Baroque Era Music: Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel
Baroque Era Music
Antonio Vivaldi (1675-1741)
Red-headed, asthmatic priest, composer, and violinist
- 400 concerti grossi
- 49 operas
- Sacred church music
Concerto Grosso
| Large Group | Small Group |
|---|---|
| Tutti, Ripieno, Ritornello | Solo, Concertino |
| More repetitious | Better players |
Movements
- First Movement: Fast, energetic, lots of alternation between groups
- Second Movement: Slow and somber
- Third Movement: Fast, similar to the first, more lighthearted
Program Music vs. Absolute Music
- Program Music: Music used to depict non-musical entities
- Absolute Music: Music for its own sake without any extra-musical connotations
Vivaldi vs. Bach (Comparison)
Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons” – “Spring” (famous example):
- S – Solo
- T – Tutti
- Structure: T S (birds) T S (stream) T S (stream) T S (birds) T (sea) S (stream) T
Bach (Example):
- Tinselly background: T S – T S – T S – T S – T S – T S – T S – T S – T S – T S
Cadenza
Extended section for a solo instrument located near the end of a first (or third) movement of a concerto, showing great virtuosity.
| Vivaldi | Bach |
|---|---|
| Less duration | Greater duration |
| Program music | Absolute Music |
| Equal distribution of sections | Solo (complex) |
| Gaps between solo and tutti | Seamless solo to tutti |
| Large and small string group | Large string group acts with a hybrid solo group |
| Rhythmic pattern differs between sections | Rhythm is consistent throughout |
| Drop off in dynamic tutti to solo | Dynamics remain consistent throughout sections of the violin |
George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
- Recitative: Tells the plot
- Aria: Reaction (affected)
- Chorus: Comments
Word Painting Examples
- Valley: Line drops
- Mountain: Line moves up
- Low: Low note
- Crooked/Rough: Line moves erratically
- Straight/Plane: Held note
- Exacted: Fast notes
- Jubilation: Exaltation
Listening Examples
- “Every Valley” (from Messiah): Handel, aria – song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment, usually expressing emotion. (Features a lot of “ahhhs”)
- “Hallelujah” (from Messiah): Handel, chorus – fairly large group of singers who perform together in parts, known for changes of texture.
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Bach’s Life
- Directed the music at Saint Thomas Church
- Supervised music programs at three other main churches in the city
- Led the sober life of a good Lutheran
- Obedient to the town council
- Could not leave the city without permission
- Provided music for important civic occasions
- Taught three periods each day at St. Thomas School (voice, instrumental, Latin)
- Attended supervision (school day 6 am-5 pm, in summer), supervised prayer (6:15 am and 8:00 am)
- Made meals, made sure there was no boozing, made sure scholars were back in time for service
- Visited sick students
- Taught voice lessons at 1:00 pm
- If he brought a substitute teacher, he was deemed irresponsible
- Led the music for weddings and funerals
- Assumed directorship of Collegium Musicum, salary 1/4 of Cöthen but had free housing, paid 1,000-1,200 thalers
Organ Works
| Choral Based | Free |
|---|---|
| Ornamented chorale-prelude | Preludes, fantasies, toccatas |
| Trio – one voice in each manual | Trio |
| Chorale-fantasy | Fugue – polyphonic |
Sequence: A group of notes
Listening Example
- Fugue in G minor: Bach, fugue – polyphonic work based on a subject (very organ-like sound)
Definitions
- Program Music: Music that tells a story or depicts a scene.
- Abstract Music: Music for its own sake without connotations.
- Oratorio: Large-scale musical work for orchestra and voices, typically a narrative on a religious theme.
- Cantata: Medium-length narrative piece of music for voices with instrumental accompaniment, typically with solos, chorus, and orchestra.