BAROQUE MUSIC

CHANGES WITH BAROQUE

• Created tonality
• More elaborate ornamentation
• Changes to notation
• New playing techniqes
• Expanded size, range, and complexity

FAMOUS BAROQUE COMPOSERS

• Johann Sebastian Bach
• George Frederic Handel
• Antonio Vivaldi

NEW GENRES

• Opera
• Cantata
• Oratorio
• Concerto
• Sonata

BACH

• Born in Germany, 1685
• Many compisitions including over 300 canatas
• His music during his lifetime was not amazingly successful
• However interest was revieved in the 19th century
• He is now recognized as one of the greatest composers ever

HANDEL

• Like Bach, born in Germany, 1685
• Wrote operas at first
• Switched to english choral works
• Composed more than thirty operas
• The coronation anthem, "Zadok The Preist" is used at every UK coronation

VIVALDI

• Born in Venice, Italy, 1678
• Made concertos, choral works, and operas
• Most well known work, "The Four Seasons"
• His music is well known now, due to a 20th century revival

OPERA

• Singers and musicians perform dramatic work
• Combined libretto and musical score
• Incorporates aspects of spoken theater:
• acting, scenery, consume, sometimes dances
• Opera seria in 1600s

CANTATA

• Early 17th century, single voice madrigal
• Later 17th century multi-voice:
• "cantata da camera" and "cantata da chiesa"
• Great demand from Lutheran Church
• Most secular cantatas for nobles

ORATORIO

• Large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists
• Similar in style to opera, however NOT MUSICAL THEATER
• Origins from sacred dialogues in Italy
• Strong narrative and dramatic emphasis
• Conversational exchanges between characters in the work

CONCERTO

• Usually three movements
• One solo instrument accompanied by orchestra
• Common solo instruments: piano, violin, celli, flute
• One of the first genres with different parts for instruments

SONATA

• Sonata means played, as opposed to "cantata", sung
• Sonata da Chiesa, "church sonata", more common
• Slow intro, slightly fugued allegro, cantabile slow section, lively finale
• Sonata da Camera, "sonata chamber", for the court
• Almost entirely idealized dance-tunes