Repertoire of Early Keyboard Music and The Time of Change

Flashcards covering key concepts, historical dates, instruments, composers, and works from Early Keyboard Music and the Galant style transition.

When are early keyboard instruments such as the clavichord, harpsichord, and organ first documented in history?

The clavichord and harpsichord are documented from the 14th century, while the organ has been documented since Antiquity.

Who is credited with the invention of the modern piano, and what was his official job?

Bartolomeo Cristofori (1651-1731), who served the Florentine court of Ferdinando de Medici as a tuner of harpsichords and keeper of instruments.

What was the original name, date, key action, and range of Bartolomeo Cristofori's early piano invention?

It was called the gravicembalo col piano e fortepianoforte, dated from 1700, featuring a 4-octave range and hammers used in conjunction with a stringed keyboard.

What are intabulations, and during what timeframe were they the dominant keyboard repertory?

Intabulations are transcriptions or arrangements of polyphonic ensemble pieces for a keyboard instrument, serving as the dominant repertory from the 14th century up until 1600.

Who were the primary 14th-century composers of keyboard intabulations?

Francesco Landini and Guillaume de Machaut.

Which 15th-century composers are associated with keyboard intabulations?

John Dunstable, Walter Frye, and Guillaume Dufay.

What is a cantus-firmus setting in early keyboard song settings?

It is the addition of new melodic lines to a pre-existent melody.

What was the most prominent type of secular song settings and variations in England during the late 16th and early 17th centuries?

Virginal music, where the pre-existent melody repeated in an ostinato fashion (basso ostinato or ground bass).

Who were two prominent English composers of virginal music in the late 16th and early 17th centuries?

William Byrd (1543-1623) and Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625).

Which composers wrote song settings and variations primarily for the organ during the late 16th and early 17th centuries?

Jan Sweelinck (1562-1621) and Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643).

What are the common features of the chaconne and passacaglia, and how were key choices typically distinguished in Italy?

Both are in slow triple meter with dotted rhythms and a bass ostinato form; in Italy, the chaconne was usually written in minor keys and the passacaglia in major keys.

Which German composers of the early 17th century are known for writing in variation form?

Johann Froberger (1616-1667), Dietrich Buxtehude (1637-1707), and Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706).

Which English composer of the 17th century wrote variation form keyboard music?

Henry Purcell (1659-1695).

What are the key musical features of the early Toccata style?

An improvisational style emphasizing virtuosity, featuring brilliant scale passages, arpeggios, chromaticism, and sudden changes in harmony, tempo, and dynamics.

Which early 16th-century composers are noted for writing toccatas?

John Bull (1562-1628) and Andrea Gabrieli (1510-1586).

How did the toccata style evolve in the 17th century under Girolamo Frescobaldi and Alessandro Scarlatti?

It incorporated extensive chromaticism and modulations to highlight performer skill in both secular and sacred settings.

How did Louis Couperin structure his French Preludes?

In three sections, featuring a fugato inserted between toccata-like segments.

What is a keyboard canzona, and which Italian and German composers wrote in this form?

A keyboard transcription of popular French chansons containing polyphonic elements and contrapuntal imitation in a light character; written by Gabrieli and Frescobaldi in Italy, and Froberger and Kerll in Germany.

What is a Capriccio in early keyboard music?

An imitative contrapuntal style characterized by sudden contrasts and the use of chromaticism.

What does the word Ricercar mean, and what is its role relative to the canzona?

It means 'to search' or 'seek out' and was considered an instrumental motet, serving as the 'serious' counterpart to the canzona.

How was the 16th-century Fantasia defined differently from modern fantasies?

Unlike modern fantasies, the 16th-century Fantasia was written in a strict imitative counterpoint style.

How did the musical definition of the Fugue change from the late 15th century to the 17th century?

In the late 15th century it designated a canon, but by the 17th century it designated a composition using contrapuntal imitation.

Why is Johann Caspar Ferdinand Fischer's Ariadne musica (1702) historically significant?

It is considered a forerunner of J.S. Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier because of its use of equal temperament.

Which two composers dominated 17th-century French keyboard dance suites?

