Baroque Music - Music Appreciation - Lecture Notes | MUS 1751, Study notes of Music

Download Baroque Music - Music Appreciation - Lecture Notes | MUS 1751 and more Study notes Music in PDF only on Docsity! BAROQUE MUSIC 1600-1750 Four Important things: Opera The Orchestra The Violin The Organ -Baroque means highly decorated/ highly ornate -Opera:  “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGOrfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEINING o First Grand Opera written in 1607 Toccata: (a touched thing) an instrumental piece that requires great technical dexterity of the performers. o This little instrumental “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGoverture” will evolve into a new genre or type of composition later un music history. o Toccata: A touched thing) an instrumental piece that requires great technical dexterity Tutti- Everyone together Basso continuo- lute, harpsichord, cello, or harp Figured Bass Listen to Tocata from “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGOrfeo” The singing style of Orfeo are mainly Monody. There are different types of Monody: o Recitative: “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGsomething recited” is musically heightened speech. o In Baroque opera, just accompanied by the basso continuo, so it is called simple recitative. o Aria “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGsong” lyrical type of monody with regular rhythm. Passionate, expansive, and tuneful. Recatative moves the plot along o Uses rapid text Aria communicates an emotional state o Text moves along leisurely. Arioso is a style of monody that is halfway between aria and recatitive. Libretto- little book REQUIRED LISTENING: Act II Recitative “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGAt the bitter news” and Arioso “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGthou art dead” from Orfeo by Monteverdi Opera spread all over Europe and made it to Germany, France, and England. We will now listen to a bit of Opera from the great English Composer, Henry Purcell. o Opera Dido and Aeneas (1689) [area] o In this Aria, Purcell uses a device called a basso ostinato (this is a constantly repeated bass line that the rest of the music is built over.) that was popular in the Baroque. The English for basso ostinato is Ground Bass. REQUIRED LISTENING: Aria, “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGwhen I am laid in earth” from Dido and Aeneas by Purcell p119 The Emergence of the Orchestra An orchestra is an ensemble of musicians organized around a core of strings, playing under a leader. Baroque orchestras had around 20 players, each playing a single line of music. The violin o The most important string instrument of the Baroque Period o Reaches its perfection in the Baroque, particularly in the hands of Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) The composer Arcangelo Corelli, (1653-1713) became a great composer/virtuoso for the violin. He worked out of Rome and did a lot of teaching of violin technique as well as writing sonatas. Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) o Ordained as a priest. “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGThe Red Priest.”(nickname, because he had flaming red hair) o Orphanage in Venice. The hospice of Mercy Concerto “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGto strive together” a musical composition that features a soloist and an orchestra in a friendly contest or competition. o When there is one soloist: solo concerto o When there is a solo group: concerto grosso In the concerto grosso, the full orchestra is called the tutti, and the solo group is called the concertino. o These concertos consist of three movements. A fast 1st, a slow 2nd, and a fast 3rd o Fast – Slow – Fast o The first tend to be serious or grand. o The second, lyrical and tender. o The third lighter and more dance-like Block Architecture: Clearly delineated sections Ritornello Form: o A main theme, called the ritornello, is played by the tutti. o In between statements of this theme, the soloist inserts fragments of the theme and extends them in virtuosic fashion. o Listen to Spring Concerto for Ritornello form. o REQUIRED LISTENING: Vivaldi “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGspring” form The Four Seasons, I. The Four Seasons, o Four concertos for violin and orchestra Birds Singing Dog Barking Sleigh Horses The Doctrine of Affections The Late Baroque and Bach The Music of the Late Baroque is more about refinement than about innovation The music tends to be very rhythmic with continuous movement. Melodies are usually sequenced. Melodic sequencing is when the melody, or a fragment of the melody is repeated 2 or more times at different pitch levels. The texture is dense. As the composers worked out the filling in of the inner voices, polyphony returns. This is because they are all associated with the city of Vienna Austria. Vienna was a cultural and political hub of the time. It was the fourth largest city inEurope. People even came to Vienna from as far away as Russia. Progressive, Modern, Liked the Arts. The “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGNew York City of the time” Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)- o Was born in a farmhouse in Rohau, Austria o His singing voice was heard by a choir director of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna. He took Haydn back with him to Vienna. o While serving as a choirboy in the cathedral, Haydn was taught the rudiments of composition as well as the violin and the keyboard. After 10 years, his voice broke and he was dismissed. o During the 1750’s, he managed to survive working as a freelance musician around Vienna. o In 1761, he got a job as the Music director of the Esterhazy court. o Prince Nikolaus Esterhazy was a great lover of music and he