Ein Feste Burg WL

Wider Listening

Gloria - Vivaldi

• A choral sacred work from the Baroque period

• The string writing in the second movement is characterised by leaps and repetition

• Orchestration includes trumpet, oboe, strings and continuo as well as a choir.

• Melismas and suspensions frequent throughout

Mass in D : Gloria - Smyth

• Mass written in the Romantic period. period

• Contrasting textures: orchestra often doubles the choir.

• Majestic orchestration in call and response with choir.

• Decorative passagework includes semiquavers, dotted rhythms and syncopation.

• SATB soloists interact in polyphonic texture

Ich Elender Mensch - Bach

• A church cantata in Protestant Germany

• Harmony is functional

• Perfect cadences anticipate modulations into new keys.

• Contrapuntal textures predominate

• Movement 1: Imitative entries in SATB

• Suspensions commonly used (especially in the Chorale)

• Seventh chords frequently appear. (especially diminished sevenths to intensify the meaning of the text)

Gelobet Seist Du, Jesu Christ - Buxtehude

• Baroque composer who composed different types of chorale settings.

• This is an example of a chorale fantasia.

• This music for organ is based on the pre-existing hymn tune with the same name.

• Melody is extended and elaborated in a polyphonic texture.

• Each phrase of the chorale is treated differently to reflect the meaning of the text.

And the Glory of the Lord - Handel

• A Baroque sacred work (However, an oratorio, not cantata). Movement IV of Messiah"

• Soloists and Chorus scored for SATB

• Diatonic chords.

• Mostly perfect cadences, with some plagal cadences

• Instruments often double the voices in different octaves

• Mostly syllabic singing

• Major keys all the way through

• Imitative entries and homophonic textures dominate