The Baroque Era I | In Class Recording

Key Concepts

Music uses contrast to create interest: dynamics, rhythm, texture, and timbre.
A solo concerto contrasts a soloist with the full orchestra.
The term structure often features multiple movements and a dialogue between the soloist and orchestra.

Definition: a multi-movement work for orchestra with a single solo instrument.
Key features: contrast between the soloist and the ensemble; episodes where the soloist is virtuosic vs. where the ensemble states material.
Common form: three movements (fast–slow–fast) with prominent solo sections and orchestral passages.
Terminology: the ensemble that accompanies the soloist is often described as the ripieno; the subset that plays with the soloist is the concertino.
In analysis, listen for how the soloist enters, how the orchestra re-enters, and where the tempo and mood shift.

The Four Seasons (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) are solo violin concertos with orchestra; each is linked to a poem or sonnet.
Spring Movement 1 is program music: instrumental music based on an extra-musical concept (a story/poem/idea).
Program music: depicts scenes from nature or stories (e.g., birds, streams, storms) without sung text.
Movement architecture for these works often follows the fast–slow–fast pattern, with virtuosic display for the violin.
The Spring poem details nature scenes: birds, streams, breeze, thunder, and lightning; the storm section is expressed through tremolo and high-flourish figures.
Italian sonnet structure referenced: typically an octave (8 lines) + sestet (6 lines); the seasonal movements are tied to poems or sonnets.

Italian composer and violinist, associated with the Ospedale della Pietà (women’s musical institution) where he taught and composed.
Background: trained as a priest; prolific violinist and teacher; influence on later composers through his concertos and teaching.
Notable impact: his concertos helped popularize the solo concerto form and virtuosic violin writing.

Basso continuo: a harmonic foundation typically consisting of a bass instrument (cello, bass) plus a continuo keyboard or chordal instrument (harpsichord, organ).
Concertino vs. ripieno: concertino = the soloist(s) and small group; ripieno = the full ensemble.
In concertos for solo violin, expect a mix of solo episodes and tutti sections, highlighting the soloist against the orchestra.

Commissions: composers were often hired (commissioned) to write new works for specific patrons or occasions.
Brandenburg Concertos by Bach were written for the Margrave of Brandenburg, a princely title; Bach produced a set of six concertos that showcase different instrumental combinations.
These works illustrate the Baroque practice of composing for specific performers and ensembles sponsored by aristocracy.

Program music vs. absolute music: program music is tied to an extra-musical concept (story/poem/idea); to contrast, absolute music stands on musical structure alone.
Solo concerto features: a solo instrument, a contrasting orchestra, and typically multiple movements with alternating textures.
The Four Seasons exemplifies program music and showcases the capabilities of the solo violin within the Baroque concerto context.

Identify: solo concerto vs. orchestral tutti by listening for soloist entrances and accompanying textures.
Recognize program music by the presence of non-musical references (poems, stories, scenes) guiding the music.
Recall the baroque orchestration concept: continuo + ensemble, and the idea of concertino vs. ripieno.
Remember key figures: Antonio Vivaldi (Spring's composer), Bach (Brandenburg Concertos), and the idea of commissions in the Baroque era.