Chapter 7 LATE BAROQUE MUSIC BACH AND HANDEL Craig Wright

1
Chapter 7 LATE BAROQUE MUSIC BACH AND
HANDELCraig Wrights Listening to Music,
4/edition

2
Timeline
3
Late Baroque Aesthetic

• Refinement rather than innovation
• Old forms polished and perfected
• Culmination of Baroque style
• Drama through contrast
• Large blocks of sound placed in opposition
• Musical forms provide framework for contrast

4
Late Baroque Musical Style

• Melody
• Principle of continuing development
• Long, expansive, and irregular phrases
• Melodic sequence
• Rhythm
• The most distinctive and exciting element of
  Baroque music
• Strong, recognizable sense of meter
• Harmony
• Continuation of major and minor keys, basso
  continuo
• Constant rate of harmonic change a new feature
• Texture Return of counterpoint

5
Late Baroque Orchestra

• Modern symphony orchestra emerges
• Rarely more than 25 players
• More instruments added for festive occasions

6
Late Baroque Orchestra

• Modern symphony orchestra emerges
• Strings form the core of the ensemble
• Violins replace viols
• Multiple string players on each part

7
Late Baroque Orchestra

• Modern symphony orchestra emerges
• Strings form the core of the ensemble
• Woodwinds
• Oboes or flutes
• Bassoon

8
Late Baroque Orchestra

• Modern symphony orchestra emerges
• Strings form the core of the ensemble
• Woodwinds
• Brasses
• Trumpet or French horn
• Both instruments usually played by one musician

9
Late Baroque Orchestra

• Modern symphony orchestra emerges
• Strings form the core of the ensemble
• Woodwinds
• Brasses
• Percussion
• Rarely used in Baroque music
• Parts were not written out

10
Late Baroque Orchestra

• Modern symphony orchestra emerges
• Strings form the core of the ensemble
• Woodwinds
• Brasses
• Percussion
• Basso continuo still essential

11
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)

• Career
• Weimar (1708-1717), organist
• Cöthen (1717-1723), court composer and conductor
• Leipzig (1723-1750), cantor
• Reputation
• During his lifetime known more as a great
  organist than as a composer
• Brought the cantata to the highest point of
  development
• The greatest composer of contrapuntal music in
  the history of western music

12
Organ Fugue in G Minor (ca. 1710)

• Subject the theme that serves as the fugues
  primary musical idea
• Exposition opening section of fugue during which
  each voice in turn presents the subject for the
  first time
• Episode freer sections where the subject is not
  heard in its entirety
• Definition of fugue
• A composition for three or more parts, either
  vocal or instrumental
• Begins with each part presenting the subject one
  after the other
• Continues with alternating passages of episodes
  and further appearances of the subject

13
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5

• Completed in 1721
• Violin, flute, and harpsichord constitute the
  concertino
• Harpsichord treated as a soloist and not
  relegated to the basso continuo
• Considered the first concerto for a keyboard
  instrument
• First movement in Ritornello form
• Nine ritornello sections
• Played by the tutti
• Theme consists of two parts, A and B

14
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 (cont)

• Solo sections
• Concertino instruments play motives derived from
  ritornello themes
• Ritornello theme, part A
• Solo Section 1
• Last solo section concludes with a lengthy
  cadenza for the harpsichord

15
Opera / Cantata
16
Cantata Awake, A Voice is Calling

• First performed on November 25, 1731, the last
  Sunday before Advent
• Text elaborates the Gospel reading St. Matthew
  25 1-13
• Wise and foolish virgins symbolize the contrast
  between those who are prepared to receive the
  coming Christ and those who are not
• The message get your spiritual house in order
• Three movements for chorus based on the tune and
  text of a traditional chorale
• Chorale German hymn tune
• Awake, a Voice is Calling (Wachet auf)

17
Cantata Awake, A Voice is Calling (cont.)

• First movement a chorale fantasy
• Sopranos sing chorale tune in long tones
• Altos, tenors, and basses sing contrapuntal lines
  that reflect the meaning of the text
• Orchestral accompaniment
• Opening ritornello introduces three motive
• Orchestra plays an interlude between each phrase
  of the chorale tune

18
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)

• Career
• Hamburg (1703-1706)
• Italy (1706-1710)
• Hanover (1710)
• London (1710-1759)
• Reputation
• Most famous composer in Europe and a national
  institution in England
• Reputation continued to increase after his death
• Perhaps the finest composer for chorus who ever
  lived

19
Water Music (1717)

• Composed for a public entertainment
• A dance suite
• A collection of instrumental dances
• Each movement has its own distinctive rhythm and
  character
• All movements in binary form (A and B)
• Intended as concert music, not to accompany
  dancing
• Horn Pipe
• Energetic dance derived from the country jig, a
  popular dance among sailors
• Triple meter, with syncopations
• Minuet and Trio
• Minuet a moderate, triple meter dance
• Second minuet is shorter and called a trio
• Composition was an immediate success

20
OPERA / CANTATA / ORATORIO
21
Messiah

• Composed during the summer of 1741
• Premiered in Dublin, Ireland, April, 1742
• Choir of 23 voices and small orchestra
• Enthusiastic response
• Tells the story of Christ in a general way
• Divided into three parts
• Prophecy and Incarnation of the Messiah
• Triumph of the Gospel
• Victory over Death
• Mood of lyrical meditation and exaltation
• Nineteen choruses

22
Hallelujah Chorus

• Concludes Part II of the oratorio
• Text based on passages from The Revelation of St.
  John
• Hallelujah (Rev. 196)
• For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth (Rev. 196)
• The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom
  of our Lord and of his Christ (Rev. 1115)
• And he shall reign for ever and ever (Rev. 1115)
• King of Kings, and Lord of Lords (Rev. 1916)
• Each phrase of the text given its own musical
  identity
• Tradition states the George II was so moved that
  he rose to his feet in admiration