CHAPTER 7
LATE BAROQUE MUSIC:
BACH AND HANDEL
CHAPTER OUTLINE
I. General Observations on Late Baroque Music
A. Refinement and Culmination of Style
B. Theatrical Quality of Baroque Art
C. Aspects of Late Baroque Musical Style
1. Treatment of Musical Elements
2. The Late Baroque Orchestra
II. Johann Sebastian Bach
A. Fugue
B. Orchestral Music
C. The Cantata
III. George Frideric Handel
A. Orchestral Dance Suite
B. The Oratorio
CHAPTER SUMMARY
The last decades of the Baroque era (1710-1750) were characterized, not by the vigorous
spirit of innovation that so energized the previous century, but by a refinement that sought to
perfect earlier ideas, forms, and techniques. Two composers whose music exemplified this
attitude were Bach and Handel. They epitomized the Baroque ideal of the composer as
craftsman: an individual whose vocation furnished a product necessary to a well-ordered and
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civilized society. Just as Bernini, the sculptor of a magnificent statue of David (Fig. 6-7) and
the architect of St. Peter’s Square in Rome (Fig. 6-2), could turn the functional salt cellar into
a stunning work of art, so Bach’s occasional music, composed for performance in the Leipzig
equivalent of a Starbucks coffee house, and Handel’s party music are some of the greatest
treasures of western musical tradition.
One important principle in Baroque art and music is the dramatic juxtaposition of conflict and
unity within a single artistic expression. This ideal is exemplified in music by using a
movement’s formal structure to balance and limit opposing timbres and textures. Within a
multi-movement composition, dramatic contrasts in melodic and rhythmic styles occurred
between successive movements. Late Baroque musicians refined rather than repudiated the
musical characteristics of the seventeenth century. Melodies continue to be extended through
sequential development, but phrases are longer and composed in a more instrumentally
idiomatic style. The driving pulse and rhythmic energy of Baroque music make its rhythmic
structure the most consistent and easily perceptible style in western art music. Part of this
vigorous regularity results from the constant pattern of chord changes that give order and
purpose to the harmony. The music of this period also returns to the contrapuntal complexity
that characterized Renaissance compositions. Finally, the modern symphony orchestra traces
its beginnings to this period. While the core of the ensemble consisted of strings and basso
continuo, a couple of woodwind or brass instruments could be included to add color. The
Baroque orchestra was rarely larger, and frequently smaller, than twenty-five instruments.
When it comes to the music of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), musicians speak only in
superlatives. His music combines technical virtuosity, structural purity, and emotional
expression in a manner that challenges and delights performers and listeners alike. It rewards
careful study and never becomes cloying. Yet during his lifetime, Bach’s neighbors and
contemporaries regarded him as a famous organist, but not as a composer, much less as one of
the greatest musicians who ever walked on the face of the earth. Today, his compositions
stand among the finest achievements of western civilization. His nearly one hundred fugues,
imitative compositions in which a single theme alternates with passages of free counterpoint,
demonstrate every known contrapuntal technique and demonstrate not only his creativity, but
also his musical and intellectual discipline. The set of six Brandenburg Concertos represent
an anthology of Baroque instrumental groups; the varying concertino groupings in the
concertos provided an opportunity for Bach to write challenging music that was idiomatically
appropriate to each instrument. The ritornello forms in these works are more intricate and
musically unified than those by Vivaldi. The fifth Brandenburg Concerto lifts the harpsichord
from its role as a member of the basso continuo, treating it, for the first time, as a solo
instrument; some consider it the progenitor of the nineteenth-century piano concerto. Bach’s
church cantatas are the pinnacle of the genre. Composed for performance during church
services, these sermons in music consist of several movements that alternate between
recitatives, arias, and choruses. In Awake, A Voice Is Calling, the polyphony is not only
complex, but also expresses the text’s illustrative and theological implications.
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The musical contributions of that other pillar of Baroque music, George Frideric Handel
(1685-1759), are no less impressive, although distinctly different. Audiences find Handel’s
music stirring and exciting, not because of its contrapuntal complexity, but because it is so
dramatic, a style he assimilated from his operatic works. This direct, emotive spirit infuses
even his instrumental works. Water Music, composed for a royal entertainment, combines
engaging rhythms and themes with simple, clearly stated textures and forms. Handel’s
oratorios also exhibit theatrical roots, being in effect “sacred operas.” The oratorios have all
the musical components of opera: an orchestral overture and soloists singing recitatives and
arias. However, its unique quality stems from the chorus, which plays a prominent role,
commenting and moralizing on the story as well as providing a dramatic and musical climax.
His oratorio, Messiah, has become one of the great musical icons of western art. LikeRodin’s
“The Thinker” or Michelangelo’s ubiquitous “David,” it still stirs the human spirit in spite of
its familiarity.
KEY WORDS
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
Art of Fugue
cadenza
cantata
chorale
da capo aria
dance suite
episode
exposition
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i. figured bass
j. fugue
k. opera seria
l. oratorio
m. pedal point
n. prelude
o. subject
p. The Well-Tempered Clavier
1. Each movement in this multi-movement genre is normally composed in binary
form.
