Studied by 69 people
Baroque English Interregnum
interregnum: a period when normal government is suspended; a period of time in between monarchies
King Charles I: tyrant, believed in divine right of kings, executed for treason: going against Parliament
monarchy shifted to the commonwealth, lead by Oliver Cromwell
Oliver Cromwell
essentially the leader of the commonwealth of England
very strictly Calvinist Protestant
had the theatres and concert halls closed: only allowed sacred music
after death, his son tried to take over but was unsuccessful
Parliament asked Charles II (Charles I’s son) to come from France to be king
music resumed :)
Henry Purcell
grew up in court of Charles II
chorister in chapel at age 10, voice broke at 14 so couldn’t sing but Charles II kept him as instrument keeper
at 18, became court composer of sacred and secular music; at 20, became organist at Westminster Abbey: did both for remainder of career
wrote for many various genres and audiences, theatre/play music for London
Purcell and monarchies
served 4 monarchs (3 monarchIES)
Charles II (Anglican)
James II (brother of Charles, Catholic: problem because state church was Anglican, forced to leave throne)
William of Orange (cousin of Charles) and Mary
Z
cataloging system for Purcell’s music
Franklin Zimmerman: 20th-century American musicologist who cataloged the music
sorted by genre: difficult-to-date pieces since Purcell wrote as a child, not everything published (except for theatre pieces) until discovered
Henry Purcell Genres
incidental music
Z 1-65: anthems
Z 626: opera
Odes
Funeral Music for Queen Mary
Z 860 elogies, Z 58 anthem
incidental music
Purcell
orchestral pieces, solos, choruses
comparable to Broadway musicals: spoken dialogue with songs performed in between
anthem
Purcell
choral composition (organ and choir)
written for Anglican worship (Church of England)
differences from Latin motet: accompanied and in English
Ode
Purcell
multi-movement composition for soloists, choir and orchestra celebrating a person or event
Odes for Queen Mary
Purcell
5 of them written during her reign, 6th written the year of her death: “Come Ye Sons of Art”
excluded trumpets in a movement because he was mad at the Shores (father and son)
“Hail Bright Cecilia”
Purcell ode
About a saint who was considered patroness to music
opens with orchestra and chorus, followed by a series of solos and ensembles presenting various instruments
one movement highlights organ: “Wonderous Machine”
“I Was Glad”
Purcell anthem
written for coronation of James II
words from Psalm 100
Z 626
Henry Purcell’s one opera: “Dido and Aeneas”
based off of book IV of Virgil’s “Aeneid” about Aenied’s path to being the 1st Roman emperor
Virgil: Roman writer
Purcell’s version: love story of Dido (queen of Carthage) and hero Aeneas, who betrays her, and she dies of heartbreak
written for girls’ school in London, so mostly female roles
prologue and 3 acts
“Dido’s Lament”
from Purcell’s opera
song Dido sings as she is dying of heartbreak
begins with a recitative
lament ground
repeated bass motif, specifically constructed with descending fourths
Funeral Music for Queen Mary
Henry Purcell
Also used for his own funeral as well as monarchs (ex. William)
March
2 Elogies: Z860
March played again during funeral service, Anthem played during service.
