10 - Composers and Works

Pope Gregory

- Leader of roman catholic church

- Oversaw the expansion of schools to train singers

- Organized the Gregorian chants which were named after him

Ordo virtutum

- Longest and best-know allegorical morality play or sacred drama

- Remarkable not only for its length but musical design

- Play of the virtues

Music Enchiriadis

- Latin for musical handbook

- Anonymous treatise that contains the earliest examples of polyphony in western art music

Notre Dame School

- A group of composers that furthers developed organum in 12th and 13th centuries (more variety of rhythms and intervals) Free organum

- Two leading composers Leonin and Perotin

- Leonin wrote the Great book of organum and is the first composer to use polyphony

- Perotin expanded polyphonic technique by composing three and four part polyphony

Chansonniers

- A book of chansons

Chansonnier du Roy

- Songbook of the king

- anonymous 13th century treatise

-contains trouvere and troubador songs

Mass ordinary

- Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Angus Dei

Mass Proper

- Introit, Kyrie, Gloria, Gradual, Alleluia, Credo, Offertory, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, Communion

Ars nova

- Treaty by Philippe de Vitry describing the style of 14th century composers and changes in music such as the advocation of the subdivision of the beast m beat

Philippe de Vitry

- Author of treatise ars nova

- Used isorhythm

- Broke free from older patterns and rhythmic modes

Machaut

- Most celebrated composer of French ars nova style

- Contributed to both secular and sacred music

- Used devices such as syncopation, hocket and isorhythm

- Composed the first complete polyphonic setting of mass ordinary

- Wrote masses (messe de Nostre Dame), motets (hareu hareu) and chansons

Franco-Flemish School

- Group of composers who flourished in the 15th and 16th centuries (France, Belgium and Holland)

- Leading figures such as Josquin des Prez

- Know for vocal polyphony and developed contrapuntal style

Josquin des Prez

- Most successful composer of the Franco-Flemish School

- Master of contrapuntal techniques

- Rich in emotional expressions

- Use of vivid word painting and syllabic text setting

- Wrote motets (ave maria...virgo serena) masses and chansons (mille regretz)

Carlo Gesualdo

- Aristocratic Italian composer

- Intensely emotion and used extravagant word painting

- Frequent use of repetition

- Wrote his own texts

- Wrote madrigals ( 6 books), sacred vocal and instrumental

Musica Transalpina

- Latin for music from beyond the Alps

- The first collection of Italian madrigals in England

- Published in London and inspired English composers

Thomas Morley

- English composer and organist

- Know for his English madrigals and balletts

- Used homorhythmic texture and non-sense syllables

- Influenced by the style of William Byrd in his sacred works

- Wrote secular vocal, sacred vocal (magnificat) and instrumental works in the Fitzwilliam Virginal book

Fitzwilliam Virginal book

- Collection of English keyboard music

- There are close to 300 works in the collection

- Style of writing is virtuosic ex. Ornamentation and rapid scale passages

- Variety of dances

William Byrd

- English renaissance composer

- Know for his keyboard and sacred vocal works

- Composed sacred works for both the Anglican and Roman catholic church

- Well represented in the Fitzwilliam virginal book

- Wrote instrumental works in the Fitzwilliam virginal book, sacred vocal, and secular vocal

-composed songs with a solo voice accompanied by a consort of viols; an english genre

Florentine Camerata

- A group of poets and musicians who are credited with the creation of the first operas ex. Vincenzo Galilei and jacopo peri

- They discussed poetry, music and the sciences

- Their desire to recreate ancient Greek drama led to invention of opera

- Developed monody

Le nuove musiche

- Italian for new music

-collection of monodies for solo voice and continuo published in 1602 in Florence

Monteverdi

- Embraced elements of Baroque style such as figured bass and major minor tonality

- Used chromaticism as an expressive device

- Used word painting in madrigals and opera

- Increased the role of ensembles

-increased emotional intensity through the use of stile concitato

- Wrote madrigals (over 250), operas (l'orfeo) and sacred vocal

Henry Purcell

- Most significant composer of early English opera

- Incorporated baroque style elements such as major minor tonality, figured bass and ground bass

- Highly effective use of word painting

- Wrote sacred vocal, solo songs, opera (dido and Aeneas), dramatic, and orchestral works

Johann Sebastian Bach

- Best know as an organist during his lifetime

- Did not invent new forms but perfected existing ones

- Great master of contrapuntal art

- Composed many sacred works for the Lutheran church

- Composed keyboard music for all levels

- English influences: choral style and English dances

-organized large scale works systematically ex. well tempered clavier

- Wrote sacred and secular cantatas (coffee cantata), orchestral works (Brandenburg concertos), keyboard music (Goldberg variations) and organ works

Essay on the true art of playing keyboard instruments

- Written by CPE Bach

- Book is a practical guide for keyboard performance

- Includes chapters related to keyboard playing

Jean-Philippe Rameau

- Brilliant organist and harpsichordist

- He precisely notated embellishments

- Binary and rondeau forms employed

- Keyboard texture features strong harmonic direction

- He wrote keyboard works, operas, and ensemble works

George Frideric Handel

- Used vivid word painting

- Important contributor to the development of Italian opera seria

- Used both recitativo secco and recitativo accompagnato in his operas

- Use of very basic musical elements makes his style appealing.

- Wrote operas (Giulio Cesare), sacred vocals, keyboard, and orchestral works

Viennese School

-principal composers include haydn, mozart and beethoven

-in 18th century Vienna, Austria emerged as a musical center

sturm und Drang

-german for storm and stress

-artistic aim to frighten and shock the reader with emotion

-musically tranlsated into passionate outbursts evident in music of J.S bach's sons and Mozart

Mannheim School

-composers and orchestra active at the court of Mannheim Germany such as stamitiz,cannabich

-mannheim orchestra developed the rocket theme, grand pause

-influenced development of the symphony and composers of the viennese school

Franz Joseph Haydn

-born in 1732 died 1809

-referred to the father of classical symphony due to contributions

-embraced the elegance of pre-classical style but also sturm und drang-

-had a humorous nature in his works

-contributed tot eh development of sonata form

-influenced by folk music

-used vivid word painting in masses and oratorios

-wrote over 100 symphonies

-wrote concertos chamber music like quinten and operas

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

-explored and developed all classical genres

-skillful use of counterpoint

-used double-exposition sonata form in the first movement of concerto

-orchestral writing expanded the use of wind instruments

-opera was central to his career

-used recitativo secco to advance the plot

-wrote over 40 symphonies

-wrote concertos and piano works also

Gluck and operatic reform

Primary goal was to restore dramatic integrity (singers would sometimes subsitute arias from other works that demonstrates their virtuosity better

Restored the chorus long gone from opera

Rejected empty displays of virtuosity

Made overture part of score using themes heard later on