Orchestra Final

Baroque Period Composers (1600-1750)

The Baroque style used contrast, movement, exuberant detail, deep color, grandeur, and surprise to achieve a sense of awe and it began in the 17th century in Rome. “Running” notes are played with detaché and “walking” notes are played with Martelé. The most prominent of these composers are Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi. Bach and Handel were both born in 1685 but Handel lived 4 years longer than Bach because Bach died in 1750. That’s why the Baroque Period ended at that time. Trills and grace notes or things that highlight the main notes on the page are called ornaments. Dynamics like Forte or Piano are terris.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was known for Counterpoint which is two melodic lines moving at the same time. He organized harmony in ways to which we still use it today. He is also given credit for the Fugue which is the systematic imitation of a theme or (subject). Amadi invented the bow. Bach was born in Leipzig and was a church organist. He was luthérien. He was a German composers and creator of Brandenburg concertos.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

was a significant composer who wrote some of the most influential compositions of the early Baroque, including the famous 1610 Vespro Della Béate Vergine (Vespers of the Blessed Virgin) and nine books of secular madrigals published between 1587 and 1651, he also composed the earliest operas like Orfero (1607).

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643

was an italian composer who worked on numerous operas including the Stabat Mater which is a composition still played to this day.

Giovanni Batista Pergolesi (1710-1736

was one of the more dominant figures of the French Baroque, was actually an Italian named (Giovanni Batista Lulli) who arrived in Paris. He worked as a significant composer and dancer. He fused the Italian pastoral opera with the French ballet du cour.

Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687)

was an Italian composer and violinist who created the concerto and the style of late Baroque instrumental music. Vivalid’s main teacher was his father Giovanni Batista. He was from Venice and trained for priesthood at an early age. A concerto is a soloist with an orchestra. His use of harmony, tension and release in harmony as well. “Spring” of the four seasons is the most recorded piece in classical music ever.

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

was born in Germany and was noted for his operas, oratorios and instrumental compositions. He became an organist of the Reformed Cathedral in Halle for a year before going to Hamburg. His most famous work is the Messiah (1741).

George Frederic Handel (1685-1759)

Classical period music maintained many styles of the Baroque tradition but focused on elegance and simplicity. Lots of history is tied into these composers' pieces. Spicato or the bouncing or brushing strokes of the string was used in this period instead of Baroque. Harpsichord tended to fade away because of the Piano. Vibrato was also used way more in this period. Chin rest was invented in this period.

Classical Period Composers (1750-1825)

= was a respected Kapellmeister who was known for his opera contributions. In 1804, however, he stopped composing operas, and instead wrote music only for church.

Antonio Salieri (1750-1825)

revolutionized opera by softening the contrast between recitatives and arias by weaving underlying melodic themes and orchestral passages within the recitatives as they flowed into the arias. He melted French and Italian operatic styles together.

Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787)

was a reliable and steady Austrian composer who directed, taught, performed and managed musicians from the royal Esterhazy family. He also composed many pieces for the courtly orchestra with over 100 symphonies and 60 string quartets. He is referred to as the “Father of the Symphony and String Quartet.” He created the London Symphonies, The creation, Trumpet Concerto, and Cello Concerto.

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

an Austrian composer who composed over 600 works of symphonic, chamber, operatic and choral music. He was just five years old when he made his first musical compositions. He is most remembered for his successful operas like The Magic Flute (1791). His last symphony - the Jupiter Symphony perhaps is pretty famous. He had popularized and developed most of the classical piano concerto and wrote a great deal of religious music. Mozart is from saltzburg. Eine kleine Nachtmusik is his most famous orchestral piece.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven invented the solo sonata, this type of music usually has two or four movements, which are unique from one another. His most famous sonata is the Moonlight Sonata, composed in 1801, for piano. Throughout his life as well as with the onset of deafness he composed 722 works. He initiated the start of the romantic era.

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

The Romantic period used expansive symphonies, virtuosic piano music, dramatic operas and passionate songs. It was known for its intense energy and passion. Many large orchestras and as many as 100. Music got away from churches and more into what’s going on in the world at that time.

Romantic Period Composers (1825-1900)

became a composer because he failed as a pianist. He was also a poet and had an exalted opinion of both. He was a German Romantic composer and was renown for his piano music and orchestral music.

Robert Schumann (1810-1856

is known for his revolutionary compositions and Wagnerian Leitmotif. He was a German composer and was highly regarded for many operas and theatrical practices.