Jacques Champion de Chambonnières (1602-1672) and Louis Couperin (1626-1661).

What are the meter and tempo characteristics of an Allemande in Baroque suites?

Moderate duple time.

What are the meter and tempo characteristics of a Courante in Baroque suites?

Moderate triple time.

What are the meter and tempo characteristics of a Sarabande in Baroque suites?

Slow triple time.

What are the meter and tempo characteristics of a Gigue in Baroque suites?

Fast compound triple time (6/8).

How does binary form function key-wise in individual suite dances?

The A section modulates to the dominant (or relative major), while the B section returns to the tonic key.

What do French descriptive titles such as 'Les barricades' and 'Tombeau' represent?

'Les barricades' depicts a battle scene, while 'Tombeau' signifies a tomb or lamentation.

What is style brisé, and where did its ornamentation derive from?

Broken chord patterns associated with lute music; its ornamentations (trills, turns, mordents) derived from vocal music.

What is the four-section structure of Johann Kuhnau's Sonata in Bb major from Neue Clavier-Übung (1692)?

Slow-fast-slow-fast, featuring fast fugal sections and an aria-like slow third section in slow triple meter.

Which Old Testament battle story is depicted in Johann Kuhnau's First Biblical Sonata?

The Battle of David against Goliath.

Why did George Frideric Handel study law at the University of Halle in 1697 before starting his musical career?

To respect the wishes of his father after his father's death.

What position did George Frideric Handel hold in England starting in 1720?

Director of the Royal Academy of Music.

Which famous set of variations by Handel was published in 1720?

The 'Harmonious Blacksmith' Variations (Aria and Variations).

What critique did J.S. Bach offer when Gottfried Silbermann presented him with an early piano after 1730?

Bach said it had a weak upper register and a heavy action.

In which 1747 work did J.S. Bach first play the Silbermann early fortepiano?

'The Musical Offering'.

What are the three main career periods and dates of J.S. Bach's life?

Weimar years (1708-1717), Cöthen years (1717-1723), and Leipzig years (1723-1750).

Which pedagogical keyboard works by J.S. Bach are identified by BWV 772-786 and BWV 787-801?

Two-part Inventions (BWV 772-786) and Three-part Sinfonias (BWV 787-801).

What is the BWV catalog, who compiled it, and in what year?

Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis, cataloged by Wolfgang Schmieder in 1950.

What compositions were published in Volumes 1 and 2 of Bach's Clavier-Übung?

Volume 1 (1731): Six Partitas; Volume 2 (1735): Italian Concerto, French Overture, Toccatas, and several harpsichord pieces.

What compositions were published in Volumes 3 and 4 of Bach's Clavier-Übung?

Volume 3 (1739): Organ music; Volume 4 (1741): Goldberg Variations.

How are the 48 Preludes and Fugues structured in J.S. Bach's The Well-Tempered Clavier I and II (BWV 846-893)?

They cover all major and minor keys, arranged consecutively in ascending chromatic order.

When were Book I and Book II of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier composed?

Book I was composed in 1722-1723 (Cöthen period) and Book II was composed in 1744 (Leipzig period).

According to Bach, what was the stated purpose of The Well-Tempered Clavier?

It was intended not only to assist young people in learning music, but also for the diversion of those already accomplished in the art.

What is well-tempered tuning / equal temperament, and what system did it replace?

It divides the octave into 12 equal semitones, replacing the mean-tone system used since the Renaissance period.

When was J.S. Bach's Chromatic Fantasie and Fugue (BWV 903) composed and revised?

Composed in 1714-1722 and revised in 1730.

What is a key structural difference between Bach's English Suites and French Suites?

The English Suites are longer because each one begins with an opening Prelude.

Where were the first five of Bach's French Suites originally included in 1722?

In Anna Magdalena's Clavierbüchlein.

How do the French courante and Italian corrente differ in Bach's suites?

The Italian corrente is in quick 3/4 with figurative elements and no set rhythmic pattern, while the French courante is in compound 6/4 or 3/2 with frequent hemiolas.

What rhythmic feature creates a graceful but halting effect in a Baroque Sarabande?

The characteristic use of long notes on the second and third beats.