2. The composition by Bach containing two sets of twenty-four preludes and
fugues.
3. A vocal composition that originated in Italy, it could serve either sacred or
secular purposes, depending upon the text.
4. It was a numerical system by which Baroque composers indicated the sequence
of chords that musicians were to play on either the harpsichord or organ.
5. What is the term for the primary melody of a fugue?
6. Italian term for a serious rather than comic opera.
7. It is a spiritual melody or religious folksong of the German Lutheran church.
8. This composition provides an encyclopedic treatment of all known contrapuntal
procedures.
9. When this genre of composition first emerged in Italy, it was a setting of a sacred
text, intended for spiritual edification, and performed in a special chapel or
church hall.
10. Although composers only wrote out two sections of music (A and B) for this
vocal form, the repetition of A results in a ternary structure (ABA).
11. It is the central musical event in the German Protestant church service.
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12. Term for the section of a fugue during which each voice introduces the melody
in turn.
13. A showy passage for soloist alone toward the end of a movement in a concerto
is called:
14. It is equivalent to a hymn.
15. This term describes the freer sections of a fugue where the theme is not present
in its entirety.
16. An instrumental composition that consists of movements associated by key, but
differentiated by distinctive rhythmic patterns.
17. The final fugue in this collection of nineteen canons and fugues was unfinished
when Bach died.
18. The vocal form frequently heard in Baroque operas, oratorios, and cantatas.
19. A note, usually in the bass, that is sustained or continually repeated for a period
of time while the harmonies change around it.
20. This brief movement often precedes a fugue.
21. This genre is essentially an opera based on a religious subject, although
performed without staging or scenery.
22. A composition with three to five contrapuntal lines (vocal or instrumental)
based on one melody.
COMPOSER OUTLINE
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)
1. Family and education
 Ancestors had been musicians in small towns throughout central Germany for nearly two
hundred years
 He was the most talented of the Bach clan
 Had four sons who achieved international fame
 Provided with an excellent education in the humanities
 Largely a self-taught musician
 Studied, copied, and arranged compositions by Corelli, Vivaldi, Pachelbel, and
Palestrina
 Became the most renowned organ virtuoso in Germany
 Part of his skill derived from emulating the technique of others
 Walked four hundred miles to hear a great performer
 Legendary skill in the art of organ improvisation
 A devoted husband, loving father to twenty children, and respected citizen
2.
a.
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Career
Weimar (1708-1717)
First position of importance
Organist to the ducal court
LATE BAROQUE MUSIC: BACH AND HANDEL
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Composed many of his finest works for organ during this period, including the Organ
Fugue in G Minor (ca. 1710)
The duke of Weimar, displeased that Bach had found another position, jailed his organist
for a month before allowing him to depart
b. Cöthen (1717-1723)
 Served as court composer and conductor for the prince of Cöthen
 Led a small “all-star” orchestra
 Wrote more than a dozen concertos and other orchestral works
 Completed the Brandenburg Concertos
 Began work on the Well-Tempered Clavier
 Maria Barbara, Bach’s first wife, died suddenly in 1720
 Married Anna Magdalena in 1722
c. Leipzig (1723-1750)
 Cantor of St. Thomas’s Church and choir school
 An employee of the town council, not the church
 Responsible for the liturgical music of the four principal churches in the city
 Played organ for all funerals
 Provided new music for the church each Sunday and religious holiday
 Composed almost three hundred cantatas (enough for five years), but only two-thirds
survive
 Cantatas were sung every Sunday and were considered as sermons in music, not
concert works
 His family members and students had to copy out by hand the music for each
singer and instrumentalist
 Conducted the choir and orchestra, beating time with a roll of paper
 Taught Latin grammar to the boys at the choir school
 Composed music for university ceremonies
 In 1729 he became the director of the Collegium Musicum
 A voluntary organization of university students and town musicians
 Gave weekly concerts in a local coffeehouse
 Ensemble primarily performed secular instrumental music
 Finished The Well-Tempered Clavier in 1742
 Composed the Art of Fugue between 1742-1750
 A virtual encyclopedia of all contrapuntal procedures
 The final fugue in the collection of nineteen works (divided between canons and
fugues) was unfinished at the time of his death
 His valedictory statement of his mastery of the fugue and a testament to his stylistic
integrity, grand design, and superhuman craftsmanship
 Compositions express his religious faith and sincere belief in the reformation traditions of
the German Lutheran Church
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3. Reputation
 Brought the cantata to the highest point of its development
 Musicians consider him the greatest composer of contrapuntal music in the history
of western music
 During his lifetime he was known more as a performer and improviser on the
organ than as a composer
4.
a.
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Works
Awake, A Voice is Calling (1731)
Composed for the Sunday prior to Advent in 1731, the 27th Sunday after Trinity
Based on the liturgically proscribed Gospel reading, a parable of Christ recorded in the
Gospel of St. Matthew (25:1-13)
 A chorale cantata
 The chorale tune and text, composed in 1597, were well-known in the Lutheran church
 Tune and text serve as the basis for the first, fourth, and seventh movements
 Fourth movement was one of Bach’s favorite compositions and the only cantata
movement that he published
b.