Richard Wagner (1813-1883)

was a German composer, pianist, and conductor of the mid-Romantic period. He was Lutheran and spent lots of time in Vienna, Austria. He wrote in many genres, including symphonies, concerti, chamber music, piano works, and choral compositions, which many reveal the influence of folk music. He is grouped with Bach and Beethoven as one of the “Three Bs’.

Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)

was a Russian composer who mainly played piano since the age of 5 and was a Russian Orthodox. He made a lasting impression internationally. He has made tons and tons of many popular compositions today like Swan Lake (1877), The Sleeping Beauty (1889) and the Nutcracker (1892). He also populated B Minor again.

Pyotr llyich Tchaikovsky (1840-1893)

was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He composed ten symphonies although the east one was left unfinished.

Gustav Mahler (1860-1911)

was a German composer, pianist, organist, and conductor of the early Romantic period. He was known for symphonies, concertos, piano music, and chamber music. He also wrote many solos. The best Mendelssohn works include his ‘Overture’ and incidental music for A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Jackob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy (1809-1847)

The Modern era split into many different styles with the early ones being Impressionism, Modernism, Ragtime, Jazz, Musicals, pop and more. Shoulder rest was invented in this period.

Modern Period Composers (1900-)

Lili Boulanger (1893-1918) pursued music from a young age and won the prestigious Prix de Rome composition prize for her piece Faust et Helene.

Lili Boulanger (1893-1918)

William Grant Still (1895-1978) his Symphony No.1 was the most performed symphony in America for a while. He composed ballets, operas, symphonies, quartets and chorals. He was the first African American composer to have an opera performed by a major company.

William Grant Still (1895-1978)

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) he was an English composer and revolutionized opera. His works were Peter Grimes and the Thurn of the Screw.

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976)

Hans Florian Zimmer (1957-) is a German film score composer and music producer. He has won two Oscars and four Grammys, and has been nominated for two Emmys and a Tony. He has composed music for over 100 films such as Pirates of the Caribbean series, Gladiator, The Lion King, The Da Vinci Code, Sherlock Holmes and Interstellar.

Hans Florian Zimmer (1957-)

is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. He is known for the scores and iconic theme songs for nine of the Star Wars films and the first three Harry Potter films. He is the oldest person to be nominated for an Oscar at 90 years old. He is also known for his lush symphonic style, which helped bring symphonic film scores back into vogue after synthesizers had became the norm.

John Towner Williams KBE (1935-)

was a French composer, he is sometimes seen as the first impressionist composer. Although he rejected the term. He is most famous for La Mer (1905) and Clair de lune, the wistful third movement of his Suite Bergamasque, composed in 1890. He developed a highly original system of harmony and musical structure.

Claude Debussy (1862-1918)

single bow with slight articulation, its used with notes of equal value to sound smooth and legato. Used in all periods “Default”

Detache

a hammered bow stroke, and is used often in forte or fortissimo passages, or when articulation is needed. Used in Classical and Romantic

Martele

a stopped bow stroke used to emphasize space between the notes. In the baroque period quarter notes were this. Can be marked by a dot above or below the note.

Staccato

Slightly seperated in slur and used mostly in Baroque dance styles. Marked by two dashes under the notes of a slur.

Loure

brushing or bouncing the string used in fast tempos with eighths and sixteenths, jumping note patterns, rhythmic patterns, popular in the baroque period.

Spicatto

rapid alteration of bows on a single note to create suspense, emotion, and to sustain a long note, popularized in baroque but most used in modern era.

Tremolo

very soft

pp

(piano) soft

p

(mezzo piano) medium soft

mp

(mezzo forte) medium forte

mf

(forte) loud

f

(fortissimo) very loud

ff

diminishing in loudness

dimuendo (dim.)

decreasing in loudness

decrescendo

increasing in loudness

crescendo

dying away

morendo

sudden emphasis

sfzorando

large, broad,

Largo

slow

Lento

slow, leisurely

Adagio

a walking speed

Andante

moderately

Moderato

fast

Allegro

as fast as possible

Presto

return to the original tempo

A tempo

accelerate

accelerando

growing

allargando

with motion

con moto

the same tempo

l’istesso tempo

less

meno

very much

molto

movement

mosso

somewhat

piu

growing slower and slower

rallentando, ritardando

flexible tempo

rubato

sustained

sostenuto

a sudden and rapid increase in speed,

stringendo

the first tempo,

tempo primo

lively

vivace

in a singing style

Cantabile

sweetly

dolce

smooth and connected

legato

lightly

leggiero

majestically

maestoso

marked or well accented

marcato

always

sempre