maintained an orchestra, a chapel for singing religious services, and a theater for opera at his family estate Esterhaza in Hungary. o Haydn was essentially a servant in the household. He had to wear a uniform and his music belonged to his employer. He was not allowed to publish without permission. o When the Prince died, the successor dismissed the orchestra but allowed Haydn to stay on as a composer, asking only for very little work in return. Haydn was therefore free to travel and he was engaged to compose and conduct a series of Symphonies in London, for a very handsome fee. The result of this is his 12 London Symphonies. (Nos 93-104). Haydn was presented to the King and Queen. He received an honorary doctorate from Oxford and was basically treated like a star. o He returned to Vienna a very wealthy man and when he died at the age of 77, he was considered to be the mose respected composer in Europe. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) o Born in Salzburg Austria o His father Leopold was a musician, played violin in the orchestra of the Archbishop of Salzburg and wrote a best selling introduction to playing the violin. o By the age of 6, Mozart could play piano, violin, and organ as well as compose. o Leopold took his children on a three year tour of Europe and the young Mozart played in courts all over Europe. o In 1768, Mozart’s first opera “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGBastien und Bastienne was produced in Vienna. Mozart was 12 years old. o Mozart continued to travel around Europe. This exposed the emerging composer to a wealth of musical styles and ideas. It also spread his frame throughout Europe. In the 1770’s. Mozart resided in Salzberg, where he served in the court of the Archbishop. o By the age of 25, Mozart had had it with the archbishop and being treated like a servant. He moved to Vienna and tried to make a living as a freelance musician. He liked Vienna. There were many patrons and he was a comfortable distance from his father. He married against his father’s will to Constanze Weber. Both were romantic and impractical and liked nice things. Mozart worked very hard and very fast. He turned out most of his great masterworks in the years he was in Vienna up until his death in 1791 at the age of 35. o His great operas date from this time The Marriage of Figaro Don Giovanni The Magic Flute o The operas did not go over as well as one would think, they played to undersold houses. Mozart’s music fell out of fashion. His style was thought to be too dense, too intense, and too dissonant. He was even warned by a publisher to “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGwrite in a more popular style or else I cannot pay for more of your music”. o In his last year of life, Mozart wrote a beautiful clarinet concerto, The Opera, The Magic Flute, and most of his Requiem Mass. o No one really knows what Mozart died of. There is a great deal of speculation from poisoning to a bad pork chop. o He was buried in a common grave so we do not have his remains for testing. Classical Music has the following attributes: 1. Formal order 2. Clarity 3. Balance 4. Lighter in Tone 5. More Natural 6. Simple, Shorter Melodies 7. Greater emphasis on homophonic texture. 8. Lesser use of counterpoint 9. The mood can be changeable within the movements. Form becomes very important in Classical music. Form in music is created by the following: o Repetition o Contrast o Variation Form is discussed by giving different Form is discussed by giving different musical letter names such as A, B, or C. Ternary form has a simple arrangement of an A section, contrasting B section then a return of the A section. (ABA) The Classical composers loved to use ternary form in relation to a type of dance called the Minuet. A minuet is a dance in a moderate tempo and in a triple meter. There are actually 3 little ABA forms inside of a big ABA form. Minuet [:A:][:BA:] Trio CDC Minuet ABA Let us listen to: o Mozart: “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGA Little Night Music” 3rd movement, Minuet and Trio Sonata Allegro Form o Exposition 1st theme (tonic key) Thansition theme (modulates) 2nd theme (new key) Closing theme o Development Themes are elaborated on, moved to new keys, pulled apart, put together in new ways, etc. o Recapitulation (everything in the exposition must return in the tonic key) 1st theme (tonic key) Transition theme (no modulation) 2nd theme (tonic key) Closing theme (tonic key) o Coda Listen to: o Mozart “Orfeo” by Claudio Monteverdi: REQUIRED LISTEININGA Little Night Music” 1st Mvt. (REQUIRED LISTENING) Sonata Allegro is preferred for first movements of classical multi-movement works. 2nd movements often use Theme and Variation Form. A var 1 var 2 …….. Listen to: o Haydn, Symphony No. 94 2nd mvt. (REQUIRED LISTENING) (intro CD) 4th movements would often use Rondo Form ·Rondo can be graphed out as ABACA or ABACABA or ABACADA. All are characterized by a return of the A section with contrasting material in between. It is similar to the Ritornello form of the Baroque. ·Listen to Rondo · Mozart Horn Concerto in Eb Major, III K. 495, REQUIRED LISTENING Multi-movement works, alternating fast slow fast ·1st Sonata Allegro ·2nd Theme and Variations ·3rd Minuet and Trio ·4th Rondo ·Symphony is a large scale work for orchestra 4 movements o Symphony No. 40 1st Movement Mozart in G min. K 550 ·Sonata is a work for a solo instrument, either a piano or an instrument such as violin accompanied by the pianos o 3 movements fast slow fast ·String Quartet- a work for 2 violins, viola, and cello o Several movements 3-5 movements o Hayden, String Quartet, Opus 76 No. 3 Second Movement o Emperor Quartet ·The solo concerto a large scale work for soloist and orchestra o 3 movements fast slow fast o double exposition o cadenza o Mozart, Piano Concerto in A maj. I