1600-1750

• Sir Frances Bacon: 1561-1626
• Rene Descartes: 1596-1650
• Galileo Galilei: 1564-1642
• Sir Isaac Newton: 1642-1727
• Johannes Kepler sets forth astronomical laws: 1609
• Thirty Years’ War: 1618-48
• Mayflower brings English colonists to
New England: 1620
• English Civil War: 1642-49
• Reign of Louis XIV in France: 1643-1715

• Patronage system still important for musicians, but public concerts emerge
• Beginnings of capitalism & joint stock ventures: important means for funding large opera productions
• Italian influence: very important in the arts

• Basso Continuo (continuous bass)
• Chords: vertical harmony important; often improvised
• Tendency towards homophony
• Development of major/minor tonalities
• Rhythm: could be free (recitatives) or speech-like; or strongly measured (metric) with bar now the norm; strong downbeats
• Emotion in music was essential to this era: the idea of affections
• Dramatic/energetic/decorative/sense of motion & movement

• Late 16th century: gathering of poets, composers, & noblemen in Florence, Italy
• This group promoted a revival of interest in Greek Tragedies
• Wanted to recreate “original” or authentic performances of Greek tragedies
• Were convinced that, originally, the tragedies were sung (chanted) in some way
• Felt that the text should be delivered as a
“solo” with simply bass line (“monody”)

• In Renaissance Era, drama & spectacle were combined in various genres, especially Intermedio musical interludes between acts of a play
• Jacopo Peri, Dafne (1598) wrote first opera: “staged drama, sung throughout, with music designed to convey the character’s emotions.”
• Emilio de Cavalieri: Rappresentatione di
Anima et di Corpo (Representation of the
Soul & the Body): February 1600
• Earliest Surviving Opera: Jacopo Peri’s
Euridice : October 1600

• Born Cremona, Italy
• 1590: Begins employment under the Duke of
Mantua (Vincenzo Gonzaga)
• By 1602: Master of the Duke’s music chapel
• 1613-1643: Choirmaster at St. Mark’s Venice
(one of the most important positions in music in
Italy at that time)
• Early career: wrote madrigals (1st 5 books were published from 1587-1605)
• Several years later, the Duke of Mantua’s elder son asked Monteverdi to write “fable in music” for the local learned academy

• Performed twice
• First time: Sat., February 24, 1607 (Male nobility only were in the audience)
• Second performance: a few days later: women were also admitted into this performance
• In first performance: soprano parts were taken by men (though the Duke had women in his employ; since the first performance was for an all-male audience, the singers needed to be allmale)

• Choirmaster of St. Mark’s
• Wrote polychoral (antiphonal) works
• “Sacred” or “Grand’ Concerto
• Very influential
• Similar compositions continue to be written generations after Gabrieli
• Ex. Grand Concerto: In ecclesiis

• Sacred dialogues, combined elements of narrative, dialogue, etc.; not usually intended for staged performance
• Most often performed in the oratory of a church (Later, performed in palaces & other venues as a substitute for opera during Lent)
• Usually in Latin--- occasionally in vernacular languages from late 17th c. onwards
• Ex: Historia di Jephte by Giacomo Carissimi

• Greatest German composer of mid 17th c.
• Student of Gabrieli
• From 1617 to the end of his life: Master of the Chapel
• Reputedly wrote the first German opera (does not survive)
• Wrote variety & quantity of church music
• Composed German Psalter, Latin Motets, Scared Symphonies,
Oratorios, incl. the Seven Last Words of Christ
• Style: Venetian magnificence
• Use of word painting and bold dissonances
• Example: Saul, was verfolgst du mich

• The Suite:
• Multi-movement instrumental work, made up of a series of dance movements
• Paired dances (slow/fast) had existed since the Middle Ages
• France
• Ordres: often written for harpsichord
• Example: La Visionaire (French overture)
• Germany
• Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, and Gigue
• Example: Pieces de clavecin

• Leading composer of the English Baroque
• Held many important positions in his life, including organist at Westminster Abbey and organist of the Chapel Royal
• Composed much music: instrumental and vocal, sacred and secular
• Best known for his opera, Dido and
Aeneas , which incorporates elements of
French opera (after Lully), English spectacle (“masque”) and Italian opera
(presence of several arias)

• Term used very frequently in Italy from 17th century onwards
• From the Italian, “sonare” (to make sound)
• Various sub-genres existed: ensemble vs solo sonata
• Ensemble sonata: consisted of 2-4 solo players plus basso continuo
• Most common ensemble sonata: trio sonata, requiring 4 players, 2 solo (melody line) plus 2 bass players (playing basso continuo)
• Solo Sonata: for 1 melody player plus basso continuo (usually requires 3 players)
• Sonatas also are divided up into 2 categories, based on format of movements:
• Sonata da camera (“Chamber sonata”): basically a dance suite, first movement might be an abstract movement or prelude
• Sonata da Chiesa (“Church sonata”): Succession of slow/fast movements (fast movements might be dance-inspired but would not have dance titles). Movements given abstract titles such as
Largo, Allegro, etc.

