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:

Early

Monteverdi, Giovanni Gabrieli
1. Mid

Purcell
1. High (1700-1750)

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
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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