How does the French gigue differ contrapuntally from the Italian giga in Bach's suites?

The French gigue uses triplet-like figuration (3/8, 6/8, 12/8) with imitative fugue-like entrances and subject inversions, whereas the Italian giga is less contrapuntal.

In which two of Bach's Six Partitas (BWV 826 and BWV 828) do we find a Sinfonia and a French Overture introduction?

Partita in C minor (BWV 826) features a slow-then-fast Sinfonia, and Partita in D major (BWV 828) features a French Overture with concerto-like fugal episodes.

What was the origin and reward behind the composition of Bach's Goldberg Variations (BWV 988)?

Count Kaiserling requested soothing music for his insomnia played by harpsichordist Johann Gottlieb Goldberg; the count rewarded Bach with a golden goblet filled with 100 gold coins.

What pattern governs the 30 variations in Bach's Goldberg Variations?

They are set over a chaconne bass in a recurring pattern of two free variations followed by one canon.

What is the final (30th) variation in Bach's Goldberg Variations?

A quodlibet that combines two popular melodies with the chaconne theme.

What major shifts marked the Galant Style period between ca. 1720 and 1790?

The decline of Baroque vocal art and strict counterpoint, the rise of instrumental music, and the growth of public concerts for the middle class.

From which Baroque form did Classical sonata-allegro form evolve?

From the binary form of the sonata da camera (dance suite) with both sections repeating.

How did emotional expression in Galant style music differ from Baroque affect?

Galant music expressed a variety of changing characters and emotions within a single piece, rather than maintaining one single emotion throughout.

What are the primary musical characteristics of the Galant style?

Accessible, easy, graceful music featuring a cantabile melody over a simple accompaniment style such as the Alberti bass.

What two major key mechanisms were introduced in Bartolomeo Cristofori's 1700 fortepiano?

Hammer action (hammers striking strings) and the escapement mechanism (hammer falling back to rest position).

Who were the two major 18th-century German piano makers?

Gottfried Silbermann (1683-1753) and Johann Andreas Stein (1728-1792).

How were Stein pianos transformed into Stein-Streicher Viennese pianos?

Stein's factory moved to Vienna when his daughter married Johann Andreas Streicher (1761-1833), producing pianos with light action and knee lever pedals.

What key structural features set English Broadwood pianos apart after 1760?

They featured foot pedals instead of knee levers, specifically damper pedal and una corda.

What title did François Couperin give to his 27 keyboard suites published in four volumes?

He called them 'orders' (ordres), published in Pièces de clavecin (1713, 1717, 1722, 1730).

What is the title and focus of François Couperin's 1717 treatise?

L'art de toucher le clavecin ('Art of playing the harpsichord'), dealing with ornament execution, fingering, performance directions, and free prelude interpretation.

What texture and melodic traits characterize François Couperin's Pièces de clavecin?

Galant 'modern' style, binary dance forms with melody in the upper voice, simple accompaniment, light texture, extensive ornamentation, and flexible voice-leading.

Which famous piece by François Couperin comes from his 6th Order (6e Couplet)?

Les Barricades Mystérieuses.

How did Jean-Philippe Rameau's keyboard style compare to François Couperin's?

Rameau was more Baroque and conservative, featuring regular rhythm/phrase structures, dense part-writing, and traditional Baroque rhythmic figurations.

What major theoretical work was published by Jean-Philippe Rameau in 1722?

Treatise on Harmony.

In which European cities and countries did Domenico Scarlatti live and work throughout his career?

Trained in Naples, Venice, and Rome; moved to Portugal in 1719, and then to Madrid in 1728.

How many sonatas comprise Domenico Scarlatti's primary keyboard output?

560 sonatas.

Who first cataloged and edited Domenico Scarlatti's sonatas in 1906?

Alfredo Longo (using L. numbers).

Who published a definitive study and revised catalog of Domenico Scarlatti's works in 1953?

Ralph Kirkpatrick (using K. numbers), adding 12 sonatas and grouping them in pairs by key.

Under what title were Domenico Scarlatti's early sonatas published in London (1738-1739)?

Essercizi per gravicembalo.

What are the form and texture features of Domenico Scarlatti's single-movement sonatas?