• Italian violinist and composer
• 1671 onwards: lived and worked in Rome, Italy
• Wrote series of sonatas and concerti grossi
• Did not “invent” the sonata form, but did popularize (as well as the concerto grosso)
• Violinist and teacher: his music exploited the cantabile qualities of the violin (as opposed to virtuosic writing for the violin)
• Corelli’s music was well-known in his lifetime, with many printed editions made in London, Amsterdam, Paris, etc., as well as
Rome.
• Corelli’s music served as models for many generations following, especially Handel, Bach, and Vivaldi
• Trio and solo sonatas ultimately begin to be written by composers in England, France, and Germany

• Antecedents of the violin: the medieval rebec and fiddle
(fiedel)
• By 1520, early violin in existence; initially popular primarily as a dance instrument or for outdoor ceremonies & events, since it was louder than the viola da gamba
• Very rapidly becomes important as a concert or solo instrument, of equal importance to the viola da gamba
• 1520-1550: The Viola and Cello (larger instruments in the violin family) evolved
• Cremona, Italy: becomes a center for violin making
• 16th and 17th century: the Amati family were very important in the development of the violin
• Nicolo Amati (1596-1684) taught Andrea Guarneri and Antonio
Stradivarius (“Stradivarius”)
• Antonio Stradivarius (1644-1737): violin maker

• The ideal Renaissance Instrumental Ensemble tended to be fairly small, and consisted of similar instruments in different sizes: such as a consort of viols or recorders
• The Baroque era brought with it increased interest in enlarging instrumental ensembles, and also, in having instruments of differing timbres playing together (an early example of this is:
Monteverdi’s Orfeo
• Large, instrumental ensembles begin to be common
• These ensembles might be used for accompanying operas, operaballets, for dance music, or as an independent musical entity
• Ensembles could vary from 9 to 10 players or more, up to huge, massed, outdoor orchestras of hundreds of players for special festive occasions
• At the same time, chamber music (solo sonatas, trio sonatas, etc.) was flourishing
• By the end of the 17th century, distinction between chamber music
(1 on a part) and orchestral ensembles (larger ensembles, often with multiple players on a part) begins to be made

• Educated for both the priesthood and for music
• Known as “il prete rosso”
• From 1703-1740, employed off and on as conductor, composer, and music teacher at the Pio Ospedal della Pieta
(Hospital of Pity) in Venice. Very high standards of music attained
• Traveled throughout Europe (opera producer)
• Wrote 49 operas
• Wrote 500 concertos (violin, cello, flute, oboe, guitar, bassoon, piccolo)
• Wrote Numerous sonatas, cantatas, motets, etc.
• Famous violinist, noted for beautiful cantabile playing, and also for virtuoso, brilliant, technical displays

• Came from a long line of musicians in Germany and studied with his father
• Organist and young musician
• Appointed to the select body of singers who formed the 'Mettenchor'
(Mattins Choir)
• Lost Soprano voice but became a violinist in the orchestra and as an accompanist at the harpsichord
• 1703-1707: Organist at Arnstadt
• 1707-1708: Organist at Muhlhausen
• 1708-1717: Court organist & concertmaster for the Duke of Weimar
• 1717-1723: Music Director for Prince Cothen
• 1723-1750: Cantor of St. Thomas’ Church and School in Leipzig (one of the foremost positions in Germany)

• Organ works: Preludes , Fugues, Chorale Preludes, etc.
• Clavier suites: 3 sets of 6 suites each
• Instrumental works: Solo Violin Poxtitas (6), Solo Cello Suites (6), Solo Flute (1), 6
Brandenburg Concertos, and Concertos for solo violin and harpsichord
• Bach’s Vocal Music (1723-1750)
• 58 Cantatas per year required
• Mass in B Minor (1747-49)

• Usually based upon Old Testament stories
• Intended for concert hall performance
• Most important innovation is in the use of the chorus: influenced by the English choral tradition
• Inventive
• Inexhaustible flow of melodies and ideas
• Use of chorus is idiomatic: everything fits the vocal parts well
• Texture: varied, from homophonic to polyphonic
• Musical symbolism and word painting

• Born in Halle, Saxony (part of Germany)
• Early musical studies: violin, harpsichord, organ
• Parents want him to study law: goes to Halle University, soon drops out to pursue music: goes to Hamburg, Germany (age 18)
• 1703-06: In Hamburg: Violinist in Hamburg Opera, the eventually
Director of Opera
• Wrote first opera (Italian opera) Almira, in 1705
• 1706-1710: Handel is in Italy, where he is regarded as one of the up & coming opera composers of his generation
• 1709: Wrote Agrippina
• 1710: Handel is appointed Music Director at the Electoral Court of
Hanover (for the Elector, George Ludwig) in Germany
• Early on in, while he is tenure for the Elector George, Handel asks for permission to leave the Elector (and his musical duties) in order to travel to London

• However, in 1714, Queen Anne (the ruling monarch) of England dies without heir, and the closest Protestant successor to the throne is he Elector George
• Royal Activity, organized 1718-1719 as a joint stock venture of 60 noblemen to produce operas in England
• 1720-28: Handel wrote operas for the Royal Academy
• 1728: John Gay’s opera, the Beggar’s Opera (in English): symptomatic of the gradual lessening of interest in Italian opera in England
• 1729: Royal Academy stopped producing operas; Handel took it over
• 1730s: two competing opera companies: Handel’s company & Opera of Nobility: eventually the two companies went nearly bankrupt; the Opera of Nobility folded

• 1739: Handel started to write Oratorios
• 1741: Wrote Messiah for performance in Dublin, Ireland
• Texts were drawn from Old and New Testament
• In three parts: Advent (birth of Christ), Passion (Resurrection), and Book of Revelation
• Wrote suites and sonatas for keyboard
• Had instrumental works include Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks; many orchestral works
• Wrote operas
• Wrote secco (basso continuo and melodies) and accompanied recitatives (more instruments)
• Also wrote a few instrumental symphonies and ballets

Organ
Harpsichord

Oboe
Timpani
Recorder
Trumpet
Flute
Bassoon