenting with
"The Art of Fugue" (left unfinished at the time of his death) contained 14 fugues and 4 canons
Lost a lot of his sight -
Period: to
Domenico Scarlatti
Keyboard virtuoso
Had a progressive style (was aware of his modern flare)
Wrote over 500 sonatas for harpsichord, operas, cantatas, and keyboard exercises -
Dido and Aeneas
Composed by Henry Purcell
Translates to “When I am Laid In Earth”
Ground Bass repeated 11 Times
Monody
Also known as "Dido's Lament" -
Invention of Piano
Piano was invented in Italy by Bartolomeo Cristofori -
Period: to
Late Baroque
-melodies were governed by spinning out of musical ideas and sequences, therefore were long and continuous and moved toward a cadence; phrases were not always clearly defined; virtuosity was important
-basso continuo drove the music; tempos were steady in ensemble music;16th notes were standardized
-chromaticism was used for expression, modulation, and musical interest
-polyphonic texture
-da capo aria form was most popular vocal form while ritornello form was for orchestra -
Water Music
Composed by Handel
Performed for a royal party on the Thames River in London
22 movements
The harpsichord (basso continuo) was probably not used at this first performance (because it did not fit on the barge, so it was left behind)
Suite in D Major
Movement I: “Allegro”
Movement II: “Alla Hornpipe”
Ternary Form -
Esther
Composed by Handel -
St. John's Passion
Composed by Bach
Composed during his first year in Leipzig
Performed at the Good Friday Vespers service at the St. Nicholas Church
Two large parts (intended to have a sermon in the middle)
40 individual numbers (so it was very long)
Gospel text is sung by the Evangelist (tenor) in secco recitative
Direct speech, including the part of Jesus, is sung by other soloists or the choir
The Passion includes chorales, recitatives (secco and accompanied) and arias -
Le Quattro stagioni
Composed by Vivaldi
The Four Seasons
Cycle of four violin concertos
Word painting in instrumental music
Each concerto is accompanied by a poem that he possibly wrote
Concerto No. 1 in E - “La primavera” (Spring) (3 movements)
Concerto No. 2 in G minor - “L’estate” (Summer)
Concerto No. 3 in F - “L’autunno” (Autumn)
Concerto No. 4 in F minor - “L’inverno” (Winter)
(it's unknown when he exactly wrote these but they were all published in 1725) -
Suite de symphonies
Composed by Mouret
Written for trumpets, violins, oboes, timpani, basses, bassoons, and organ
Rondeau form (ABACA with A being the ritornello) -
English Oratorio
Composed by Handel
No lavish scenery
Used Italian singers that performed in English
Public was pleased by the new genre -
Israel in Egypt
Composed by Handel -
Messiah
Composed by Handel
First performed in Dublin in 1742
Genre wasEnglish Oratorio
52 separate numbers
Composed in 3 weeks but “self-borrowed” old arias and cantata numbers to create new choruses and pieces
3 parts:
I: Christmas Section
II: Easter Section
III: Redemption Section
Secco recitative and an accompanied recitative:
No. 14 “There were shepherds abiding…”
No. 14b “And Lo! The angel of the Lord…”
No. 15 “And the angel said unto them”
No. 16 “And suddenly there was with the angel” -
Judas Maccabaeus
Composed by Handel -
Contrapunctus 1 from The Art of Fugue
Composed by J.S. Bach who wrote this collection at the end of his life, and it was not published until 1751 (after his death in 1750) -
Jephtha
Composed by Handel