General Music Information

Dynamics/Volume

Pianissimo (pp) very soft

Piano (p) soft

Mezzo piano (mp) moderately soft

Mezzo forte (mf) moderately loud

Forte (f) loud

Fortissimo (ff) very loud

• Crescendo (cresc.) = gradually get louder <• Decrescendo (decresc.) gradually get softer

>• Diminuendo (dim.) gradually get softer

Musical symbols

•♭ = lowers the pitch of a note (flat)

•♮ = cancels a sharp or flat (natural)

•♯ = raises the pitch of a note (sharp)

Tempo (fast or slow)

• Very slow: Largo (broad)

Grave (grave, solemn)

• Slow: Lento

Adagio (leisurely)

• Moderate Andante (walking pace)

Moderato

• Fast Allegretto

Allegro

• Very fast: Vivace (vivacious)

Presto (very quick)

Prestissimo

(as fast as possible)

• Modifications– Molto = very

– Meno = less

– Poco = a little

– Ma non troppo = not too much

Periods of Music History

1600-1750: Baroque

1750-1825: Classical

1820-1900: Romantic

1900 to present: Modern

***Remember that style periods will overlap; the new will exist side by side with the old.

Baroque Music

1600-1750

• The Baroque Period saw a gradual development of a significant body of instrumental music.– Makers of great string instruments: the

Stradivari family.– Improvements in the construction of wind and

brass instruments.– By the end of the era, instrumental music

surpassed vocal music. – Emphasis on secular music (secular = non-

religious)

Keyboard Music

• Written for the harpsichord and the organ.• Titles describe the style and the character of the

piece.– Toccata implies a piece full of scale passages,

rapid runs and trills, and massive chords.– Fantasia is characterized by displays of

virtuosity.***Virtuosity is playing technique.---Prelude introduces another piece of music or a

group of musical pieces.

• The Fugue is one of the greatest intellectual musical structures of the Baroque era.– Polyphonic development of a melodic phrase. This

melodic phrase is called the SUBJECT.– It is composed for a certain number of voice parts.

Two-voice fugue, three-voice fugue.– The development of each voice part will vary from

one musical piece to another one.– The initial section of just about every fugue follows

a plan that is more or less standard. This beginning section is called the EXPOSITION.

General types of Baroque Instrumental Music.

• The major stylistic feature of much baroque instrumental music is an unbroken interweaving of melody and harmony which creates a steady flow of music from beginning to end.

• The 3 major types of compositions written during the baroque period are the SUITE, SONATA, and CONCERTO.

• SUITE: a series of movements based on a particular dance rhythm and style that is usually played on the harpsichord.– Examples include:– Allemande (Germany)– Courante (France)– Sarabande(Spain)– Gigue/Jig(England/Ireland)– Gavotte (France)– Minuet (France)

---The dance movements were not intended to accompany actual dancing.

---The composer was trying to capture the rhythm and character or flavor of the dances.

• Sonata-A multi-movement work the number of which varied greatly from piece to piece.

• There were two types of sonatas written during the Baroque era.– Sonata da chiesa: church sonata

---4 movements

--- slow-fast-slow-fast

• Sonata da camera: chamber sonata written in the form of a dance suite.– This type of sonata would eventually develop

into the Solo sonata which would be widely used in the late baroque period.

• Solo Sonata:1 solo instrument with continuo.• The solo instrument is usually the violin.• Continuo: a continuous line of bass or harmony

that is usually played by a bass, cello,or harpsichord.

***The Classical Sonata would develop from characteristics of both types of sonatas.

• Concerto-a musical composition for 1 or more solo performers & a larger group of players.

***It works on the contrast between a large and small body of sound.– It usually has 3 movements – 2 types: Concerto grosso and Solo concerto.

*Concerto Grosso:multi-movement work.

-Small group of solo instruments called the CONCERTINO contrasted with the full ensemble called the RIPIENO.

• Standardized into the following form:– 3 movements:Allegro-Adaigo-Allegro.– There was a return to the main melody with

other melodies in between other melodies or fragments of melodies. This return is called RITORNELLO. Means “return”

• Solo concerto: basically the same as the concerto grosso with the difference of a solo instrument contrasting with a full instrumental ensemble.– Concertino=solo instrument– Ripieno=full ensemble

***Antonio Vivaldi wrote many solo concerto that influenced both Bach and Handel.

***Arcangelo Corelli established the basic outlines of the concerto grosso.

-Music from the baroque era reflects the principles that were popular during the Enlightment,so the music tends to be rather cold and intellectual.