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The Brandenburg Concertos (1715-1721)
Gathered together six of his best concertos and sent them to the Margrave of Brandenburg
Hoped to impress a potential employer in the politically more important city of Berlin
Each concerto features a different concertino group
Demonstrated his ability to write challenging music for any and instruments
The fifth concerto can be considered the first keyboard concerto
GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759)
1. Family and education
 Born in Halle, Germany
 It was his father’s intention that he not become a musician, but study law
 The boy cultivated his intense musical interest, sometimes secretly in the attic
2.
a.
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Career
Early years
Traveled throughout Europe during the course of his life
Primary interest was in composing operas for the public theater
First experienced opera at 18 when moved to the city of Hamburg and worked as a
violinist in the public opera theater
 Traveled to Italy to improve his compositional style and broaden his horizons
 Spent four years in Italy
 Composed operas in Florence and Venice
 In Rome he primarily wrote secular cantatas
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Returned to Germany in 1710
 Appointed chapel master to the elector of Hanover
 Given an immediate leave of absence to visit London
b.
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London
Although employed by the elector of Hanover, he was rarely in Germany
His musical activity was centered in London, where he won fame and fortune
Primary goal was to compose opera for English audiences
 Planned to import Italian style opera
 Guaranteed a healthy share of the financial profits
 Handel played a significant role in the production process
 Rented the theater and engaged the highly-paid soloists from Italy
 Composed the music and led the rehearsals
 Conducted the performance from the harpsichord
 Between 1710 and 1728 his operas were financially and artistically successful
 His opera company went bankrupt in 1728
 Although he continued to compose operas into the 1730s, he increasingly turned
his attention to oratorio
Employed in the homes of the aristocracy
The elector became King George I of England in 1714
 Frequently commissioned to provide music for royal entertainment and ceremonies
 Water Music (1717) and Music for the Royal Fireworks (1749) prepared
for gala entertainment
 Coronation Anthems (1727) has been used at every subsequent English
coronation since that of George II
 Became the music tutor to the royal family
Oratorios offered Handel a financially viable alternative to opera
 Eliminated the expensive soloists, sets, and costumes
 Exploited the English love of choral music
 Appealed to the religious attitudes of Puritan and Methodist citizens
 Composed around 20 oratorios after 1732
Financially successful during his life
 Lived in a substantial house in London
 Bought paintings, including an excellent Rembrandt
 His estate was worth twenty thousand pounds at his death
Died in London
 Three thousand people attended his funeral
 Buried in Westminster Abbey and his grave marker is still there today
Reputation
Became the most famous composer in Europe and a treasured national institution in
England
Reputation continued to increase after his death
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Perhaps the finest composer for chorus who ever lived
4. Works
a. Water Music (1717)
 A public entertainment (July 17, 1717) for members of Parliament and other members of
London society
 Commissioned as part of a public relations move to counter the country’s growing
disaffection for the royal family
 The King, his court, and a small navy of boats sailed up the River Thames
 Handel’s orchestra consisted of about 50 musicians
 An immediate success
 The King requested a total of three performances of the work that night
 The hour-long suite was played twice prior to dinner and once after the meal
 One of Handel’s most beloved compositions
 Example of a dance suite
 A collection of three suites for orchestra
 Handel performed the suites as a unit, not separately
 Individual movements were not intended to accompany dancing, but as concert
music
b.
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Messiah (1741)
Handel’s most famous oratorio
Composed during three and a half weeks during the summer of 1741
First performed in April of 1742
 Premiered in Dublin, Ireland as part of a charity benefit
 Used a small ensemble of 23 voices and a small orchestra
 Local press was enthusiastic about the composition
 In order to increase the number attending the concert and earn more money for the
charity, women were requested not to wear hoop skirts and men asked to leave
their swords at home
 London performances
 Covent Garden
 First London performance
 Made some minor alterations to the score
 Increased the size of the orchestra to thirty-five players
 Foundling Hospital (a London orphanage)
 1750 performance in the orphanage’s chapel was the first time one of
Handel’s oratorios was performed in a church rather than a theater or
concert hall
 Earned much popular acclaim and profits for the orphanage
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The hospital’s annual repetition of Messiah during Handel’s lifetime and
long afterward helped convince the public that his oratorios were religious
works that should be performed in church
Tells the story of the life of Christ in a general way
 Divided into three parts
 The prophecy of His coming and His Incarnation
 His Passion and Resurrection, and the triumph of the Gospel
 Reflections of the Christian victory over death
 Dramatic confrontation and narrative replaced by mood of lyrical meditation and
exaltation
The nineteen choruses are the glory of the composition
“Hallelujah” Chorus
 Concludes the second part of the oratorio
 A variety of musical styles are displayed in quick succession
 Believed that King George II was so moved by the opening of the chorus that he
rose to his feet in admiration
 Subsequent performances in the next century swelled to a chorus of four thousand
singers and a massive orchestra of five hundred players
RECOMMENDED COMPOSER WEB SITES
BACH
http://www.jsbach.org
This is one of the most outstanding sites available for any composer and an excellent source
for high quality information. Of special interest is the “Tourist Guide” in the biography
section. Photographs and accompanying commentary provide an interesting glimpse of where
Bach lived and worked. The “Recommended Recordings” is another helpful section. While
the reviews tend to be positive and only offer occasionally mild criticism, the reader soon gets
a sense of the important performance characteristics and distinctions of each recording. The
site also offers a varying selection of recommended recordings and the links section can send
an interested seeker into extensive labyrinths of material. This one is really worth checking
out!
