The Baroque Era 2
Class 28 • FRWK 220
Dr. Douglas Olena & the Frameworks Team
Special thanks to Dr. Larry Dissmore
Coming Up
Answers to questions Monday April 1 in Angel
Dropbox.
Exam 4 Class 33, Friday April 5.
Resources
In section 5 of Assignments are links to the
videos/presentations by Dr. Larry Dissmore
for Class 30 and 32.
I recommend that you watch those videos
privately as well as what we do in class.
There is much in Dr. Dissmore’s explanation
that surpasses what I will do in these
classes.
Baroque and Classical music handouts are
also available, though they will also be
provided in class.
The Baroque
Period in
Music
1600-1750
Subdivisions in Baroque
Music
Early (1600-1640)
Middle (1640-1680)
Late (1680-1750)
early Baroque: 1600
Homophonic texture
Development of the major/minor systems of
tonality
Frère Jacque
Polarization of Soprano and Bass lines
The “invention of Opera”
early Baroque
Frère Jacque: Major and Minor
Middle Baroque: 1640
New Compositional Procedures spread north
from Italy
Italy is also at the center of many
controversies between the church and
science, for example Galileo.
Stabilizations of New Procedures
Late Baroque: 1680
Polyphony returns as the favored texture.
Instrumental music and vocal music are
equally important.
This is the period of Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi
General Characteristics
Unity of Mood
Rhythmic Unity
Melody— “Fortspinnung”
Terraced Dynamics
Texture
Basso Continuo and Figured Bass
Words and Music
Unity of Mood
Instrumental music maintains a single mood
within the same movement
Common movement patterns in Baroque
Instrumental compositions:
Slow-Fast-Slow-Fast, or Fast-Slow-Fast
Doctrine of Affections
Exceptions in Vocal Music
Rhythmic Unity
A limited number of rhythmic figures are
used.
This provides a sense of pulse and forward
motion.
Johann
Sebastian
Bach
Violin Concerto No. 1
in A Minor, BWV 1041_
I. (Allegro Moderato)
Johann Sebastian Bach
94 “Bach claimed that his study of Vivaldi
taught him to ‘think musically,’ and endow the
creative process with “order, coherence, and
proportion.’”
Rhythmic Unity
A limited number of rhythmic figures are
used.
This provides a sense of pulse and forward
motion.
Melody “Fortspinnung”
Violin Concerto No. 1 in A Minor • J. S. Bach
Terraced Dynamics
Dynamics: The relative loudness or softness
of music.
Influence of the organ
Texture
Homophonic favored in Early Baroque
Polyphonic favored in Late Baroque
Words and Music
Composer engaged in “Word Painting”
The melodic direction and shape determined by
the meaning of the word.
Claudio Monteverdi
“Tu Se’ Morte” [“You are Dead”] from Orfeo
(1607)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=8ll_u870PG8
Tu se’ Morta
Listen especially for monteverdi’s
treatment of the words:
abissi, stele, morte
Tu se’ morta
abissi, stele, morte
(Spanish subtitles)
Claudio Monteverdi
What happened to the sound when the singer
sang the words:
abissi (abyss)
stele (stars)
morte (death)
The abyss and death were expressed by low
notes.
The stars were expressed by high notes
The composer is engaged in “Word Painting.”
The melodic direction and shape determined by
the meaning of the word.
Johann Sebastian Bach
Brandenburg Concerto #5, 1st movement
Listen for the following
Solo group vs. whole orchestra (or “tutti”)
Contrast of dynamics between solo group
and whole orchestra
in general, primary theme is carried by the
“tutti” while the solo group develops ideas
(“fortspinnung”)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=49IOKnhX0Sk
Johann Sebastian Bach
“Little” Fugue in G Minor
“Fugue” literally means “Flight”
Listen for the following
The main theme is called “the subject”
Continuous polyphonic texture
Is there a counter-subject?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=p1XD1MSES_8
“Little” Fugue in G Minor
George Frideric Handel
Every Valley from Messiah
Listen for the following:
Word painting on “valley,” “exalted,”
“mountain and hill made low,” “crooked
straight,” “rough places plain”
Heavily ornamented character of the
vocal line
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=7NCO6UzZ2R8
Ev’ry Valley from Messiah
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=7NCO6UzZ2R8
George Frideric Handel
Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah
Listen for changes in texture:
Homophonic vs. Polyphonic
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=usfiAsWR4qU
Hallelujah Chorus: Messiah
Musical Selections
Go to http://frwk.net/music for musical
selections associated with the Fiero books.