The Patronage System

• Artisans (musicians and artists) could only make a living by being employed by a wealthy aristocrat or some member of the nobility.

• The wealthy aristocrats and members of the nobility were the only people who had money in that time period: the middle class was still very small and didn’t have enough money to spend on art or music.

• The public couldn’t afford to pay for performances and what they could pay wasn't enough for artisans to live on.

• So, the artisans relied on the support of the wealthy. These wealthy people were called PATRONS.

• There were certain positive and negative aspect of this system, but it did allow musicians the artistic and financial freedom to compose.

• Negative Aspects:– Musicians had to have permission to travel.– All music composed under the employ of a

patron became the property of the patron.– The artisan was dependent on the patron for

support (no matter how famous he became)– The musician /composer couldn't leave for

another position unless it was under bad circumstances and then another position wasn’t always open to the musician/composer.

– The musician /composer could be “loaned out” to other people; it looked good for the patron to have a “celebrity" in his employ.

• Positive Aspects:– Financial security for the composer and his

family.– Lived better than other servants in the employ

of the patron.– Composers children were afforded

opportunities that other servants children were not.

– Artistic freedom to compose only has to please to patron, his family and guests.)

– Could travel to study with other composers.

• The patronage system reached its height in the Classical period but lost its influence after the American and French Revolutions and the Bonaparte domination of Europe(“Empire Period”).

• By the middle 1800’s the patronage system was totally dismantled.– The wealthy middle class had replaced the

aristocrats and nobility as the audience for music and opera.

– Composers and musicians could make a living off of their works in the mid-1800’s.

Johann Sebastian Bach(1685-1750)

Johann Sebastian BachGerman

• He was the most distinguished member of a musical family that went back four generations.

• His father taught him to play string instruments and another relative taught him how to play the organ.

• He was orphaned when he was ten and lived with an older brother who continued his musical education on the organ, harpsichord).

• He also was a soprano in a boys choir and was very good in school

• He was offered a scholarship to a secondary school which was a great privilege in that time period.

• Bach, like other musicians of the period, was part of the patronage system

• He relied on appointed posts for his income and to further his musical career.

• Bach was first employed as a church organist and wrote mainly religious music (organ and choral pieces)

• After being caught between feuding faction within the Lutheran church, Bach took a job as a concertmaster for the duke of Weimar

• While in Weimar, he composed mainly secular music.

• Weimar constituted his first major creative period (9 years) – During this period his talent as a composer grew

through out Germany.

• He expected to be named a Kapellmeister (chapelmaster), but he was passed over in favor of another person.

• He left Weimar for a small town (Anhalt-Cothen) where he concentrated on secular music

• He went “on tour" to perform for the public and aristocrats of Germany

• He wrote most of his orchestral music during this period, including his Brandenburg Concertos (6)

• They were dedicated to the Margrave of Brandenburg; Brandenburg is the area around Berlin, Germany (northern Germany.)

• His first wife died during this period(1720—Maria Barbara Bach)

• He remarried and had a large family.– Anna Magdalena(2nd wife)– 10 children—4 from Maria and 6 from Anna– Anna actually gave birth to 13 children.

• Bach held other posts throughout Germany as music director for churches

• His final post was in the city of Leipzig(1723-1750)

• He raised the children and supervised their musical education.

• Three of his sons were well known musicians – Wilhelm Friedemann– Carl Philipp Emanuel – Johann Christian

• He went blind in his old age, but still managed to compose music with the help of his family members.

• His last composition was written just a few days before his death(“Before Thy Throne, My God, I Stand”)

• The baroque period ends with the death of J.S.Bach

• A bitter feud broke out between the children of the first marriage & their step-mother, Anna Magdalena.

• They took most of the Bach’s compositions & assets, leaving her & their half-brothers & sisters almost penniless.

• Anna Magdalena put together a “notebook” of Bach’s compositions in her possession & sold it with the help of her friends.