HANDEL
http://www.gfhandel.org
Two Handelians, Brad Leissa and David Vickers, created the G. F. Handel Home Page.
Highlights include numerous record reviews that are intelligent and informative; they do not
hesitate to pan a recording when necessary. The Anecdotes section is quite entertaining and
the section devoted to Messiah offers a good history as well as a list of recommended
recordings and an annotated bibliography.
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http://handelhouse.org
This site is the home page for the new Handel House Museum in London. Handel resided in
this house for a number of years, and it is now in the process of restoration. While the
information provided on the page is interesting, if not extensive, the excellent photographs of
various rooms and furnishings make it a worthwhile effort to look at every page.
MUSIC REVIEW
MUSICAL ELEMENTS
1. Melody: What effect did the use of sequential repetition have on melodic style in general
and phrase structure in particular?
Listen to the first movement of Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (6CD 0/00) and
observe the sequential passage (beginning at 3:21) noted in the Listening Guide (page
000).
Find passages of sequential melody in the aria "Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion"
from Handel's Messiah (6CD 0/0). Do these patterns tend to occur during rapid
melismas or slower, lyrical passages? What emotional quality do you think the aria is
intending to evoke? How did Handel use word painting to illustrate the words
"rejoice," "shout," and "peace"?
2. What technique gives Baroque rhythm its "optimism and vitality"? What effect did this
have on metrical structure? Observe this characteristic rhythmic style in Brandenburg
Concerto Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (6CD 0/0) or the aria "Rejoice Greatly, O
Daughter of Zion" (6CD 0/0).
3. What subtle change occurred in the harmonic style between the early and late Baroque
period? Listen to the seventh movement of Bach's Cantata 140, Awake, a Voice is
Calling (6CD 0/00). Do the chords change every beat, two beats, once per measure, or
in an irregular pattern?
4. Examine the definition of "counterpoint" in the Glossary of the text. What is meant by the
term "imitative counterpoint"? How was late Baroque contrapuntal technique
different from the texture favored by early Baroque composers? Listen to the first
movement of Cantata 140 (6CD 0/00; 2CD 0/0) or the "Hallelujah" chorus from
Messiah (Intro CD 00) and note the contrapuntal equality of the inner voices.
5. Which family of instruments formed the core of the Baroque orchestra? Identify the two
principal brass instruments and the three woodwinds. What was the average size of an
orchestra during this period?
LATE BAROQUE MUSIC: BACH AND HANDEL
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CANTATA
1. Note the three kinds of vocal solos used in the cantata. What addition did German
musicians make to church cantatas?
2. At what point in the church service was the cantata performed, what was the text based
upon, and what purpose did it serve?
3. Note the textual and musical organization of the seven movements of Awake, a Voice is
Calling. Which movements are based on the chorale's tune and text and which upon
the gospel reading?
4. Listen to the seventh movement of Cantata 140 and observe the chorale’s phrase structure
as it is described on pages 000-000 of the text and in the Listening Guide on page 000.
5. Listen to the first movement of Cantata 140 and answer the questions in Listening
Exercise 00. Next, consider how the alto, tenor, and bass lines illustrate the following
textual passages: "Der Wächter sehr hoch auf der Zinne" (1:02-1:20), the repetition of
this phrase "Sie rufen uns mit hellen Munde" (2:52-3:10), and "Alleluja" (5:18-5:32).
Do you detect any other examples where the music amplifies elements of the text?
CONCERTO GROSSO
1. Compare the first movement of Bach's Fifth Brandenburg Concerto with the first
movement of Vivaldi's concerto "The Spring." Consider the following questions.
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Compare the orchestration of these two compositions.
Both movements are in ritornello form. How many ritornello sections occur in each
one?
Characterize the melodic structure of the ritornello themes in the two movements. Do
the motives and phrases suggest a melodic style that is clear or complex?
Which composition has the most active bass line?
Does the texture of the tutti passages tend toward contrapuntal density or a
homophonic style?
Do the concertino sections of these concertos emphasize melodic unity through
repetition and development of motives or melodic contrast with the continual
presentation of new musical ideas?
How do these compositions reflect the Baroque preference for a unified musical style
throughout a movement? If they do not, can you determine the rationale for this
diversion?
In what way is Bach's predilection for complex counterpoint and Vivaldi's virtuosity
on the violin apparent in their respective compositions?
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FUGUE
1. What is the difference between a fugue and a canon (see Glossary in text)? Be
aware of the three major elements of a fugue (exposition, subject, and episodes) and
their purpose. What four steps will assist one to listen intelligently to a fugue?
2. Listen to the alternation between episode sections and presentations of the subject in the
Organ Fugue in G minor (6CD 0/00; 2CD 0/0). Notice the important motive in the
first episode (it occurs four times in the upper two voices). In which other episode
does it appear? What standard melodic technique from the Baroque period does Bach
employ to extend the phrases of the episode sections?
