The note ties and overlaps in addition the counterpoint demonstrate Bach's care to detail.
Bach's Fantasia and Fugue in c minor: http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.553150
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Scarlatti Keyboard Sonatats
Vol. 9, especially d minor: http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.570368
Handel's Keyboard work
Harmonious Blacksmith: http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.552109-10
Handel's Opera Seria
Largo from Xerxes:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMlxM69ZJFA
Excerpt from Giulio Cesare: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvNhERAoDmM
Excerpt from Giulio Cesare: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvNhERAoDmM
Bach partita
Partitas nos. 4 and 6, BWV 828 and 830
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=BIS-CD-1330
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=BIS-CD-1330
Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito
Opera seria... is that right?
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=C67159
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=C67159
Le Nuove Musiche
Guilio Caccini's Le nuove musiche. Composition: "Amor ch'attendi"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tjOmSADBX0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9tjOmSADBX0
Early Opera
Excerpt from L'Euridice by Jacopo Peri and Guilio Caccini
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHMJgGE5Doc&feature=PlayList&p=A57AAEBAF59FB428&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHMJgGE5Doc&feature=PlayList&p=A57AAEBAF59FB428&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=2
Secular Opera
Henry Purcell: Dido and Aeneas
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.553108
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.553108
Secular Cantata
Bach's Coffee Cantata BWV 211
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=BIS-CD-1411
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=BIS-CD-1411
Catholic (?) motet
Vivaldi: Motet: In furore iustissimae irae
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.550662-63
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.550662-63
Vespers
Montiverdi: Vespers of the Blessed Virgin
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.550662-63
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.550662-63
Chorale
Bach's St. Matthew Passion, part 1, Chorale
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=C51075
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=C51075
Motet
Bach's motet- Jesu Meine Freude, BWV 227
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=C49432
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=C49432
Psalm
Montiverdi- Psalm 109 Dixit Dominus
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.550662-63
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.550662-63
Variety of Articulation Example
Bach's French Suite no. 5 BWV 816- Gigue
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.554041
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.554041
Improvisers of the Baroque Era
Music in the Baroque period was meant to sound much different in performance compared to the actual written score, so players and singers in the Baroque period had to embellish the music by themselves. Figured bass implied that the performer had to use their fingers as thinking machines in addition to adding ornamentation fitting to the melody. Bach and Handel are esteemed as some of the greatest improvisers. Frequently Baroque music merely contains notation without much instruction at all for tempo, ornamentation, or dynamics. The performer was expected to embellish the music, which created emotion, adornment, and interest in the composition.
Major-Minor Tonality and Equal Temperament Example
The Well-Tempered Clavier shows how Bach knew the idea of major-minor tonality and equal temperament as he wrote in all the keys.
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.557625-26
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.557625-26
Great Improvisers
Usually, the recapitulation of movements would be left to the improvisation of the performer to add ornaments or change the music a little bit. Ornaments were also often left to the performer.
Idiomatic writing example
Scarlatti's Keyboard Sonata in F major, K.483/L.472/P.407: Presto
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.554842
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.554842
Terraced Dynamics example
Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major- BWV 1047, 1st movement
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.550047
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.550047
Ornamention example
Bach's French Suite NO. 5 BWV 816 in G Major
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.550710
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.550710
Figured bass example
Bach: Sinfonia from Cantata "Wir danken dir, Gott, wir danken dir" - BWV 29 - GPO4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH-fcO9Dkik
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH-fcO9Dkik
Example of virtuoso of trumpet
Bach's Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major, BWV 1046
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.550047
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.550047
Fascinating Fugue!
Prelude and Fugue in D Major BWV 850 (1st book)
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.554160
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.554160
Polarity example
Handel's Messiah- Alleluia Chorus
://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.570175-76
://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.570175-76
Basso continuo example
Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott- Cantata no. 80 (BWV 302)
Continuos- cellos, basses, organ
First movement: Choral Fugue sung by a mixed chorus
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.558198-99
Continuos- cellos, basses, organ
First movement: Choral Fugue sung by a mixed chorus
http://www.naxos.com/catalogue/item.asp?item_code=8.558198-99
Harmony example
Mr. V, could you please clarify what you mean by finding pieces on my listening list? Which list are you referring to? I am having trouble finding an example of counterpoint subject to polarity. Could you please help me? What is idiomatic writing? What is an example of figured bass? Is Bach's sinfonia a good example? What's the difference between figured bass and regular basso continuo? What piece is a good example of improvisation? Could you give me an musical example of a piece using The Affections? And major-minor tonality? Should I have an example of both a Protestant psalm and motet and Catholic psalm and motet? Could you help me find a better recording L'Euridice by Jacopo Peri and Guilio Caccinni? Is Gluck's Iphigenia in Aylos the same thing as Iphigenie en Aulide?
Could you help me find a good recording of Handel's Giulio Cesare opera?
Could you help me find a good recording of Handel's Giulio Cesare opera?
A couple questions
What is the definition of a psalm in the Protestant service? What does it mean for Agnus Dei to be remembered as going back to reality?
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Baroque Era Outline
Baroque Era (1600-1750)
- Moved closer to tonality- tonality is the relationship of chords to the tonic key, not yet to a different key, but a key like D Major or e minor, etc.
