Instrumental Music of the Baroque
The Rise of Instrumental Music
Baroque is the first period in which instrumental music is as important as vocal Sales of instrumental music outpace vocal music by the end of the 1600’s Violin especially important in the rise of instrumental music – growing popularityIncreasing number of amateur violinists created market for composers
The Rise of Instrumental Music
Instrumental techniques and quality improve
Instrumental virtuososBach & Handel: Organ
Corelli & Vivaldi: Violin
Scarlatti & Couperin: Harpsichord
Divergence of Styles
Vocal and instrumental styles diverge
Idiomatic writing for particular instrumentsComposers exploit the characteristics of individual instruments in their compositions
Growing use of expressive gestures for instruments – program music
Baroque Instruments
Renaissance instruments replacedViol, sackbut, cornetto, shawm disappearViolins, violas, cellos appear – dominate orch.
Orchestra grows in size and standardizationOrfeo calls for 14 different instrumentsLater orchestras are built around a core of strings, and feature 2-4 of each instrumentUsually no more than 20 instruments
Orchestral Overture
Instrumental piece that precedes larger work
Two common forms of overture:French Overture
Italian Overture
Though there were pieces called sinfonia, it is the Italian overture that evolves into the symphony as we know it in the Classical era
Orchestral Overture
French overtureSingle movement in two sections
Slow-Fast pattern
Meter: slow section is duple, fast is triple
Italian overtureSingle movement in three sections
Fast-Slow-Fast pattern
Sonata
Sounded (sonata) rather than sung (cantata)
Very popular among amateur violinists
Very flexible number of players/mvmts.
Sonatas that used dance movements were called chamber sonatas (sonata da camera)
Two most popular types of sonataSolo Sonata
Trio Sonata
Trio Sonata
Most popular combination of instruments:Two violins and continuo
Misleading name:Three lines of music on the page, but…
Four instruments playing
Continuo is two instruments
Sonata for Solo Instrument
Shows off the virtuosity of a solo player
Demonstrates characteristics of instrument
Usually accompanied by continuo
Bach Solo violin (no continuo)
ScarlattiSolo harpsichord
Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
Born near Bologna, Italy – an important center of violin study
Spent most of his career in Rome as a violin teacher, performer, and composer
Small compositional output influences some major composers
Couperin, Purcell, and J.S. Bach
Arcangelo Corelli
First composer to write in fully functional tonal harmony
Not a virtuoso in the modern sense, but was known for his beautiful violin tone
Died a very wealthy man (120,000 marks by some accounts – serious bucks)
Buried in the Pantheon in Rome
Listening Example
Title: Sonata in B flat Major, Op. 5 No. 2: II Allegro
Composer: Arcangelo Corelli
Genre: Sonata
Notes on Sonata in B flat Major, Opus 5 No. 2: II Allegro
Intimate sound of chamber music Violin soloist and continuo5 movements (listed by tempo) in entire piece – 2nd mvmt. is our listening example
• 1. Grave• 2. Allegro• 3. Vivace• 4. Adagio• 5. Vivace
Notes on Sonata in B flat Major, Opus 5 No. 2: II Allegro
Note fast tempo of the 2nd mvmt. (allegro)Lively display of skill in this movementVirtuosity on display in a solo sonata
Concerto
An instrumental genre contrasting sound of a soloist or small ensemble with orchestra
Two Kinds of Baroque ConcertoConcerto grosso
Solo concerto
Concerto grosso
Contrasting instrumental groups:Small group (from the orch.) – concertino
Large group (full orch.) – ripieno or tutti
Different instruments featured at different times in the concertino
Brandenburg Concertos by Bach are the culminating masterworks of the genre
Solo ConcertoContrasting instrumental groups:
Solo instrumentOrchestra
Solo part features virtuoso playing Violin is the most frequently-used solo instrumentConsisted of three movements:
Allegro – Adagio – Allegro (Fast – Slow – Fast)
Antonio Vivaldi: leading composer of solo concertos, especially for the violin
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
A native Venetian, he took holy orders in his mid-teens and became a priest at 25
His father taught him violin at an early age and concertized with his son in Venice
Called “red priest" due to color of his hair
Was maestro de' concerti (music master) for Conservatorio del' Ospedale della Pieta
Antonio VivaldiVivaldi contributed to the evolution of violin style and technique He elevated the solo concerto genre through the quantity and quality of his concertiPopularly believed to have been buried in a pauper's grave and given "only a small peal of bells" at his funeralToday Vivaldi is recognized both as the "Father of the Concerto," and as a herald of musical romanticism
The Four Seasons
Four individual solo violin concerti
Each concerto depicts an Italian sonnet (poem) which describes a season
No. 1, Spring (La primavera)
No. 2, Summer (L’estate)
No. 3, Fall (L’autunno)
No. 4, Winter (L’inverno)
Listening Example
Title: Spring, 1st mvmt, The Four Seasons
Composer: Antonio Vivaldi
Genre: Solo Concerto
Notes on Spring, 1st mvmt.
Depiction of birds, brooks, storm, etc.
Virtuosity of soloist
Recurring opening theme (ritornello)
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