What are the dates for the Baroque Period?
1600-1750
What else was going on during the Baroque time period?
The conquest of the New World and the love for the dramatic took place at this time. Galileo studied physics/astronomy, Descartes studied
math, and Newton studied gravity
What does the Portuguese word, ‘baroque,’ mean, and how does that relate to the historical view of the Baroque period?
misshapen/distorted/broken which relates to how early historians thought that this era was excessively extravagant
list 3 major musical characteristics/traits from the Baroque period
new compositional techniques and musical forms. Development of the opera and the
orchestra. Great value placed on the instrumentalists’ technical skills
continuo
the comping of Baroque music that was usually done by multiple instruments
continuo instruments involved
minimum of 2 keyboards (organ/harpsichord) and a bass instrument (cello, bassoon, etc.) were involved. This group and the bass line are called the basso continuo. The keyboard players would realize harmonies given the figure written under the bass notes called figured bass
word painting
the rising pitch when the text refers to the sky or Heaven or descending when talking about darker subjects like death
Which musical instruments were commonly used during the Baroque Period?
organ, violin, flute
opera (Baroque)
dramatic, multi-act work set for singers and instrumentalists
aria (Baroque)
literally “air”, more standard song, usually a way to display a singer’s expressiveness and virtuosity
recitative (Baroque)
“sing-speaking,” no meter, but still sung with distinct pitches, usually drives the plot forward with dialogue and action
cantata (Baroque)
multimovement work for choir, soloist singers, and instrumentalists
oratorio (Baroque)
sacred operas, scored for solo voices, large chorus, and orchestra, arias and recitatives, based on Biblical stories
fugue
imitation and counterpoint as the basis for the entire composition; it includes the subject, answer, and countersubject
concerto (Baroque instrumental)
instrumental work centered around the contrast between two sounds (solo vs. orchestra)
chamber music (Baroque instrumental)
classical music for a small group of musicians
sonata (genre Baroque instrumental)
most common form of chamber music, for either one/two solo instruments plus continuo
Johann Sebastian Bach
1685-1750, German composer, concertos, chorales, works for solo keyboard, and almost everything except operas
George Frideric Handel
1685-1759, German composer and master of Italian style, Italian operas, English oratorios, instrumental works such as concertos, suites, and orchestral works
Henry Purcell
1659-1695, London, dramatic music including operas and incidental music for plays
What are the dates for the Classic Period?
1750-1820
What major historical era was occurring around the same time of the Classic Period?
The Enlightenment/Age of Reason
three common musical traits of Classic Period music
clear tonic (I) and dominant (V) cadences, rhythm was generally predictive and simple to understand, and form and structure are emphasized
What element of music was considered the highest priority in the Classic Period?
Melody (form/structure)
First Viennese School
a group of major composers all from Vienna
First Viennese School composers
Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven
In what ways was opera of the Classic Period similar to that of the Baroque?
both include recitatives and aria
In what ways was opera of the Classic Period different to that of the Baroque?
in the Classic Period accompaniment was more dramatic
and complex. There were also more choral numbers and more elaborate staging and
costumes
opera buffa
rise of the comic opera, more light-hearted and comedic elements than the opera seria in the Baroque Period
Multi-Movement Cycle (Classic)
includes 4 movements
Multi-Movement Cycle 1st movement
fast, in sonata-allegro form
Multi-Movement Cycle 2nd movement
slow, in a ternary form (ABA) or theme and variations
Multi-Movement Cycle 3rd movement
dance, usually called a minuet and trio or scherzo and trio
Multi-Movement Cycle 4th movement
fast, usually a rondo form but sometimes sonata-allegro form
sonata-allegro form
a drama between two different important areas featuring modulation
3 sections of a piece in sonata-allegro form
exposition, development, recapitulation
ternary
3 parts, ABA
minuet and trio
stately dance in 3/4
theme and variations
presentation of a theme and then variations later
rondo
the original A section that is returned to, “round”
What was the most popular chamber ensemble of the Classic Period?
The String Quartet
instruments in The String Quartet
violin, viola, cello
In what ways did Ludwig van Beethoven demonstrate the shift from Classic to Romantic music?
created many of his most famous works with more of a Romantic style by including a dramatic dynamic contrast, chromaticism, and longer movements
How did Beethoven’s music reflect his shift in style?
he went from textbook Classical style writing symphonies, concertos, sonatas, chamber music and an opera
Franz Joseph Hayden
1732-1809, Austrian composer worked in Vienna, quartets, symphonies, concertos, sacred music, operas, and keyboard sonatas
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
1756-1791, Austrian composer, symphonies, operas, concertos, and sonatas
Ludwig van Beethoven
1770-1827, German composer, symphonies, concertos, sonatas, chamber music, one opera
What are the dates for the Romantic Period?
1820-1900
What was the main ‘ism’ guiding art in the Romantic time period?
individualism
three traits of Romantic-Period music
chromaticism - more frequent use of chromatic pitches and dissonance, extended range of orchestra, expansion of dynamic range
absolute music
created for its own sake, no extramusical connotations (sonatas, symphonies, and concertos)
program music
created to depict moods, images, characters, and stories, Beethoven
lieder
art songs in German, strophic-same music, different text for each stanza, through-composed-music changes all the time to match the text; Franz Schubert
character pieces/miniatures
short, single-movement works for solo piano, may be based off dances
composers associated with character pieces/miniatures
Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Clara Schumann
prominent female composers of Romantic Period
Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Clara Schumann
symphonic poems/tone poems
one-movement work with contrasting moods, program music by nature
symphonies
traditionally absolute music
master of tone poems
Pytor Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Italian bel canto style
“beautiful singing,” a term for Italian operas from this time period
German music drama
the revolutionized opera into a “higher form”
Describe the “feud” between the Traditionalists and Revolutionaries of the late Romantic music.
Brahms wanted absolute music while Wagner wanted program music