G A B I: Baroque (Essay, Dance suite, Fugue, Sarabande and Gigue, The four Seasons )

Baroque 1600-1750 (Essay)

Baroque Music

The Baroque period in music dates from approximately 1600 to 1750, and applies to most European compositions of that era. Baroque was a shift from the previous Renaissance Period, which included Masses and Madrigals. The music from Baroque era is definitely one of the most gorgeous and astonishing music in the music history and it is associated with some great composer such as Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Alessandro Scarlatti, Antonio Vivaldi, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Arcangelo Corelli, Claudio Monteverdi, Jean-Philippe Fameau and Henry Purcell.

Baroque music is famous for its doctrine of mood, for example, what is happen will be happy throughout and what is sad will be continued to the end as well in most of the pieces. Late baroque music is often polyphonic in texture and major/minor keys replaced modes. Many different forms of music were also used in the period such as Binary, fugue , opera, sonata, oratorio, suite, concerto. Baroque music also introduced a very new trend that would be continued to later forms: the solo voice. Before this period, most vocal music would have been performed in choral arrangements. Though choral arrangements still existed, for the first time, music was written specifically for soloists.

Baroque music retained a stylistic influence on later music. In 19^th, lots of composers aspired to compose music using Bach’s fugue style.In contemporary music, many pieces have been termed as neo-Baroque for a focus on imitative polyphony. Jazz and Baroque music have something in common as well. “Baroque music is similar to a jazz quartet in that pieces used a variety of improvisation on the performers part with the most similar aspect improvisation of the lead instrument.”—The Baroque music influence on later music.

Work cited page:

The Baroque Era < http://library.thinkquest.org/15413/history/history-bar.htm>

Characteristic of Baroque Music <http://library.thinkquest.org/27927/Baroque_Characteristics.htm

Baroque music (1600 to 1750) http://www.rpfuller.com/gcse/music/baroque.html

Baroque music <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-baroque-music.htm>

http://cnx.org/content/m14737/latest/

The Baroque influence on later music http://www.syncrat.com/articles/baroque-period

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The Baroque Dance Suite:

The Baroque dance suite usually begins with a Prelude/Overture/Sinfonia(type of introductory movement). It is followed by dance movements, characterised by their distinct metres and tempi.

There are four main movements:

Allemande (Fr) : a stately dance in a quadruple metre of German origin, usually with an upbeat.

Courante (Fr)/ Corrente (It) : a lively dance of French orgin usually in a triple metre (3/2, 3/4)

Sarabande (Fr) : is a slow triple metre(usually 3/4 or 3/2), usually with an emphasis on the 2nd beat(iambic).

Gigue (Fr)/ Giga(It) : its origin is the British jig. It has in a lively compound metre (6/8, 6/16, 6/4, 9/8).

Between the Sarabande and Gigue would often be an additional two to four movements, known as Intermezzi (It) or galanteries (Fr).Th following dancers (all terms in Fr) are some examples:

Minuet/Menuet : in3/4 time, often counted in two bar unites (6 beats total).

Gavotte : lively 2/2 or 4/4 time, with upbeat of 2 crotchets.

Bourree :lively 2/2 or 4/4, but with upbeat of one crotchet only.

Passepied : quick3/8 or 6/8, often with quaver upbeat.

Rigaudon : lively duple time.

Polonaise : tirple time.

Loure/gigue lente: slow gigue in 6/8, 3/4, 6/4.

General points:

These dance suites could be written for solo instruments or ensembles. Composers of Baroque dance suites include Bach, Handel, Couperin, Rameau, Telemann.
In all these works, number and order of movements may vary.
Most movements written for dance would have regular phrase structure.
Purely instrumental music can sometimes take on dance characteristics, and likewise, dance movements can sometimes be meant not for dancing, but for listening only.

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The art of Fugue:

Fugue is a contrapuntal composition in two or more voices built on a subject (theme) that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and appears throughout the composition.

A fugue usually has three sections:

An exposition (introduction opening theme)
A development
A recapitulation (but not all fugues have this section): contains the return of the subject in the fugue's tonic key.