One-movement binary form with a polyphonic theme and no clear distinction between theme and accompaniment.

What instrumental timbres and visual technical feats are imitated in Scarlatti's sonatas?

They imitate Spanish guitar, trumpets, horn, and timpani, featuring wide leaps, rapidly repeated notes, and arpeggios.

What sonata structure and accompaniment figure are associated with Domenico Alberti (1710-1740)?

Two-movement sonatas (duple movement followed by triple movement/minuet) using the Alberti bass accompaniment.

How many movements were typical in Giovanni Battista Sammartini's galant sonatas?

Three movements.

Which Spanish and Portuguese composers composed keyboard sonatas in the galant style under Scarlatti's influence?

Padre Antonio Soler (1729-1783) and José Antonio Carlos de Seixas (1704-1742).

Why is Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach considered a transitional figure in music history?

He serves as the link between the Galant style and the Classicism of Haydn and Mozart.

What was C.P.E. Bach's major pedagogical treatise, published in 1753 and 1762?

Essay on the True Art of Playing the Keyboard (Part 1 in 1753, Part 2 in 1762).

Who cataloged C.P.E. Bach's works in 1905, and what abbreviation is used?

Alfred Wotquenne (using W. or Wq. numbers).

What was Empfindsamkeit (Empfindsamer Stil) in 18th-century German music?

A movement valuing emotional sensitivity and expressive outpouring, where each musical phrase represented an emotion.

What was C.P.E. Bach's favorite keyboard instrument, and what unique pitch-bending effect did it allow?

The clavichord, because of its expressive qualities and capacity for Bebung (vibrato/pitch fluctuation).

To whom were C.P.E. Bach's Prussian Sonatas (1742) and Württemberg Sonatas (1744) dedicated?

The Prussian Sonatas were dedicated to Frederick the Great; the Württemberg Sonatas were dedicated to Carl Eugene, Duke of Württemberg.

What is the English translation and structure of C.P.E. Bach's collection Für Kenner und Liebhaber (1779-1787)?

'For Connoisseurs and Amateurs', a set of 6 volumes containing sonatas and fantasias.

Who was Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782), and with whom did he study after J.S. Bach's death?

He was J.S. Bach's youngest surviving son; he studied with his older brother C.P.E. Bach.

What notable historical concert performance did J.C. Bach give in 1768?

He played one of the first solo concerts on the early pianoforte, helping make the instrument popular.

What musical term describes the lyrical main thematic style in J.C. Bach's Op. 5 and Op. 17 sonatas?

'Singing allegro'.

Where was Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) employed for most of his musical career from 1761 onward?

In service to the Esterházy family (one of the richest Hungarian nobility families) at Eisenstadt.

How did isolation at the Esterházy estate impact Joseph Haydn's artistic development according to his own words?

He stated: 'I was set apart from the world… and so I had to become original.'

Besides his 52 piano sonatas, what were the two largest genres in Haydn's compositional output?

68 string quartets and 106 symphonies.

Who cataloged Joseph Haydn's complete works in 1957, and what prefixes designate key genres?

Anthony van Hoboken (Hob. XVI for sonatas, Hob. XVII for keyboard works/variations, Hob. XVIII for 11 piano concertos).

Who published a revised chronological catalog of Haydn's sonatas with Universal Editions in 1963?

Christa Landon (using L. numbers).

What are the characteristics of Haydn's Early Period piano sonatas (1750s-1760s)?

Written in galant style as teaching pieces, mostly in three movements with a minuet and trio as the second movement.

What artistic movement influenced Haydn's Middle Period piano sonatas (1761-1771)?

Sturm und Drang ('storm and stress'), characterized by minor keys, dynamic contrasts, and dramatic style influenced by C.P.E. Bach.

What dynamic markings make Haydn's Sonata in C minor, Hob. XVI:20 historically significant?

It was his first sonata to include extensive dynamic markings, such as alternating between forte (f) and piano (p) on successive notes (e.g., m. 14).

What special pedal instruction is marked in the first movement of Haydn's Late Period Sonata in C major, Hob. XVI:50?

'Open pedal' marking for a color change.