Anthem Z 58
Canzona
Purcell’s Funeral March
played during procession from the palace to Manchester Abbey (outside) and then again during funeral service (inside)
flatt trumpets (slide trumpets) and muffled drums
Purcell’s Funeral Elogies
2 pieces used for processions following the march
make up Z860
“Man that is Born of a Woman” and “In the Midst of Life, We are in Death”
Purcell’s Funeral Anthem
“Thou Knowest, Lord, the Secrets of our Hearts”
Z58
played during funeral service (inside)
Purcell’s Funeral Canzona
played as casket is taken from the church into the crypt below (inside)
flatt trumpets, NO drums
repeated imitative polyphony
French Baroque
VERY different from German, English, Italian
centered around refinement, structure, and clarity: “music in good taste”
almost no popular music/folk songs: sacred and secular music were court-centered
Louis XIV
“The Sun King”
French
believed in absolute monarchy/divine right of kings
Versailles
Louis XIV’s hunting lodge
refined and carefully designed gardens and rooms, reflecting French values
Louis spent most of his time there along with his court and musicians
French opera
French audiences didn’t care for virtuoso singing, so no castrati singers
also made storyline more important rather than focusing so much on excessive, almost silly songs
almost always 5 acts with a prologue sung by 1-2 Greek gods/goddesses or virtues (short summary)
high quality, spoken plays set to music
most originating from Ancient Greece: tragedies and pastorale
arias: lyrical, beautiful melodies set to highlight French language
dance: ballet was a major part of French opera; King Louis would even perform in the shows
French overture/ouverture
developed by Lully
1 movement, 2 parts
1st part: slow and stately, dotted rhythm patterns played in double dotted pattern
2nd part: fast and imitative
ex. overture of “Armide”
Called sinfonia in Italy
French instrumental compositions
sonata form: solo or trio sonata
music for solo lute: mostly suites (similar to sonata da camera: dance movements)
ordres: suites for solo harpsichord
Francois Couperin/”Couperin le Grand”
inherited father’s organist position at church of St. Gervais, Paris when he turned 18
at 25, admitted to court as major keyboard player/composer
taught and composed harpsichord
27 Ordres
Francois Couperin
suites: collections of usually dance movements or descriptive titles
multi-movement pieces for solo harpsichord, each carrying their own titles
extensive ornamentation: runs, trills, mordants (turns)
Couperin insisted they be played exactly as written
“L’art de toucher de clavecin”/”The Art of Playing the Harpsichord”
written by Francois Couperin
a definitive treatise of Baroque period
about ornamentation
how to touch keys, when to start a turn, etc.
“La Visionaire”
first movement of Couperin’s 25th Ordre
depicts a religious fanatic
“Les Barricades Mysterieuses”/”The Mysterious Barricade”
Francois Couperin
movement from Ordre 4
Francois Couperin
Who was given permission by the court to publish the masses he wrote for them?
“Trois Lecon de Tenebres”
Francois Couperin
NOT a mass
service of scripture readings and music commemorating the arrest, trial and journey to cross
takes from Lamentations of Jeremiah
given during Holy Week
performed in a group of 3 to make up 1st three days
1-3 soloists with continuo: cello and organ
NO choir
portatif/portative
small version of an organ
continuo instrument created during Baroque period
no pedal, one manual, 2 stops: one flute, one reed-sounding, pipes underneath
“Pieces d’ Organ”
Francois Couperin
2 organ masses: “Mass for the Parishes” and “Mass for the Convents”
mass ordinary in alternatum style: organ alternates with choir (1st kyrie performed by choir, 2nd by organ, etc.)
like his ordres, ornamentation and double dotted rhythmic patterns
Louis Claude d’Aquin
wrote operas, though not as well known
studied with Lully
from Aquin, Italy, and came to Paris to work for court
organist/organ composer for French chapel, studied viol and was great at it
viol
preferred over other strings in France
smaller yet richer sound due to sympathetic strings
fretted fingerboard
Noel
set of variations on a Christmas melody
some originated from popular carols or were written by d’Aquin
ex. “Livres de Noels”: Book of Noels - 12 sets of variations
Marin Marais
studied with Lully and conducted some of his operas
studied viol with St. Columbe
wrote suites called Pieces for viol
collections of descriptive pieces
“Bells of St. Genevieve”
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Italian opera composer who worked in French court
most influential composer in French history
received musical training at court where his father worked as a miller
organ and viol player, composer of opera and instrumental composition
held the copyright on music in France, granted by monarch
people had to go through him to publish or perform music in the court
if not liked by him, could not have music published: political favors and other drama
24 Violins of the King
made up of viols
viola da braccia (soprano violin) → viola da gamba (cello)
6 1st violins
6 2nd violins
6 violas
6 cellos
gave concerts for court of King Louis XIV
performed primarily inside, entertained during meals (brass and drums typically outdoors for announcing arrival of nobility, etc.)
suites, pieces, ordres
apply towards collections of music for solo harpsichord and ensembles (orchestra)
titled dance pieces (given name of dance)
titled descriptive pieces (one or two words describing a person/place/thing)
Armide
last of Lully’s operas: tragedie lyrique (lyric tragedies)
set during the first crusade, based on an epic poem by Torquato Tasso
about Armide’s conflicting emotions, giving a psychological breakdown of the character
staple of French baroque opera, then and now
lots of ballet, prologue given by two muse-esque characters: glory and wisdom
Philippe Quinault
Set Torquato Tasso’s epic poem “Armide” into opera libretto format for Lully’s opera version
