Lehman College

Spring 08: Music 114 11 AM

Mon., March 10^th, 2008

Baroque Music has three distinctive periods:

1. Early Baroque (1600—1640): Birth of Opera, emergence of instrumental music. The city republics of Italy are at the center of most music developments. Composers: Claudio Monteverdi.

2. Mid Baroque (1640-1680): Spread of music from Italy throughout Europe: Opera and Instrumental music practices develop very much. Composers: Henry Purcell

3. High Baroque (1680-1750): Most crystased Baroque forms become standardized throughout Europe. It coincides with the life’s of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel.

Characteristics of Baroque Music:

1. Unity of Mood: Same mood, feelings, content throughout each piece of music

2. Continuity of Rhythm: same rhythmic patterns, same meter throughout each composition.

3. Melodic continuity: in support of unity of mood. Similar melodic materials used throughout the composition.

4. Terraced Dynamics: Use of contrasting sections of loud and soft dynamics. No crescendo or decrescendo.

5. Predominantly Polyphonic and Homophonic textures. Each type of texture evolves in more complicated forms.

6. Use of Basso Continuo (Figured Bass)

7. Use of Word Painting techniques; the contour of the melody follows the contour of the text. For words like “Heaven” or “Sun” or “The Lord” the melody ascend upwards. For “Down the Valley” or “down to the underworld” melody goes downwords.

8. Emergence of the Baroque Orchestra, based on the string instruments: Violins 1 (3-4 players), Violin 2 (3-4 players), Violas (2-3 players), cellos (2-4 players), harpsichord and winds: flutes, Oboes. Trumpets and Timpany used for festive occasions.

Position of the Composer and Musicians in the Baroque Society: They are hired servants, either at the many nobils courts or serving the church as music directors, singers and players.

The Concerto Grosso emerge as a major type of instrumental music, featuring a group of soloists, dialoguing with the orchestra. The piece consists of sections of the full ensemble (tutti, or ritornello) followed by solo sections:

Tutti-Solo 1- Tutti 2-Solo 2-Tutti 3 – Solo 3, etc.

The Fugue emerge as the must complex for of polyphonic texture. It consists of 3-4 or more voices (or instruments) coming in succession stating the same melody (Subject or Theme). It is the most prominent form of Imitation.

Elements of the Opera. The Baroque composers develop the opera into a complex succession of musical sections of great variety, organized by Act 1- Act 2-Act 3. Each act consists of different numbers (sections):

Overture: opening number in an opera

Arias: the most melodic and expressive number in an opera, given to the main characters

Duets/Trios/Quartets: moments of dialogues

Recitatives: declamatory, story telling moments, with little or no melodic content

Chorus moments: moments in the play where crowds participate in the action.

Dance numbers. In some operas dance moments are included. In others they are not used.

Types of Voices used in an opera:

Coloratura Sopranos (highest register of sopranos)

Lyric Sopranos: Light voices, for charming and graceful characters

Dramatic Sopranos

Lyric Tenor

Dramatic Tenor

Basso Buffo: Comic bass voice

Basso Profundo: Low range bass voice

The First Opera (1607)

Claudio Monteverdi – “ORFEO” (Orpheus)

The first English Opera:

Henry Purcell – Dodo and Aeneas (1689)

First major Concertos:

Antonio Vivaldi – The Four Seasons

La Primavera, for Solo Violin and Baroque Orchestra (strings and harpsichord)

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) the most complex composer of the High Baroque Period. Famous organist, composer for the Lutheran church. Wrote a lot of vocal and instrumental music.

Wed., March 26, 2008

The Classical Era (1750-1820)

Important Composers:

Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827)

Characteristics of the Classical Style:

1. Contrast of MOOD

2. Flexibility and variety of RHYTHM

3. Mostly homophonic TEXTURE

4. Great variety of DYNAMICS, with lots of CRESC. And DECRESC.

5. End of Basso Continuo and of the use of Harpsichord

The Classical Orchestra

Standardized ensemble consisting of:

STRINGS: 1^st Violins, 2^nd Violins, Violas, Cellos, Doublebass (Contrabass)

WOODWINDS: 2 Flutes, 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets, 2 Bassoons

Brass: 2-4 French Horns, 2 Trumpets

Percussion: Timpanies

Classical Forms

Classical Symphony, String Quartets, Sonatas consist of multiple movements:

1. Fast Movement: usually in Sonata Form

2. Slow Movement: Usually ABA form or Theme & Variations

3. Dance Movement: Usually Menuet or Scherzo

4. Fast Movement: Rondo or Sonata

The Sonata Form: Exposition, Development, Recapitulation, Coda

Presented fragments from the following movies:

AMADEUS

IMMORTAL BELOVED

March 31, 2008

Romanticism in Music (1820-1900)

Important composers:

Franz Schubert, Robert Schumann, Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, Felix Mendelssohn, Hector Berlioz, Bedrich Smetana, Antonin Dvorak, Peter Ilyich nTchaikovsky, Johannes Brahms, Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, Richard Wagner.

Characteristics:

1. Individuality of Style

2. Expressive aims and subjets

3. Nationalism and Exoticism

4. Program Music

5. Expressive Tone Color

6. Colorful Harmony

7. Expanded Range of Dynamics, Pitch and Tempo

8. New Froms: Miniature and Monumental Structures

Romantic Composers and Their Public

The Art Song and Franz Schubert (1797-1828):

Erlkonig

Frederic Chopin (1810-1849)

Nocturne Op. 9, No.2

Etude in C Minor, Op. 10, No. 12

Franz Liszt (1811-1886)

Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)

Concerto for Violin & Orchestra in E Minor

Georges Bizet

Opera CARMEN DVD, ACT 1.

April 7-9, 2008

1. PROGRAM MUSIC

H. Berlioz – Symphonie Fantastique DVD, all 5 movements

2. The ROMANTIC ORCHESTRA:

WOODWINDS:

3 FLUTES (PICCOLO)

3 OBOES (ENGLISH HORN)

3 CLARINETS

3 BASSOONS (CONTRABASOON)

BRASS:

4 FRENCH HORNS

3-4 TRUMPETS

3 TROMBONES

1-2 TUBAS

PERCUSSION:

TIMPANI

DRUMS

GONGS/TAMTAM, CYMBALS

XYLOPHONE

BELLS, CHIMES

2 HARPS

STRINGS:

VIOLINS 1

VIOLINS 2

VIOLAS

CELLOS

DOUBLE BASS

4. NATIONALISM IN ROMANTIC MUSIC

Mussorgsky (Russia) - Pictures at an Exhibition

P. I. Tchaikovsky (Russia)

Bedrich Smetana (Czech)

Antonin Dvorak (Czech)