Baroque
Music
Bach
Johann Sebastian
Bach
– 1685 – 1750
– Born in Germany
– Recognized as a
master of
polyphonic (“many
sounds) style and
great organist
– Known for his
fugues
Fugue
Repeating of a melody by different
instruments with some variations.
Generally consists of a series of
expositions - consists of subjects with at
least one answer
Fugue
Parts of the fugue:
– Subject
melody that comprises the primary melodic material
– Answer
subject imitation; immediately follows the subject but usually
in a different voice (higher or lower)
– Countersubject
sometimes recurs immediately following the subject or
answer
– False subject
entry of the subject that begins but never finishes
Handel
George Frideric
Handel
– 1685 – 1759
– British composer of
operas and oratorios
– most famous works
Messiah
Water Music
Music for the Royal
Fireworks.
Oratorio
large musical composition for orchestra
and chorus
– often with a biblical theme
– different than opera
no acting, no scenery, no costumes
Messiah
Oratorio presentation of Jesus' life
1741 (completed in 24 days)
– Handel is at his peak but depressed and in debt
Handel conducted Messiah many times and
often altered the music to meet the needs of his
musicians and singers
Because of this, no single version can be
regarded as the authentic one
Baroque
Dance
Ballet
Formalized “Performance Dance”
Earliest roots can be traced to Italy in the 15th century
Featured trained dancers and choreography
Organized and formally structured in France by Pierre
Beauchamp in the early 1600s
Terminology (Vocabulary) is largely French (e.g.
pirouette, piqué, plié, poisson
Features a “turned-out” body position
Louis XIV of France (1643-1715)
Known as the “Sun King”
Became king at age four
An accomplished ballet dancer
In 1661, founded the Royal
Academy of Dance (Académie
Royale de Danse)
Would often take lead roles in
ballet performances at the royal
court
Louis XIV as the Sun King
This nickname came from a ballet role
in which Louis performed when he
was 14. He liked the costume and the
imagery so much that he adopted the
name and fashioned a sun emblem to
represent himself.
The Greek god Apollo was the god of
the sun, peace, and the arts – another
association that appealed to Louis
Louis’s Home – The Palace of Versailles
Pierre Beauchamp (1631-1705)
•
•
•
Ballet choreographer and dancer
Director of the Royal Academy of Dance
Credited with codifying the five foot positions used in ballet and in the
development of the use of the arms
Baroque
Theatre
Molière (1622-1673)
Born Jean-Baptiste
Poquelin, he was know as
Molière, a stage name
French playwright and
actor
Considered one of the
greatest masters of
comedy in western
literature
Two of his best known
works include Tartuffe (the
Hypocrite) and Le
Misanthrope.
Baroque Opera
Although Opera would not reach its pinnacle until the Classical and
Romantic Periods (1750-1900), it can trace it’s roots to the Baroque
time period.
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a
dramatic work combining text (called a libretto) and musical score
Opera included costumes, props, and sets and would have a secular
theme – often focused on stories from ancient Greece and Rome.
In between acts of an opera, a ballet would often be performed.