Musi 1107 - Baroque Period Vocab Review | KSU Spring 2025 Dr. Creasy

TOCCATA

 “Touch Piece” – keyboard piece characterized by full chords, rapid runs and

arpeggios, and other virtuoso elements designed to show off the performer’s

“touch.”

 Free-form and largely improvised.

 Often used as introductions to other pieces of music (such as “Toccata and

Fugue”)

 “Preludes” and “Fantasias” share many similar characteristics

CONCERTO

 Solo instrument, with orchestra

 Three Movements (fast-slow-fast)

CONCERTO GROSSO

 Small group of instruments featured, with orchestra

 Three Movements (fast-slow-fast)

SUITE

 Collection of instrumental dances

 Usually at least four movements

 Usually includes allemande, sarabande, gigue, and courante, but other

dances are commonly included, as well.

 Each dance has specific rules of meter and style

 Binary forms prevail: AB (and some ABA)

SONATA

 Multi-movement work for solo instrument and basso continuo

TRIO SONATA

 Multi-movement work for two treble instruments and basso continuo

RONDO

 Structure in which an A section is repeated, with different musical material in

between

(A B A C A D A...)

RITORNELLO

 Structure in which an A section is repeated, with different musical material in

between, but return of the A section may be incomplete in or a different key

(A B A’ C A’’ D A’’’...)

BINARY

 Structure in which there are two distinct sections of music (AB). They may

appear in various orders or repetition, depending on the genre of music.

ROUNDED BINARY/TERNARY/DA CAPO

 Structure in which there are two distinct sections of music, with a return of the A

section (ABA)

THEME AND VARIATIONS

 Structure in which a single theme is used repeatedly, varied each time (A A’

A’’ A’’’ etc)

FUGUE (instrumental or vocal)

 Structure in three sections in which a main theme (“subject”) is presented in each

voice in imitative polyphony, interspersed with sections containing no subject

material, and developed.

At least three voices; often 4-5.

1 2

3

INTRO EXPOSITION EPISODE(S) DEVELOPMENT

CODA

(maybe) (maybe)

1 – EXPOSITION: The opening section of a fugue in which each voice presents the

subject and countersubject.

2 – EPISODE: A section of music in a fugue containing no subject material. An

episode almost

always follows the exposition, and may appear more than once.

3 – DEVELOPMENT: The main body of a piece in which the thematic material is

developed. Favorite techniques of Baroque composers included:

Fragmentation Diminution Retrograde Retrograde Inversion

Augmentation Inversion Sequencing Stretto

BAROQUE VOCAL GENRES

CHORALE

 A hymn tune sung by congregants in the vernacular, in the Lutheran tradition

 In Bach’s time, usually harmonized homophonically with syllabic text settings

 Strophic form (verses—same music, new words), with each strophe have four

phrases: a a b c

 Bach chorales codified and expanded the “rules” of functional harmony

OPERA

 A multi-movement dramatic work telling a story.

 Components: Libretto (story), Score (music), Singers, Orchestra, Props and

Costumes, Action on Stage

 Structure: Recitatives, Arias, Choruses

o Recitative: A short piece in a style of singing that replicates speech

(reciting), with rhythms dictated by the natural flow and stresses of

speech (rather than dictated by meter or beat) and sparse

accompaniment (so the singer has freedom to mimic speaking).

Usually used to advance the plot and as introductions to arias.

o Aria: Song. The main pieces in operas and oratorios. During the

Baroque period, a common format for an aria was ABA.

o Choruses: Group songs in operas and oratorios. In any form, for any

reason. (And in operas, sometimes for no reason!) They can be

chorales or fugues or anything.

ORATORIO

 A multi-movement dramatic work telling a sacred story.

 Components: Libretto (story), Score (music), Singers, Orchestra

 Performed without costumes, props, or stage action; performed in stand-still

concert style.

 Structure: Recitatives, Arias, Choruses

o See above. The only differences between an opera and oratorio are

that the opera is secular and is acted out on stage. And, the choruses

in oratorios are big, fabulous pieces (a little more like throw-aways in

operas).

CANTATA

 Like a mini oratorio (15-25 minutes instead of an hour or more) – recitatives,

arias, choruses performed in concert setting (no costumes, props, or stage

action)

 Could be sacred OR secular. (Bach wrote a gazillion sacred cantatas for his

church job, but also wrote some secular ones. His “Coffee Cantata” is about

the evils of drinking coffee and dependency on it. It premiered at

Zimmerman’s Coffee House in Liepzig. Go figure.)

 Libretto (if secular) or lyrics (if secular, often Biblical passages), usually in the

vernacular.

MASS

 Continues to be a major vocal/choral work.

 Continues to use the standard Ordinary sections of the mass in Latin (Kyrie,

Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Agnus Dei) and the various Proper movements.

 No longer just for worship, though...Composers of all religions write them—in

the standard Latin movements—and they are beginning to be pieces of music

for the sake of music, rather than for the sake of worship.