DANCE SUITE
1. What is the definition of the French word suite and how does it reflect the term’s musical
usage? Note the style, number, and organizational principles for the Baroque dance
suite. What is the formal structure for each movement regardless of the dance style?
2. Read the general description of a Minuet and Hornpipe on page 000-000 of the text and
listen to the two movements from Handel's Water Music (Intro CD 00 and 00) How
do these movements conform to the style traits described in the text? What effect does
the change in timbre have on the musical character of each repetition?
ORATORIO
1. What purpose did the seventeenth-century Italian oratorio originally serve? What type of
composition did it resemble by the time Handel began writing his oratorios? In what
ways are these two genres similar and different?
2. How many oratorios did Handel compose and during what period of his career were they
written? When did he compose Messiah, what served as the impetus for its creation,
and for what social purpose did performances take place?
3. Note the tripartite structure of the Messiah and the mood each section attempts to evoke.
INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEW
1. Examine Fig. 7-0. In what way does the painting demonstrate contrast and energy while
maintaining a unified theme? (The subject is the personification of Nobility and
Virtue abandoning Ignorance.) Compare this with the "Hallelujah" chorus. In what
ways do the alternation of themes and contrasts of texture match the technique in the
painting? In what way is the gradual ascent to the climax (1:53-2:32) similar to the
manner in which the painting draws the eye to the main figures?
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2. Identify the different levels of visual activity and interest in Fig. 7-00. How does it
compare with the layered musical style of the first and fourth movements of Bach's
Cantata 140?
COMPOSER SELF TEST
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1. Bach was largely a self-taught musician. An important part of his musical
education consisted of studying, copying, and arranging compositions by
other composers. Which composer’s music did not contribute to Bach’s
development?
a. Palestrina
c. Josquin
b. Corelli
d. Vivaldi
2. Which statement does not apply to Bach’s education and family background?
a. Ancestors had been musicians in Germany for nearly two hundred years
b. He studied theology with the intention of becoming a priest, but his
asthma prevented him from saying Mass
c. Received an excellent education in the humanities
d. He was a devoted husband, loving father to twenty children, and a
respected citizen
3. In which three German cities did Bach spend a significant portion of his career?
a. Weimar, Cöthen, Leipzig
c. Cöthen, Berlin, Potsdam
b. Munich, Salzburg, Dresden
d. Leipzig, Hamburg, Bonn
4. Which statement does not apply to Bach’s activities in Weimar?
a. Served as organist to the ducal court
b. When the duke heard that Bach wanted to take a different job, he had this
ungrateful employee thrown in jail
c. Wrote music for university ceremonies and directed the Collegium
Musicum
d. Composed many of his finest works for organ while during this period
5. Identify the incorrect statement regarding Bach’s work in Cöthen.
a. Wrote operas for the prince’s private theater
b. Completed work on the Brandenburg Concertos
c. Conducted a small “all-star” orchestra
d. Composed more than a dozen solo concertos as well as other works for
orchestra
6. Which activity was not a part of Bach’s duties as Cantor of St. Thomas Church?
a. To provide new music for each Sunday and religious holiday
b. To teach Latin grammar to the choir boys
c. To play the organ for all funerals
d. To write concertos for weekly concerts by the school’s orchestra,
highlighting the skills of his most talented pupils
7. Which endeavor did not occupy Bach during his career in Leipzig?
a. Composing the Art of Fugue
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b. Teaching music lessons to members of the royal family
c. Responsibility for the liturgical music of the city’s four principal churches
d. Directing the Collegium Musicum and composing music for university
ceremonies
8. Which statement regarding Bach’s reputation is erroneous?
a. Having composed more than 450 concertos, he was the most prolific and
influential composer in the creation of the Baroque concerto
b. Considered the greatest composer of contrapuntal music in the history of
western music
c. During his lifetime he was known more an a performer and improviser on
the organ than as a composer
d. Brought the cantata to the highest point of its development
9. Which statement does not apply to Handel’s education and early years as a
musician?
a. His father intended that his son should study law and not music
b. He moved to Hamburg at the age of 18 and worked as a violinist in the
public theater
c. As a self-taught musician, he learned his craft by copying out the scores
of other composers, such as Corelli, Palestrina, and Vivaldi
d. As a boy, he cultivated his intense musical interest, sometimes secretly in
the attic
10. Which event did not occur during the early years of Handel’s career?
a. Spent four years in Italy teaching at the Ospedale della Pietà
b. Composed operas in Florence and Venice
c. Was appointed chapel master to the elector of Hanover
d. His work in Rome primarily consisted of writing secular cantatas
11. Identify the incorrect statement regarding Handel’s efforts in opera while he
was residing in London.
a. His operas continued the English style that had been established by Henry
Purcell
b. For a time, the operas were financially successful
c. He hired the singers, composed the music, led the rehearsals, and
conducted the performances from the harpsichord
d. After repeated box office failures, he gradually turned from composing
operas to writing oratorios
12. Which activity did not occupy Handel’s time while working in London?
a. Provided music for the aristocracy
b. Wrote music for royal entertainments and ceremonies
c. Was a music tutor to the royal family
d. Played the organ for important funerals
13. Why did Handel find the oratorio a financially viable alternative to composing
operas?