Parts of a fugue:

Subject: main theme (each voice repeats in imitation).
Countersubject: while the line of answer happens, this is the music which enters during the answer(Another subject but based on the "Subject").
Answer: each subject that enters will be "answered", meaning a statement of the subject in the dominant key.

There are two types of answers:

Real answer: transposition of the subject to the dominant key is literal (note by note).
Tonal answer: transposition of the subject can have some minor changes and looks like it's still in the home key.
Exposition: when all voices of the fugue subject has entered (exposition completed when last voice finished).
Middle entries: must state the subject or answer at least once in its entirety, and may also be heard in combination with the countersubject(s) from the exposition, new countersubjects or any of these on combination.
Episode: connecting passage based on previously heard subject, more entries of the subject in the related key will be heard. Episode and entries are alternated until the final entry.
Final entry: final entry of the subject which the music returns to the opening key (tonic), often followed by coda.
Coda: closing material (the end of the fugue).

Kabi
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Late-Baroque: Sarabande and Gigue from Partita in D (Bach)

One of the most popular types of keyboard composition in the late Baroque period was a set of dance movements known as a suite. These work were not intend for actual dancing, but to be performed at home, usually on the harpsichord, which is the most common keyboard of the time.

These two dances--Sarabonde and Gigue are the fourth and seventh movements of such a suite, published by Bach in 1728 under the Italian title of Partita. Bach's composition received little attention until 19th century when some scholars rediscovered his works. In the present, Bach was appreciated as one of the greatest composers of the late-Baroque era.

Sarabande:

a slow stately dance in triple time, often with a stressed or long note on the second beat of the bar.

(Johann Sebastian Bach 1685-1750)

The Sarabande is in D major and it is a rounded binary form (movements that are rounded off with the material from the opening section) with each section repeated. The first section is shorter than the second section. The first section ending in perfect cadence in A major while the second passing through some related keys before ending in tonic of D major. The texture is mainly homophonic with melodic interest in the right hand and a supportive bass in the left hand.

Gigue:

a lively dance in compound time.

This Gigue is in D major and it is a binary form with each section repeated. The first part ending in perfect cadence in A major. The second part, which has the same length as the first part, ending in tonic of D major.

As in most Baroque gigue, the first 21 bars is fugal texture. The opening melody is a fugal subject in the right hand and followed by a fugal answer (the same tune as the fugal subject, but transposed down 4th) in the left hand, above which the right hand part is a countersubject (a second or subsidiary subject especially accompanying with the subject or its answer). The subject was stated again from bar 16- bar 21 in the right hand part after some free counterpoint (the art of combining melodies each of which is independent though forming part of a homogeneous texture).

There is a new fugal subject in the beginning of the second part in the left hand part from bar 49 to bar 55. And there is a new fugal answer from bar 55 to bar 61, below which it is a restatement of first fugal subject.

Unlike the Sarabande, the first and the second part of the Gigue have the same length.

Related knowledge:

Performance directions are rare in the music of Baroque period and earlier. And the performers from that time would add some dynamics or articulation by experience.
In the Baroque period, the initial musical idea or mood maintained throughout each movement.
In the Baroque period, most dance suites are in the same key. For example, the Sarabande and Gigue as mentioned above are all in D major.
Form = Structure
A fugal texture is a polyphonic texture that starts with subject and answers in dominant. But it is not a fugue.
Performers at that time would add their own ornaments in the music especially when it was repeated.
mor·dent / ˈmôrdnt/ n. Mus. an ornament consisting of one rapid alternation of a written note with the note immediately below or above it in the scale (sometimes further distinguished as lower mordent and upper mordent). The term inverted mordent usually refers to the upper mordent.
work cited: "mordent." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 7 Nov. 2010 <http://www.encyclopedia.com/>.
Appoggiatura: a leaning note. A grace note which delays the next note of the melody, taking half or more of its written time value.

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The Four Seasons

Antonio Vivaldi (March 4, 1678 – July 28, 1741) was a Italian composer. Vivaldi's father was a violinist before becoming a barber. He realized that his son had a potential in playing violin so he decided to train him to become a violinist. And also Vivaldi had asthma so he couldn't do sports or take activities as many other boy did at that time which insure him to have lots of time practice playing violin.At the age of 15, Vivaldi began studying to become a priest. Then at the age of 25 he was ordained. Soon he got the nickname il Prete Rosso, "The Red Priest" because of his red hair. He was really a religious person and he believed himself was a person of God.