- Polarity- common technique where the composer pays more attention to the highest and lowest voices, compared to the Renaissance, with little bass; still carries over to today
- More harmony compared to the Renaissance
- Care to detail
- Basso continuo -different bass instrument(s) (like double bass) play the same note as they gather around a keyboard instrument
- Counterpoint- subject to polarity
- Terraced dynamics
- Virtuoso works
- Idiomatic compositions- the structure of the music was intended for the specific instrument, not as a mimicking of the voice
- Figured bass
- Ornamentation
- Great improvisers
- "Theory of Affections"- the given characteristics of individual keys (e.g.: D Major might be bright and happy.)
- Major-minor tonality
- Equal temperament- a system of tuning keyboard instruments where each semitone (half-step) is spanned equally apart, so that it would be possible for music to be composed in any key.
- Frescobaldi- made a treaty, saying that there were one hundred different types of articulation between absolute legato to absolute staccato;
- Ornaments consisted of about 250 in all
II. Popular Musical Instruments
- Oboes
- Variety of keyboard instruments
- Strings (viol family was first in the lead, but was then dominated by violin family which included violin and bass viol, also known as contrabass or double bass)
- Bassoon
III. Vocal Genres
A. Protestant vocal genres:
*Cantata- short 10-400 minute work; focused around a short, Biblical story or text; matched the liturgical calendar and was strong through the evangelical movement; Bach composed a different one for each Sunday.*Oratorio- a non-staged, lengthy work; mostly sacred (e.g. Handel's Messiah), dramatic composition; chorus, orchestra, and soloists are the performers.
*Passion-similar to Oratorio; gospel story of Jesus' last days on earth make up the subject material; Latin word passio, which means "suffering," is the root of the word Passion. Dramatic re-enactments of the Passion have been performed by the church beginning at the Medieval Era. Passion- important to Germans who elevated death.
Psalms- psalms sung aloud...
Motet- shorter, often containing serious, religious matter, countless combinations of voices and musical instruments were employed as a means of exhibiting whatever religious text the composer was setting; Bach's motets were usually sung at funerals; example, "Jesu meine Freude"
Motet- shorter, often containing serious, religious matter, countless combinations of voices and musical instruments were employed as a means of exhibiting whatever religious text the composer was setting; Bach's motets were usually sung at funerals; example, "Jesu meine Freude"
Chorale-predecessor of hymns, crucial to the development of tonality, can change harmony on every single chord, Bach's chorales were written in Germany
B. Catholic vocal genres:
Mass- core ceremony in Roman Catholic Church, Latin Missa is its root, meaning "congregation"; incorporates chants; ca. 600 was the date of the establishment of the formal organization of the Mass; can be spoken "Low Mass," or sung, "High Mass."
Consisted of five main sections:
Kyrie- Genesis- Lord have mercy.
Gloria- Christ as baby
Credo- Church age (letters of Paul)
Sanctus- everlasting song, Revelation in Bible (angels singing), vision, Isaiah and John
Agnus Dei- revelation, lamb, go back to reality... what does that mean?, during communion as a remembrance
Vespers- service of worship held in the evening... any more information needed?
Psalms- psalms sung aloud...
Motet- defined above
C. Secular vocal genres:
Cantata- defined above
Madrigal- secular vocal piece written to express feelings or thoughts common to the people living in the Renaissance; composed towards beginning of Baroque era and in the Renaissance era; for most of the madrigal's history, its texture was polyphonic and consisted of normally three to six voices a cappella.
Madrigal- secular vocal piece written to express feelings or thoughts common to the people living in the Renaissance; composed towards beginning of Baroque era and in the Renaissance era; for most of the madrigal's history, its texture was polyphonic and consisted of normally three to six voices a cappella.
*Opera- secular, not sacred, work where instrumentalists and singers dramatically perform as the musical score and text (i.e. libretto) are put together
Oratorio- defined above
Oratorio- defined above
*A cantata, opera, oratorio, and passion shared the following characteristics: chorus, recitative, arias, and libretto.
IV. Instrumental Genres:
- Dance suite
- Standard Dances: Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue
- Concerto: Solo concerto or concerto grosso; keyboard and violin were the most important solo instruments of the time; sometimes during a concerto, the piano will double the orchestra
- Solo keyboard genres: Chorale prelude, Chorale variations, Fantasia, Passacaglia, Prelude, Sonata, and Toccata
V. Keyboard Instruments
- Keyboards: clavichord, harpsichord (cembalo), and virginal
- Organs: portative, positive, and regal
VI. Development of the Pianoforte
- Christofori created the first pianoforte.
- More developments, the primary final one being Steinway and Sons
VII. Opera
- Florentine Camerata
VIII. Composers
- Christoph Gluck- opera reforms
- Johann Sebastian Bach- most famous for composing fugues and incorporating greatly the equal temperament system
- George Friederic Handel- most famous for his oratorios
- Claudio Montiverdi- most famous for his inventive madrigals and operas
- Henry Purcell- wrote opera Dido and Aeneas
- Domenico Scarlatti- most famous for his keyboard sonatas
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