• She was able to provide for her children with the “Anna Magdalena’s Notebook.”

George Frederic Handel (1685-1759)

George Frederic HandelGerman/English

• From a prominent family connected with the duke of Saxony.

• Trained in a variety of musical instruments as a child organ, Harpsichord, Violin, Oboe

• His father wanted him to be university educated, but he left to study music in Hamburg.

• His first opera was a huge success Almira

• He left for Italy where he studied opera writing for 3 years

• Returned to Germany; took a job as the musical director to the electoral court of Hanover (Germany)

• Left Germany to study in England where he became the musical director to Queen Anne;

• When she died, his former employer, the Elector, George Ludwig became the King of England—George I

• Italian opera soon became passe (out of fashion) with the English so Handel turned to writing oratorio.

• His most famous was Messiah (1742)was premiered in Dublin where it was not very successful.

• At the London premiere, Messiah was called brilliant.

• It so moved the King that it helped Handel keep his job as court composer

Messiah• Oratorio: religious opera

• Operas & other theatrical performances were banned during Lent, so composers wrote religious operas so people could have entertainment.

• The libretto is based on Biblical prophecy, mostly from the Old Testament.– Libretto: text of an opera or musical

• The events in the life of Christ are represented symbolically rather realistically.

• The oratorio is in three parts comprising 53 movements– Movement: an independent section of a larger

composition.

• Part I: prophecy of the coming Messiah & his birth.

• Part II: sacrifice of Christ & salvation of humanity

• Part III: certainty of eternal life

• The most known of all the movements is the “Hallelujah” chorus; King George II was so moved that he stood during its performance, a precedent that most audiences follow still.

• Handel also wrote Water Music for the king’s barge parties down the River Thames.– Written in the form of the Suite– Dance movements (gavotte, allemande, etc.)

• He also wrote Royal Fireworks Music which was to celebrate the Peace of Westphalia

• Zadok the Priest is one of 4 coronation anthems written by Handel to be used in King George I’s coronation as king of England.

• It is still used today during the anointing of the king or queen.

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

Antonio VivaldiItaly

• Vivaldi was an ordained priest.

• He spent much of his time writing religious music especially for the Violin.

• He is best known for the development of the 3 movement Concerto pattern: Allegro-Adagio-Allegro)

• Influenced all the composers of his generation (especially Bach)

• He wrote 450 Concertos—200 for violin

• Concerto: A type of baroque music. The main principle is the contrast between a large group of sound & a small group of sound.

• His most famous concerti are The Four Seasons.

• He died in relative poverty and obscurity in Vienna Austria.

• His music was rediscovered in the mid-19th century.

The Four Seasons(Le Quattro Stagnione)

• Solo Concerto—Violin is the solo instrument

• Example of Program Music which began in Baroque Era.– Program Music: music that tries to depict feelings,

sounds, or images.– This Concerto follows the Fast-Slow-Fast outline– Different from other concertos because each

movement is preceded by a sonnet that describes that particular season.

Study Guide• Identify the significance of each (3 pts)

– Concerto– Stradivari– George I of England– Wilhelm Friedmann, CPE Bach, Johann Christian.– Program Music– Kappelmeister– Allegro-Adagio-Allegro– “Water Music,” “Music for Fireworks” “Messiah”– Continuo – “Before Thy Throne…”

Review Questions

1. Study the biographical information; there will be characteristics from each composer’s life in matching form.

What is the libretto of an opera?2. Which composer established the basic outline

of the concerto?3. Which composer was the master of the fugue?4. What type of composition introduced another

piece or a group of pieces.

5. What types of music were written during the Baroque period?

6. What 2 keyboard instruments were popular in the Baroque Period?

7. What is a sonata da chiesa?

8. What is the function of the ripieno?

9. What is the beginning section of the fugue called?

10.What type of music was NOT written during the Baroque period?

11. How was ritornello form used in the concerto grosso?

2 Discussion Questions:

• Explain the patronage system (10 points)

• Pick a type of instrumental music popular in the baroque period and explain it. (10 points)

• Patron: A wealthy person that supports or employs artists or musicians. This system helped the artisans create works.

• Concerto: type of baroque music; contrast between a small group of sound & a large group of sound; Vivladi created the pattern; 3 movements, F-S-F