Music History II - Exam 1 Study Guide

Vivaldi (1678-1741)

• Concerto and Ritornello

• Influenced Bach

Francois Couperin (late 17th - early 18th c)

• came from a family of keyboard musician

• Known as “The Grand” as he was the most prominent musician in the family line

• First in his family to have his pieces published

• Blended french and italian tastes

• gave sunday concerts and lessons to nobility

• given a royal assent to publish in 1713 - saved him from oblivion

Known best for harpsichord music and keyboard repertoir

Francois Couperin - La Visionaire (25th Ordre)

• means the Visionary or seet

• similar to psychic

Genre : Keyboard Suite

Key : Bb

Identifying Features - Harpsichord, many embellishments, hard to find metre

French Elements - French Overture form; short phrases

Vibrant Energy, but emotional restraint is present

L’art de toucher le clavecin - Couperin 1716

Treatise that Couperin wrote on how to play ornaments in the context of a piece.

• Much of what we know about playing harpsichord at this time comes from this treatise

• Included fingering technique, performance practice, technique exercises

Collegium musicum

• made up of accomplished amatures (similar to college students) who gathered to play and sing together for fun

• beginning of public concert life in Germany

• Bach and Telemann both ran one

J.S Bach (late 17th - mid 18th c)

• wrote pieces intended to be played by many instruments

• German Organist and Composer

• Worked as the Kapelmeister in Cothen

• Eventually landed in Leipzig as a music director (St. Thomaskirche) along with working at 4 churches

• 20 children, including many musicians

• 2 wives

• 1200 compositions

• supported himself by taking organ playing jobs he could walk to

• wrote music dedicated to coffee (ex. coffee cantata")

• A duke threw him in jail for a month due to his disagreement with his employer’s authority - he wrote 46 pieces of music.

BWV - Bach Works Catalog (Bach-Werke-Verzeichnis)

• catalog of compositions by J.S Bach

• Not Chronological

• Pieces are grouped in Genres

• Edited by Wolfgang Schmeider and published in 1950, second edition appears in 1990

• lists roughly 1200 compositions

• The Anhang “Annex” of the BMV lists over 200 lost compositions

• Expected to write a cantata for every sunday service

New Cantata : German, Sacred

• One reading from the bible, followed by a cantata, followed by preaching

• alinged with readings for the day

• Lutherine Church Goers used this music to better unpack scripture

The Old Cantata : Italian, Secular