Baroque Era

1. BaroqueEra Approx. 1600 – 1750

2. Baroque Era Composers Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 – 1750 - born in Eisenach, NW Germany - had 20 children with two wives (four of whom were to become noted composers and performers in the Classical Era) - most of his career was spent as music director at St. Thomas Church, Leipzig, where he ran a school, directed an orchestra, trained choirs, gave music lessons and composed music for the church Major compositions: Brandenburg Concertos, Goldberg Variations, Mass in B minor Antonia Vivaldi (1678 – 1741) - born in Venice - learned the violin as a child and performed with his father, a musical barber-surgeon, which gained him fame - taken on by the director of music in St. Marks’ Cathedral, who taught him theory, counterpoint and composition - became a priest - worked as music director for a girls’ orphanage (the orphaned girls were the daughters of wealthy Venetian merchants who were born illegitimately from their illicit affairs) - received many commissions from European nobles and royalty Major Compositions: Gloria, Four Seasons, many operas and concertos

3. Baroque Era Composers George Frederick Handel (1685 - 1759) - born in Halle, Saxony, Germany - studied in Italy from age 17 to 25, when he moved to England as the new Director of music at the Royal Chapel of King George I - Handel busied himself with opera and theatre management in London, as well as continuous composition of operas, concerti and oratorios - became a naturalized British subject in 1727 - died a millionaire of complications from surgery to relieve his failing eyesight and was buried in Westminster Abbey Major Compositions: The Messiah, Music for the Royal Fireworks, Water Music Suite Arcangelo Corelli (1653 – 1713) - born in Fusignano, near Ravenna, Italy - studied violin and composition from noted professionals - began his career in Paris where he gained international fame - directed music in the court of the Prince of Bavaria, Germany - died rich and is buried in the Pantheon in Rome Major Compositions: Christmas Concerto

4. Baroque EraCharacteristics • Shared with the Renaissance: • use of polyphony (the texture of combining two or more independent melodic voices) and counterpoint (the interdependent relationship in rhythm and harmony between two or more independent voices in a piece of music) • although these tools were used differently in Baroque music • Differences: • development of the fugue as a defining art form • uses much more ornamentation, sometimes at the performers whim • musicians were trained in the art of improvisation (making up decorative embellishments based on an established music structure) • music written for virtuosic vocalsoloists and instrumentalists featured as stars • harder to perform than Renaissance music • development of major and minor scales • regulation of the keyboard (Tempering or Tempered) • New Expressions of Music: Opera (a large scale piece of music written to tell a non-religious story), Oratorio (a large scale piece of music written to tell a religious story) , Concerti Grossi (Concerto Grosso) and Sonati (Sonata)(compositions written to feature a specific instrument or group of instruments with full orchestra demonstrating unique features) • contrasting volume and tempo (terraced)

5. Baroque Instruments Clockwise from top: zither, alto & sopranino recorders; lute, viola; bass viol, lute, baroque guitar; two members of the viol family; viola da gamba Instruments were constructed for more intimate performances, though groups of them were collected in orchestras for large venues & celebrations (i.e. Coronations, Royal Fireworks, state funerals, operas, oratorios)

6. Baroque Instruments Harpsichord: An early keyboard instrument. Strings were stretched across a harp in a wooden cabinet. Keys were connected to moving goose quills which pluck each string when pressed. Players were unable to vary the volume to any great degree. Used as a foundation “continuo” (rhythm & harmonic structure) of much Baroque music.. A baroque composer conducting a performance featuring an organist and players of various sizes of viols.

7. Baroque Instruments • Pipe Organ • Origins in ancient Rome’s Collosseum (like modern hockey arenas) • Small pipe organs were used in late Medieval and Renaissance cathedrals to augment the human voice during the chanting of mass • Martin Luther (1483 – 1546) was a German monk who questioned the practices of the R.C.Church and started a “protestant” revolution in which the congregation (people) became more important than the priest in church • started the “Protestant Reformation”

8. Baroque InstrumentsPipe Organ (II) Congregational singing (rather than the chanting of monks) became accepted practice in Protestant Churches. Pipe organs were used to lead and support this practice of worship Pipe organs became so popular that wealthy aristocrats and monarchs had them built for their large palaces. An example in Toronto is the great pipe organ built for Sir Henry Pellatt in Casa Loma

9. Baroque InstrumentsPipe Organ (III) • Pipe organs consist of a series of hollow metal or wood tubes through which air is pushed (like a recorder). • Many ranks or series of different shaped pipes provide variations of sounds a pipe organ can make. • A keyboard opens the pipes of whichever note(s) in the chosen rank(s) the player wishes to play. • The air is provided by a bellows, (a pump providing sufficient air pressure to the pipes) operated either by human or later, electrical power. • Pipes vary in size from a few centimetres to 64 feet in some of the largest instruments. • From the time of the Baroque era, keyboards specifically designed for the feet had been developed. These played the deeper bass notes and required extreme coordination on the part of the organist.

10. Baroque InstrumentsPipe Organ (IV) • The use of pipe organs became popular in music composition and were originally available only in churches and castles of the rich and royal (sponsors of most musical performance & composition in the Baroque Era). • Later, pipe organs were built in all 19th century civic concert halls during the Romantic period.

11. Baroque Woodwinds Bassoon dates from about 1660 double reed, made of wood lower pitched than oboe Oboe Origins in middle east but migrated to medieval Europe with the shawm rich, mellow tone, perfect for accompanying or harmonizing with human voice

12. Baroque Woodwinds Flute • Ancient instrument evolved from a recorder • originally made of wood, like the recorder • Two different models of playing featured either: a) blowing across the round mouth hole type (transverse), like the pan flute or, b) blowing into a whistle mouthpiece like the recorder • The modern flute comes from the German transverse flute • Early flutes featured one thumb hole and from 4 to 8 finger holes • 1st key added in 1688, followed by 2nd in 1762 by Quantz, flute teacher to King Frederick the Great of Prussia (Germany)

13. Baroque Woodwinds Contrabassoon Recorder in existence since the 12th century - name “recorder” first appeared in a document in 1388 - eight sizes; from sopranino to great bass - common in the Renaissance - often used by Baroque composers, like J.S. Bach in his Brandenburg Concerto #2

14. Baroque Brass Alto and Renaissance sackbuts (trans. “pull tube” in Spanish.) - immediate predecessor to the modern trombone - noted for its soft, muted sound - trombones introduced in c.1400s featured thicker metal and narrower bells Horn (evolved from hunting horns) - could produce twelve tones of natural harmonics - introduced into orchestras in early 1700s - hand-stooping technique allowed for greater range of notes around 1750 Trumpet - ancient instrument from many cultures - used in China as a signaling tool 2000 BCE; Egypt 1500 BCE - early European versions were coiled in an “S” shape (1400s) - by 1500 coiled into a elongated loop - valves added late 1700s and early 1800s