a. Eliminated expensive soloists, sets, and costumes
b. Exploited the English love of choral music
LATE BAROQUE MUSIC: BACH AND HANDEL
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c. Appealed to the religious attitudes of Puritan and Methodist citizens
d. All of the above
14. Identify the incorrect statement regarding Handel’s posthumous reputation
a. Became the most famous composer in Europe
b. Perhaps the finest composer of choral music who ever lived
c. He was the first composer to write in a “modern” harmonic style
d. His reputation continued to increase after his death
15. Which composition was not composed by Johann Sebastian Bach?
a. Violin Concerto in E Major, The “Spring”
b. Cantata, Awake, A Voice is Calling
c. Organ Fugue in G Minor
d. Brandenburg Concerto No. 5
SELF TEST
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1. Listen to the first concertino section of Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (6
CD 0/00; 0:29-0:49). Which term best describes the melodic style?
a. terraced
c. non-imitative counterpoint
b. sequential
d. ostinato
2. Which idea best characterizes the musical style of the late Baroque period?
a. innovation
c. perfection
b. experimentation
d. reformation
3. Which term describes the fugal section where the theme is replaced by motivic
development and modulation?
a. exposition
c. subject
b. counterpoint
d. episode
4. The size of a Baroque orchestra was rarely more than:
a. 15
c. 35
b. 25
d. 50
5. Identify the incorrect statement regarding the bass line during the opening
section of “Rejoice greatly” from the Messiah (6CD 0/0; 0:00-1:32).
a. walking bass style
b. basso continuo consists of harpsichord and low strings
c. maintains a steady tempo
d. whenever the soprano sings the basso continuo is omitted
6. What element did German composers add to the church cantata?
a. an introductory fugue
c. text in the vernacular
b. orchestral accompaniment
d. choral movements
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LISTENING TO MUSIC
7. Which statement is not true concerning the treatment of musical elements during
the late Baroque period?
a. short, regular phrases
b. driving rhythms
c. harmony based on major and minor keys
d. contrapuntal texture predominant
8. Which woodwind was occasionally added to the basso continuo group?
a. flute
c. clarinet
b. oboe
d. bassoon
9. Identify the true statement about the Messiah.
a. Handel composed the work in the space of three and a half weeks
b. first performed in London, England as part of a charity benefit
c. initial performance was for a chorus of 500 voices
d. the composition did not become popular until fifty years after Handel’s
death
10. Which statement does not apply to Bach’s cantatas
a. Composed almost three hundred cantatas, but only two-thirds survive
b. The cantata, with its emphasis on theological accuracy, was intended to
replace the sermon
c. His family members and private students had to copy out by hand the
music for each singer and instrumentalist
d. They express his religious faith and sincere belief in the reformation
traditions of the German Lutheran Church
11. Identify the woodwind instrument heard during the opening ritornello section of
Bach’s Cantata Awake, a Voice is Calling, movement I (6CD 1/15; 2CD 1/6;
0:00-0:33).
a. clarinet
c. oboe
b. French horn
d. flute
12. Which statement about the German church cantata is not true?
a. consists of a succession of independent movements
b. composition is strictly for soloist and orchestral accompaniment
c. text based on Gospel reading for a specific Sunday or holiday
d. utilized the operatic forms of recitative and aria
13. Identify the incorrect statement regarding the oratorio.
a. uses the operatic forms of recitative and aria
b. chorus serves a dual function as narrator and commentator
c. performances are staged with costumes and scenery
d. an opera with a religious subject
14. Listen to the Organ Fugue in G minor (6CD 1/19; 2CD 1/7). Identify the term
that best describes what you hear between 2:13-2:25.
a. episode
c. subject
b. exposition
d. terraced dynamics
LATE BAROQUE MUSIC: BACH AND HANDEL
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FOR FURTHER LISTENING
BACH
Although any selection on Bach's music will omit far more masterpieces than it will contain,
it is hoped that this list will inspire readers to explore the rich heritage this composer
bequeathed to humanity. Well-known sacred works include Cantata 4, Christ lag in
Todesbanden (for Easter Sunday and believed to be Bach's first cantata); Cantata 80, Ein feste
Burg (cantata for Reformation Sunday and based on Luther's chorale A mighty fortress is our
God); Cantata 147, Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben (composed for the feast of the
Visitation of Mary, it contains the famous setting later known as Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring);
and the Christmas Oratorio which is a collection of six cantatas narrating the Christmas story.
Bach's Mass in B Minor and St. Matthew Passion are two of the greatest artistic achievements
of western civilization.
