This work is unique in that the harpsichord participates in both sections of the orchestra, and it eventually plays a florid and highly decorated solo cadenza in the first movement. It is thought that this concerto may have been written for the two-manual harpsichord Bach was sent to Berlin to purchase for Prince Leopold, and played by Bach as the soloist. The first movement sees the three soloist dialogue with each other, with the harpsichord gradually garnering more of the spotlight with its music becoming more and more complex and decorated. The harpsichord becomes more and more demanding until the rest of the instruments give in and turn silent while the harpsichord gives us one of the best examples of Bach's prowess and improvising skills at the keyboard. The second movement is a gentle song played by the soloists only.
Jessica Riffel Mush 101 Thought Piece #3 The Baroque Era brought monumental changes to instrumental music. During this time, instrumental music became just as important as vocal music both in quality and quantity, as many new developments occurred in the instrumental world. During the Baroque Era, the use of improvisation increased. This change was most important in instrumental music. However, as important as it was, improvisation caused problems when musicians attempted to understand and perform Baroque music accurately.
It fuses the characteristics of the experimental recitative opera (founded by the Florentine Camerata) and also appears to be modelled upon L’Euridice, an opera composed in 1600 by Jacopo Peri, due to the similarities in subject and the mixture of styles used. However, due to the progress made in composition and also due to Monteverdi’s
History Essay Word Count: 1,184 Discuss the historical, cultural, and musical aspects of one of Bach’s Passions. Include musical examples when necessary, and place the works within the larger context of German sacred music of the mid–late Baroque era. Johann Sebastian Bach’s Passions, based on the gospels of John and Matthew, mark the pinnacle of his vocal works. I will be focussing on the St. Matthew Passion, a work that “left behind all that had been customary or even conceivable in sacred music at the time.” I will be discussing the historical and cultural impacts this Passion had and also examine its musical aspects within the context of the era of the Baroque that Bach was active in, where he stood out as a master of his art. To understand how this Passion fits into the history and culture that it was conceived in, one must first understand what the Passion is, in this context.
Dido’s Lament The Baroque period was a significant turning point for music; it began to be a separate form of art and not purely based in religion. The use of Recitative and Aria became a critical key factor to the development of opera, and is clearly used in “Dido and Aeneas” by Purcell. To enhance the characteristics of the Baroque opera, many techniques for manipulating Pitch, Duration and Dynamics were used. With these techniques it created more emphasis of the text with the use of word painting and string instruments. Throughout this piece the Recitative of the song is mainly sung in speech form, creating emphasis on specific parts of the text.
Hu Zhenqi 24 June 2011 MRLC Mr.Ryan HOW BACH’S STYLE IS DISTINCT FROM VIVALDI’S Bach and Vivaldi are two of the most well known composers in the Baroque period. They have similarities and differences in their style of composition. This essay would focus on their differences in style. Their styles are different in many ways and most people would focus on their use of melody, harmony or rhythm but this essay would focus on their use of basso continuo. The way Bach uses basso continuo in his music is what makes Bach’s style distinct from Vivaldi’s.
ESSAY ASSIGNMENT #5 Part I. The two giants of the baroque period were George Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach. Summarize what elements might be found in their music highlighted in the "Characteristics of Baroque Music" section. Including the following elements: Unity of Mood, Rhythm, Melody, Dynamics, Texture, and the Basso Continuo or Figured Bass. In the Baroque period the music consisted of one main mood throughout, if it begins with grief it will end with grief.
Ornamentation In Baroque The seventeenth century is know as an era of invention and discovery, an age of daring expansion.1 Ornamentation is the practise of adding notes to a melody to help add expression, not spoil it. It helps emphasize a note and prolong its length. Ornamentation is one of the most important things to be considered in the history of music in this period. Earlier instruments did not sustain notes as long, so using this tactic helped.2 There were two main types of ornamentation used which were written, and improvisational. These types of ornamentation were used not only for instrumental music, but for vocal music as well.
When solo sections occur, they are followed with choral ripieno standard to the period. Mozart uses cantabile, imitative, homophonic, and fugual choral textures that could be easily categorized as Handelian. The Requiem also contains examples of the new style of music that Mozart and his contemporaries creating. He combines huge stile antico contrapuntal statements with
Mannerism and Baroque Joy Hall Western Governors University IWT1 Task 1 Revision 1 August 23, 2013 Mannerism and Baroque Mannerism, which literally means "style", was a period in European art that began in Italy in the final years of the Renaissance and lasted until it was replaced by Baroque, about 1520 to 1600. During this time, young artists were trying to establish their own style, with a new approach to painting and interpretation of the human experience. They were having their difficulties, as it were. Virtually everything that could be done had been done. The artists of the Renaissance, masters such as Raphael and Michelangelo, studied the human form and nature for inspiration.