N5 Music Through The Ages

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N5 Music Through The Ages

• Baroque Music

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BaroqueConcertoOperaScaleMajor / MinorChord
/ HarmonyBroken chord / ArpeggioPedalInverted
PedalCanonBinary ABTernary ABA

• Concerto
• Cadenza
• Harpsichord
• Ground Bass
• Soprano / Alto
• Tenor / Bass
• Mezzo Soprano / Baritone
• Ornament
• Trill
• Episode
• Homophonic/Polyphonic
• Syllabic / Melismatic

All concepts in red are Higher concepts
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The word Baroque was first used to describe the
highly decorative and grand style of architecture
and art of the 17th Century
Musicians adopted the word using it to describe
the musical styles of the years 1600-1750
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The system of Modes, which the tonality was based
on in the Medieval and Renaissance periods was
disused and by the end of the 17th Century music
was based on Major and Minor tonalities.
Many new musical structures were introduced and
developed by Baroque composers including......
Aria
Concerto
Cadenza
Opera
Oratorio
Fugue
Concerto Grosso
Suite
Recitative
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There were many important composers in the
Baroque period.... The two most influential were

• George Frederic Händel
• 1685-1759
• Born in Halle, Germany
• Died in London England

• Johann Sebastian Bach
• 1685-1750
• Born in Eisenach, Germany
• Died Leipzig Germany

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Baroque Instrumental Music
The Violin family (Violin, Viola, Cello and
Double bass) replaced the viols of the
renaissance period in the first half of the
Baroque period.

• The Baroque Orchestra Contained
• A string section
• 1 or 2 flutes (or recorders), oboes and bassoons
• 1 or 2 horns and occasionally trumpets (NO VALVES
  !!!)
• Timpani
• Organ or Harpsichord (Continuo)

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The organ or harpsichord played a continuo or
figured bass
The performer follows a Bass line with a series
of figures (Figured bass) which tells the player
which chords to improvise around
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The key styles of instrumental composition in the
baroque period were.............
Fugue http//www.educationscotland.gov.uk/learnlis
teningonline/higherandadvancedhigher/musicaltopics
/form/Fugue.asp http//www.pgsarts.co.uk/listening
1.html
Ground Bass - A theme in the bass which is
repeated many times while the upper parts are
varied.
Suite
Concerto Grosso
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Concerto Grosso
Was one of the most important forms developed in
the Baroque period
In concerto Grosso, a small group of soloists
called the Concertino contrast against the
orchestra Ripieno
The most well known concerto Grosso are the
Brandenburg concertos by J.S Bach
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Fugue
Composers moved away from the homophonic texture
where all parts move together to
polyphonic/contrapuntal writing, where two or
more parts move at different times from each other
The fugue is the most important type of
polyphonic writing in the Baroque period, and is
based on imitation.
The fugue uses 3 or 4 parts which merge together
and overlap using imitation
Fugues were mostly written for harpsichord or
organ
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The two main types of Baroque vocal compositions
are Opera and Oratorio, These are similar but
have some differences....
Feature Opera Oratorio
4 Part Choir Yes Yes
Orchestra Yes Yes
Solo Voices Yes Yes
Sacred Story No Yes
Secular story Yes No
Costumes Yes No
Scenery Yes No
Acting Yes No
Opera would be performed in a concert Hall or
Opera house
Oratorio would be performed in a church
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The solo song in opera and Oratorio is called an
Aria, The key features of an aria are.......
Accompanied by orchestra
Usually in ternary form
Known as Da Capo Arias
Syllabic where each syllable of each word is
given 1 musical note to be sung
Melismatic where each syllable can be given more
than one note per syllable
Word Painting Where the musical line reflects
the words being sung
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Homophonic

• Texture where you hear melody with accompaniment
  or where all the parts play a similar rhythm at
  the same time.
• See how the parts all have the same rhythm here

Polyphonic
Texture which consists of two or more melodic
lines, possibly of equal importance, which weave
independently of each other. Polyphonic is
similar in meaning to contrapuntal.
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Episode
A section of music linking two appearances of the
same material. Listen to an episode from a
Concerto Grosso. In Fugue an episode can be used
as a modulating link between entries of the
subject and is frequently based on fragments from
the subject or Counter subject.
Episode
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Short for pedal point. A note which
is sustained, or repeated continuously, in the
bass beneath changing harmonies. In the notation,
a pedal note can be seen in the lower part.
Pedal
Inverted Pedal

• A note which is held on or repeated continuously
• at a high pitch. Opposite in pitch to pedal.