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Antonio Vivaldi
J.S. Bach
G. F. Haendel
Abandoned ancient modes and they started to used modern harmony (tonality). The first voice will be the important one, the voices resting will work as accompaniment (monodic accompaniment). The fixes instruments play the same melody that the accompaniment voices. All together obstinate bass or ground bass. This is the first time that instrumental music had the same importance that vocal music. The modern orchestra began. Ornamentation and virtuosity were improved and better. Opera was born. New forms appeared: CONCERT SONATA SUITE FUGA
Opera began
Eurdice is the first opera we know about. It was composed by Jacopo Peri in 1600. This composition starts the baroque period.
The first well known opera of history is Orfeo composed by Monteverdi in1607. compositor show the transition from Renaissance to Baroque. Opera started in the Camerata Bardi, a group of artists, writers, philosophers paid for the count Bardi en Florence. They try to recreated the ancient Greek theater .That combined music, theatre and poetry.
Singing parts: thats could be: arias expressive melodies recitatives spoken parts used to give life to the play. Interludes: instrumental sections between acts.
Opera types
Serious Opera: It was a show for nobility and aristocracy very important in Italy. It has a heroic and mythological scripts. Step by step the opera became into a big shows (decorated stage for magnificence shows of castrati during the arias). Famous compositors were: A. Scarlatti Haendel Vivaldi Comic opera (bufa): It has scripts and characters close to the common people and daily life situations. This music was easier than serious opera. castrati didnt take part I this kind of opera. Main composer was: G. B. Pergolesi.
Opera authors:
Hallelujah, Haendel
PASSION: it is a oratory about Jesus Christs passion and death. We can find: St Matthew Passion St Matthew Passion composed by Bach. The narrator is the evangelist, the gospel characters were the soloist and the disciples and common people were performed by choir.
Instrumental music had the same importance that vocal music. Instruments were improved. Appeared the important luthiers (constructors) Stradivarius. Appeared the orchestra like a fix group of musicians and instruments (during Renaissance, scores were created for all kind of instruments not for a specific one and groups of musicians used to change). Bowing string and ground bass (harpsichord, organ or lute) became very important. lute disappeared in the end of Baroque).
Instrumental Music
Baroque Harpsichord
Baroque Orchestra
Fugue: it has this name because voices appear to run together one after the other without been played at the same time. Form based on imitation: first voice sets the theme or subject that is imitated by the other voices. Fugue orders different themes and answer with free improvised parts called episodes. Very important in keyboard instruments.
Church Organ
Suite
Group of dances with different character written in the tone. Suite is an evolution of renaissance tradition. They made pairs of dances. The number of dances varied, but almost always included this four:
Zarabanda. Haendel
ALEMANDA (Germany): rhythm binary, tempo andante. COURANTE (France): rhythm ternary, tempo allegro ZARABANDA (Spain): rhythm ternary, tempo lento GIGA (Great Britain): rhythm ternary, tempo allegro.
Sonata
Sonata means music to be played (with instruments). Suonare in Italian means played. Complete form written to 1, 2 o 3 instruments with or without accompaniment of ground bass, divided by 4 sections of different rhythms and character.
Lento
Allegro (Fuga)
Lento
Vivo
Concert
Complete form with 3 movements: fast slow - fast We can find 2 TYPES: Concerto Grosso: composed for concertino (soloist group) and tutti (orchestra). Important composers: A. Corelli G. F. Haendel J. S. Bach A. Vivaldi Concerto a Solo: for only one soloist and orchestra. Main composer was: Vivaldi.
The four seasons. Vivaldi
In the Louis XIV court from France, ballet experiment the highest splendour never seen before. The collaborations of Molire (theatre), Beauchamp (choreographies) and Lully (composer) were very important. El ballet de court was a big theatrical show introduced with an ouverture and ended with the grand ballet in which both professional artist and nobles and the king participated. They used luxury decoration, dress and mask. First professional dancer appeared.
Part of the instrumental compositions were dedicated to dance. Some Renaissance dances continue. And usual pairs of dance in Baroque was: Allemande (binary, andante) Courante (ternary, fast).
The difficult period was reflected in the lost of empire and cultural isolation of the country. Renaissance forms developed slow evolution, in stead of following the Europeans.
La sopa boba
Religious vocal music: they used Renaissance polyphonic forms: mass and motet. The religious carols (villancico) became very important during XVII century. Profane vocal music: they used Renaissance polyphonic forms: romances and carols (villancicos). In the middle of XVII century, appeared a new style of song: the Tono humano. It is a sentimental song for soloist accompanied by a musical instrument (monodic texture whit musical accompained)
The composers from Spain ignore the new Europeans styles and focused in soloist instrument forms: Organ: F. Correa de Araujo Juan Cabanillas Guitar: Gaspar Sanz The chamber music received the Italian musicians influence by Bourbon monarchy.
Canarios. Gaspar Sanz (1640-1710)
During the Baroque period, theatre became a mass phenomenon and music took a very important place in the shows. In the middle of the play and at the end, they introduced short musical numbers. Tonadilla Escnica is a Spanish typical form. It was a short musical and theatrical composition with comic and sarcastic character. These songs appeared between the play acts.
Opera in Spain
They used Italian influences which were popular among the aristocracy. The first known opera is Celos aun del aire matan (Juan Hidalgo whose booklet was written by C. de la Barca) Bourbon brought Italian singers and composers to the Court, making it difficult the development of the Spanish opera.
The zarzuela
Typically Spanish genre which reacts against Italian opera. It is named after the palace of the Zarzuela where Felipe IV amused his Court with music and theatre. The zarzuela is written in Spanish. It combines music with spoken dialogues. Authors: Sebastin Durn and Jos de Nebra.
Palace of the Zarzuela