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Period: 1567 to
Claudio Monteverdi (E)
Trained in Renaissance style, but also adept in the music of the time. Used dissonances in his music (madrigals) for text expression. Seconda prattica: monody with dissonance that was very expressive. A transitional figure from Renn to Baroque. Various extant works including (BNLT) madrigals, masses and operas -
1575
General Improvements
Equal Temperament: Adjusted tuning all half steps to be an equal distance apart. Allowed for more harmonic possibilities.
Rhythm & meter were more firm and established, bar lines.
Functional harmony established. Major minor, Chords standardized, tonic understood by most.
Functional tonality: Each chord has its own function and hiearchy. -
1575
General Info
Monody: sung melody with basso continuo. First time that homophonic melodies were favored in notation and practice.
Arias: lots of text repetition and a form that can be established
Recitative: text is sung one time, closer to idea of speaking.
Arioso: In-between above styles, contains less repetition and no clear form
Libretto is how you refer to text of an opera, while lyrics describe pop or jazz.
Opera known as Masques in England because puritans needed it to be rebranded. -
1575
Concerto Types
Solo Concerto: solo instrument + orchestra, 3 movements: Fast-Slow-Fast. First movement: alternating ritornellos (played by the tutti orchestra) and solo sections (played by the soloist, basso continuo, or a few players from the orchestra) Solo cadenza was near the end of each movement.
Concerto Grosso: Instead of one soloist, have a small group called concertino. Mostly no cadenzas
Ripieno Concerto: No small group entire ensemble acts as one with different groups forming concertino. -
Period: to
Francesca Caccini (E)
First woman to compose operas. Sang in several early operas, including Euridice at age 13. Became highest paid musica in Italy by age 20. A baroque triple threat but instead of dance it was composing. Very prolific composer. She was the sh**. -
Dafne (E)
Extinct Opera. Caccini and Peri -
Euridice (E)
Extant Opera. Caccini and Peri -
Period: to
Barbara Strozzi (EoM)
Adopted by Giulio Strozzi and studied under Francesco Cavalli at a school founded for her. Published 8 sets of songs the first in 1644, and each was dedicated to a rich person. Most of her works are ariettas and aria. -
First Public Opera Theater
Venice, Teatro de San Cassiano -
The Coronation of Poppea
Composed by Monteverdi when he was 70 (!). early operas based on mythology.
Very very complex. -
Period: to
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber (M)
Composer and Violinist. One of the most important composers for early violin. Also added new techniques to the violin -
Cantatas
Through the 50s.Usually secular and in Italian. Composed for one or two singers with basso continuo or a small string ensemble. Often about love <3. -
L'astratto (M)
In Italian. The Distracted One. Strozzi paints with chromaticism, and tries to depict the affection of the text. Basso continuo accompaniment. -
Period: to
Arcangelo Corelli (MoL)
Italian Suite Composer -
Period: to
Angelo Corelli (M)
Master of the Trio Sonata, and made distinctions between the various types of sonatas -
Period: to
Henry Purcell (M)
Singer, organist, composer of instrumental music. Worked in the court of Charles II when stage plays were allowed again.
Assimilated music of Europe, Italian opera, Grandiose French music, and the lyric melodic quality of English song. -
Period: to
Alessandro Scarlatti (L)
Father of the Scarlatti. A teacher in Naples, and many of his students helped create new classical style. Death marks a better end to the baroque than Bach's death -
Period: to
Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre (MoL)
Called "the wonder of our century" French, obviously. -
Period: to
Francois Couperin (MoL)
French Suite Composer -
Biber Sonata No. 1 (M)
Mid baroque violin sonata. Virtuosic style similar to vocal singing.
Embellishments are affected, and opportunities for virtuosic playing. -
Period: to
Antonio Vivaldi (L)
Popular during the height of his career in the 1720s. Composed many operas, many instrumental works and sacred music. Wrote nearly 800 concertos of various types. Considered the greatest master of Baroque concerto. Forgotten by his death in 1741. -
Period: to
Georg Philip Telemann
German Composer, very prolific. Helped establish the French-Style orchestral suite in Germany. Godfather to JS Bach and godfather of his eldest son, who was an important composer in the 1700s. -
Period: to
Jean-Joseph Mouret (L)
One composer from this French court. Some of his stuff has been used for TV and other media. -
Period: to
Domenico Scarlatti (L)
Keyboard virtuoso, served in the royalty of Iberian peninsula. Progressive style. Wrote over 500 sonatas for keyboard instruments. -
Period: to
G. F. Handel (L)
Orchestral suite tings. German living in England composing Italian Music. Worked in Italy early in his career. Oratorios in English were popular with the public for they were easily understood. -
Period: to
J.S. Bach (L)
Greatest master of the fugue. One of the most skilled musicians of the Baroque. First wife was his cousin. Yikes. Organ virtuoso in the Duke of Weimar's court. Moved to Anhalt-Cothen because the prince liked chamber music. While here his wife dies and he marries a singer. When he moved to Leipzig his focus was on cantatas, was horrendously over worked. Eventually died here. -
Water Music
Handel, performed on a barge in the Thames. 22 movements. -
Le Quattro Stagioni (L)
The four seasons. Vivaldi. Cycle of 4 violin concertos. Word painting with instrumental music to accompany a poem that he is believed to have written. -
Contrapuctus I
A really interesting visual representation of imitative polyphony.