While a list of compositions for organ should begin by stating the obvious, the Toccata and
Fugue in D Minor (in which the fugue is inserted into the middle of the toccata), other
compositions are also greatly beloved, including the Passacaglia and Fugue in C Minor (one
of the few works which has the same theme for both movements), Prelude and Fugue in E-flat
Major "St. Anne" (the three fugue subjects are believed to reflect the divine nature of the
Trinity and the initial subject bears an uncanny resemblance to the hymn tune of the same
name), and "Wachet auf" from the Schubler Chorales (an arrangement for organ of the fourth
movement of Cantata 140). Two important collections of fugal writing are The Art of Fugue
(in which Bach demonstrated every possible fugal technique) and the two volumes of The
Well-Tempered Clavier. Recordings of the latter are available featuring harpsichord or piano
as a solo instrument. Some listeners find it easier to perceive the contrapuntal texture of the
fugues in piano recordings. Bach also composed dance suites for the keyboard (Six Partitas,
English Suites, and French Suites) and a collection called the Goldberg Variations. A
Russian ambassador who suffered from insomnia commissioned the latter work, making it
one of the only works in which a composer desired his audience to go to sleep. For something
completely different try finding an old recording of Switched-On Bach by Walter (now
Wendy) Carlos. It features numerous keyboard works played on the Moog Synthesizer.
Beside the Brandenburg Concertos, Bach's best-known compositions for orchestra are the four
Orchestral Suites. He also composed other concertos for a variety of instrumental
combinations. Any composition by this composer is certain to offer a stimulating and
aesthetically pleasing listening experience.
HANDEL
Handel was one of the greatest composers of choral music in the history of Western music;
his mastery of musical drama and effect are superbly illustrated in the four Coronation
Anthems for George II. These anthems have been performed at every English coronation
since 1727. There are recordings of Messiah to suit every taste, from a large chorus and
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orchestra (Toronto Symphony and Mendelssohn Choir, Angel CDCB 49027) to an attempt to
replicate the "content, sound, and style" of Handel's performance on April 5, 1754 (Academy
of Ancient Music, Christopher Hogwood, L'Oiseau-Lyre 411858-4). Boston Baroque,
conducted by Martin Pearlman, observes the style of the period but uses female voices in the
chorus (Telarc CD-80322). One of the best methods to develop an appreciation for this
beloved composition is to join a chorus preparing it for performance. It is not easy, but the
exhilaration that comes from singing the "Hallelujah" chorus for the first time is an enriching
experience you will never regret. Other oratorios by Handel include Israel in Egypt (the
plagues of frogs and flies are wonderfully graphic) and Judas Maccabaeus (which contains
several well-known choruses).
Later oratorios that followed the Handelian tradition include Joseph Haydn's The Creation
(the passages relating the creation of light and the rising of the sun are particularly stirring)
and Felix Mendelssohn's Elijah (the dramatic conflict between the priests of Baal and Elijah is
a highlight). The latter two compositions are available in both German and English versions.
Both composers expected these works to be performed in English in England, so there is no
need to listen to them in German except for reasons of personal preference.
Three orchestral compositions serve as the backbone of Handel's instrumental style: Concerti
grossi, Op. 6, Water Music, and Royal Fireworks Music. The compositions of Georg Philipp
Telemann are another source of excellent late Baroque instrumental music.
LATE BAROQUE MUSIC: BACH AND HANDEL
LISTENING EXERCISE 00
19
Name ____________________
Johann Sebastian Bach
Organ Fugue in G minor (ca. 1710)
6CD 0/00; 2CD 0/0
The following diagram is essentially the same as that found on page 000. It charts the flow of
the music as Bach's Organ Fugue in G minor unfolds from the straightforward exposition,
through the increasingly lengthy episodes, to the final statement of the subject in the bass.
Your task is to differentiate statements of the subject from the episodes—can you hear when
the subject is being played or not? The first statement of the subject appears at 0:00, so your
first question is easy. For the other eight statements of the subject, however, you may find
yourself more challenged. Indicate the correct time that all nine statements of the subject of
the fugue occur by choosing “a” or “b” below. You are not asked to indicate the times at
which the episodes begin, but see if you can sense that the subject is no longer present and
that modulations are occurring.
EXPOSITION
EPISODE
EPISODE
S 1._____
A
____
†
2.______
T
3. ______
B
6._____
5. __
4._____
7.______
† This entry starts in the tenor and continues in the soprano.
EPISODE
S
EPISODE
8._______
A
T
B
9._____
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LISTENING TO MUSIC
1. a. 0:00 or b. 0:05
6. a. 1:56 or b. 2:04
2. a. 0:15 or b. 0:19
7. a. 2:25 or b. 2:33
3. a. 0:37 or b. 0:42
8. a. 3:00 or b. 3:09
4. a. 0:59 or b. 1:06
9. a. 3:39 or b. 3:48
5. a. 1:20 or b. 1:28
10. Finally, which of the four parts is played by the pedals of the organ?
a. soprano
b. alto
c. tenor
d. bass
LATE BAROQUE MUSIC: BACH AND HANDEL
LISTENING EXERCISE 00
21
Name ____________________
Johann Sebastian Bach
Cantata, Awake, a Voice Is Calling (1731)
Fourth movement
6CD 0/00; 2CD 0/0
The most famous portion of Cantata Awake, a Voice Is Calling, is the middle (fourth)
movement in which Bach assigns the violins a lovely counter melody to sound against the
chorale tune. The following exercise asks you to concentrate mainly on the relationship
between the three musical lines that are clearly audible throughout this beautiful work: bass,
chorale tune, and violin counter melody.
