The Baroque Period

The Baroque era lasted from 1600-1750, which was when J.S Bach died. However, Handel lived until 1759, thus causing overlap between periods. The era is split into three groups:

  1. Early

   
   1. Monteverdi, Giovanni Gabrieli

  1. Mid

   
   1. Purcell

  1. High (1700-1750)

   
   1. Bach, Handel, Vivaldii

General Characteristics of baroque:

  • Melody
      * Single Melodic idea
      * Motifs decorated, repeated etc
      * Contrapuntal phrases
        * Combination of simultaneous melody lines
        * Weave in and out of music as melodies are passed from player to player (imitation)
        * Overlapping effect
        * Sometimes these change and develop throughout the piece
  • \
  • Rhythm
      * Continuous rhythmic drive
  • Texture
      * Balance of homophonic and polyphonic textures
        * Moves and weaves throughout music
      * Sequence
        * Short melody repeated at a higher or lower pitch
  • Timbre
      * Orchestral - strings, winds, harpsichord. Little percussion
  • Harmony
      * Simple diatonic
  • Tempo
      * Either fast or slow, no speeding up and slowing down
      * same mood throughout
  • Tonality
      * Major or minor key
  • Dynamics
      * Abrupt shifts loud to soft (adding, subtracting instruments)
      * Limited dynamics
      * Often used terraced dynamics (more instruments = louder)
      * Contrasts
  • Shifts expression of feeling to a single mood
  • Frequent Ornamentation
      * Mordents
        * Note played, note above played, first note played in quick successoon
      * Appoggiatura
      * Acciaccatura
      * Trill
        * Two notes played alternately in quick sucession
  • Basso Continuo
      * Accompaniment for bass and chordal instruments (ie cello, harpsichord)
      * Usually was improvised by chordal music players with the help of figured bass
      * Figured bass is a series of numbers underneath bass notes about which type of chord should be played
      * Lots of this improvisation was decorated
  • Polyphonic
  • Instrumentation
      * Small orchestra
      * Harpsichord
        * Short, staccato notes
        * For longer notes, you added ornaments such as trills and mordents
        * Distincive sound
      * Bass Viol
      * Countertenor
        * Male voice pitched equivalent to a female soprano
      * Timpani
      * Trumpet/Horns
        * Trumpets in this time period were generally less advanced with no valves (only tonic and dominant notes to reinforce cadences)
        * Cornets were the instruments playing high brass notes
      * Recorder or wooden flute
      * Oboe
      * Bassoon
      * Violin
      * Viola
      * Cello
      * Double Bass
  • Repetition
      * Imitation also (where instruments copy one another)
  • Scale
  • Sequences

Types of Baroque Music:

  • Concerto Grosso
      * Music written for more than one solo instrument, accompanied by an orchestra
      * Played alternatively by groups of instruments
  • Sonata
      * Written for solo instruments
      * many movements
        * First movement: Exposition (two contrasting themes)
        * Second movement: development (develops themes)
        * Third movement: recapitulation (recapitulates the themes in the tonic)
        * There can be a short and slow introduction paired with a coda.
      * continuo accompniment
  • Aria
      * Music for voice
      * Song reflects meaning of words
      * Vocal painting
      * Da capo Aria
        * Aria in ternary form
        * Notates with da capo instead of being written to return to A
  • Oratorio
      * Religious Singing
      * Biblical storyline
      * Not staged
  • Opera
      * Aria, recicitive
  • Suites
      * Minuet and trio
        * Stately dance, triple meter. Overall form ternary
        * Minuet ends in tonic, trio in a new key, first minuet again (no repeats)
        * Each section has its own form
      * Binary Form
      * Performed with each section repeated
      * Instrumental pieces including different dances, in the same key and in binary form (apart from minuets and rondos)
      * Prelude

Melodies:

  • Based on major or minor scales
  • 12-key system established
  • Based on motifs
      * Repeated and developed ideas
  • Longer melodies
  • Sequences often used
  • Imitation used
      * Lots of fugal music
  • Ornamentation
      * Trills, mordents, turns used

Structures:

  • Binary form
      * Two sections
  • Ternary form
      * Three sections
  • Ritornello form
      * Section A returns between new sections
      * Found in concerti grossi
  • Da Capo Aria
      * Common form
      * Vocal music
      * Found in operas
  • Ground Bass
      * Repeated bass line