Later on, he said he could not fulfill the duty in church because of his bad knees but he still wanted to remain priest. So the church allowed him to be a teacher in a girls orphanage. That was when the Four Seasons got done and played.

Somethings else about Vivaldi:

J.S Bach also looked up to Vivaldi.
Vivaldi gave up the idea of fugue and stayed in more homophonic texture.

The Four Seasons is a set of the first four violin concertos and is also Vivaldi's best-known work. And also is the first programmatic music. The Four Seasons contains four parts: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter. The most amazing thing is that Vivaldi even wrote sonnets for each movement and each movement is matched with each sonnet perfectly. Here are the sonnets:

Spring

Spring has come and joyfully the birds greet it with happy song, and the brooks, while the streams flow along with gentle murmur as the zephyrs blow. There come, shrouding the air with a black cloak, lighting and thunder chosen to herald (the storm); then, when these are silent, the little birds return to their melodious incantations.

And now, in the pleasant, flowery meadow, to the soft murmur of leaves and plants, the goatherd sleeps with his faithful dog at his side.
To the festive sound of a pastoral bagpipe, nymphs and shepherds dance under their beloved roof, greeting the glittering arrival of the spring.

Notes: In the "Spring", Vivaldi used violin trill to represent birds' singing. And there is almost no other voice behind when the "birds are singing" in order not to mix up the texture. The two violin are about at the same level. And it brings interest to both violinists.

Summer

In the harsh season scorched by the sun, man and flock languish, and the pine is on fire; the cuckoo begins to call and soon after, the turtledove and the goldfinch are heard singing. Zephyr (the west wind) gently blows, but Boreas(the north wind) suddenly enters into a contest with its neighbour, and the little shepherd weeps for he hears the awesome threatening storm and his fate.
To his tired limbs rest is denied by the fear of lighting, awesome thunder, and the furious swarm of flies and hornets!
Alas, his fears are justified. The sky is filled with thunder and lightning and hail cuts down the proud grain.

Notes: In the "Summer", the mainly texture is homophonic. At most time the harmony parts especially the cello parts are not difficult but the harmony is quite complicated. And in some parts the melody is chromatic. Vivaldi also used the technique of pedal notes in bass line.

Autumn

The peasant celebrates the pleasure of the happy harvest with dances and songs; and inflamed by the liquor of Bacchus, many end their rejoicing with sleep.
The mild pleasant air makes all abandon dance and song; this is the season that invites all to the sweet delights of peaceful sleep.
The hunters, at the break of dawn, set forth with horns, guns, and hounds. The animal flees, and they follow its tracks. Already frightened and tired by the great noise of guns and hounds, the wounded animal makes a weak attempt at fleeing, but is overcome and dies.

Winter

Trembling with cold amidst the freezing snow, while a frightful wind harshly blows, running and stamping one's feet every minute, and feeling one's teeth chatter from the extreme cold;
Spending quiet contented days by the fire while the rain outside drenches people by the hundreds;
Walking on ice, and moving cautiously, with slow steps, for fear of falling, spinning around, slipping, falling down, again walking on ice and running fast until the ice cracks and splits; hearing Sirocco, Boreas, and all the winds at war burst forth from the bolted doors- this is winter, but it also brings joy!

Notes: When it comes to winter, most people think of sadness, frightening and death. While in this "Winter" Vivaldi showed us not only the coldness and frightening but mostly the warm and joy. And also, Vivaldi used the technique pizzicato to represent raindrops. Pizzicato is a playing technique that involes plucking the strings of a string instrument.

Relative knowledge:

Programmatic music: a kind of music which represents stories or people.
Concerto: A musical composition for a solo instrument or instruments accompanied by an orchestra, especially one conceived on a relatively large scale. And concertos normally have three parts: Allegro(fast), moderate(walking tempo), adagio(slow). And the first and the third part is normally in tonic while the second part is in dominant or related keys.

Work cited:

http://classicalmusic.about.com/od/baroqueperiod/ss/fourseasons.htm

Kabi