1. (0:00-0:42) How many musical lines or parts do you hear at the beginning of the
movement?
a. one
b. two
c. three
2. (0:00-0:34) A bass that plods along in equal note values moving in predominantly
conjunct* motion (step-wise motion) is called?
a. an ostinato bass b. a pedal point
c. a walking bass
(0:00-0:42) The meter of the movement is duple, indeed 4/4. There are four quarter notes in
each measure. You can hear the beat by focusing on the bass. At the beginning (0:00-0:34)
the double basses play nothing but quarter notes; that is to say, here they are playing the beat.
3. (0:00-0:01) Does the melody begin with a pickup* before the double basses enter with the
first downbeat? (Do you hear a bit of violin sound before the basses enter?)
a. The melody begins with a pickup in the violins.
b. The melody does not begin with a pickup in the violins.
4. (0:00-0:40) Count and conduct the music. Your beat should be marching in sync with the
bass. How many full measures of music do your hear before the voices enter?
a. four
b. eight
c. twelve
5. (0:43)
a.
b.
c.
When the chorale tune enters it is sung
in four-part harmony.
in unison by the sopranos.
in unison by the tenors.
6. (0:43-1:13) Bach sets the chorale tune in notes that are
a. longer (hence sound slower) than those of the strings.
b. shorter (hence sound faster than those of the strings.
7. (0:43-1:13) Throughout this section which is true?
a. The chorale tune is at the top of the texture, strings in the middle, double basses at
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the bottom
b. The chorale tune is in the middle of the texture, strings at the top, double basses at
the bottom.
c. The chorale tune is at the bottom of the texture, strings at the top, double basses in
the middle.
8. (1:10-1:18) Which is true of the conclusion of section A of the movement?
a. The strings begin to repeat their flowing melody before the voices conclude their
phrase of the chorale tune.
b. The voices conclude their phrase of the chorale tune and then the strings begin to
repeat their flowing melody.
(1:12-2:50) Repeat section A of the movement. Check your answers to questions 1-8.
9. (3:17-3:32) Which is true about this section?
a. It is in a major key and the chorale tune is present in the sopranos.
b. It is in a minor key and the chorale tune is not sung during this passage.
10. At any time throughout this movement is the three-line texture (bass, chorale tune, violin
counter melody) increased by the addition of woodwinds and brasses?
a. Yes, woodwinds and brasses are added at the end for extra weight. Bach likes the
big, dramatic event.
b. No, Bach never uses more than a three-line texture in this movement. Once he
decides on a texture, he prosecutes it rigorously to the end.
LATE BAROQUE MUSIC: BACH AND HANDEL
LISTENING EXERCISE 00
23
Name ____________________
George Frideric Handel
"Hallelujah" chorus from Messiah
Intro CD (10)
As a man of the theater, Handel was the master of the dramatic gesture. Sometimes, as we
shall see, he would even insert a “thundering silence” for special effect. This exercise asks
you to hear the frequent changes of texture in the “Hallelujah” chorus. It is by means of
striking textural changes that Handel creates the grand effects of this classical favorite.
1. How many musical lines are prominent during the instrumental introduction?
a. one: basses (cellos and double basses)
b. two: violins and basses (cellos and double basses)
c. three: oboes, violins, and basses (cellos and double basses)
2. In what kind of musical texture do the voices sing when they enter with "Hallelujah"?
a. monophony b. polyphony c. homophony
3. (0:25-0:31; "For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth") When the chorus sings in unison, do
the violins double (play the same line as) the voices?
a. yes
b. no
4. Unison singing and playing creates what kind of texture?
a. monophonic
b. polyphonic
c. homophonic
5. (0:47-1:12; "For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth") Now we have a passage of imitative,
contrapuntal writing in which a subject is presented in succession in the voices. In
what order do the voices enter with this subject?
a. soprano, alto, male voices
b. soprano, male voices, alto
c. alto, male voices, soprano
6. (1:32-1:53; "And he shall reign for ever and ever") Again, Handel offers another passage
of imitative writing, with a new subject. In what order do the voices enter?
a. bass, alto, tenor, soprano
b. bass, tenor, soprano, alto
c. bass, soprano, alto, tenor
d. bass, tenor, alto, soprano
7. Polyphonic passages such as this (1:32-1:52) most closely approximate the style and
musical texture found in
a. a fugue
b. a chorale tune
c. a Gregorian chant
8. (2:06-2:30) What are the sopranos doing here on “King of Kings and Lord of Lords”?
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LISTENING TO MUSIC
a. rising in an arpeggio
b. rising by leap
c. rising by step
9. (3:22-3:24) In a brilliant stroke Handel sets off and highlights the final statement of
“Hallelujah” (and the final cadence) by inserting a new kind of texture. Which is
correct?
a. He inserts a homophonic brass fanfare.
b. He inserts the texture of silence.
10. What is it that creates the drama and grandeur in this choral movement?
a. a skillful use of a variety of textures and styles
b. a very clear setting of the English text (music reflecting the natural stresses in the
words)
c. the concentration of all voices and instruments on a few, simple musical gestures
d. all of the above
LATE BAROQUE MUSIC: BACH AND HANDEL
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