The Baroque

The Baroque
The Baroque Era

01/08/13 1

The Baroque Era: Overview
Time Period (1600-1750)
 The period between the Renaissance and the
Classical Era
 “Baroque” (irregular pearl)--extravagant and bizarre
qualities of the music--harmonies, textures, and
forms more free and unpredictable than those of
either the Renaissance or Classical Eras
 Music had energy and motion, ornamentation and
extremes.
 Expression of feelings (affect) became important;
one feeling per movement = doctrine of affections
 Represented passions through music
 Architecture--very ornate
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By Mark Evan Bonds PRENTICE HALL
©2009 Pearson Education, Inc.
Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458

 National pride was illustrated in cultural, political, and
economic terms. Finest music = highest power
 Rulers/aristocracy proved their value by elaborate
festivals, music, art, architecture.
 King George I of England
 Louis XIV of France
 Churches also illustrated their importance with elaborate
music and architecture.
 Many of the compositions of this period were written for
the churches--both Catholic and Protestant.
 Height of church music-80% is religious

 Music conveyed spiritual teachings, as did sacred
architecture.
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Baroque Music: General
 Whereas in the Renaissance, most
church music was performed without
accompaniment (i.e., a cappella), in the
Baroque, many instruments were used to
accompany liturgical music.
 Gabrieli pioneered the use of different
instruments in various parts of the
church--called “antiphonal” style

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Historical Events that
Influenced Baroque Period
 Gutenberg’s movable type (1453) led to
printed music (1501) Ottaviano Petrucci
 Printed music allowed musical
compositions to be performed by many
different individuals and ensembles in a
variety of places.
 Printed music allows us to know much

more about music after this time.

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Characteristics of
Baroque Style Music
 General: heavy, grand, expansive
 Performance Media: chamber orchestra,
chorus plus chamber orchestra, chamber
ensembles (vocal and instrumental), organ,
harpsichord
 Rhythm: steady beats, running bass, regular
meters of 2, 3, 4, and 6 beats, tempo of
piece stays same throughout except for
slowing near end

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Characteristics of
Baroque Style Music
 Melody: using major and minor scales, ornamentation,
sequences, and imitation, first real use of chromaticism,
continuous, fortspinnung, repetition elaborate and
ornamental, rapidious notes
 Harmony: strong harmonic movement; sequences of
harmony and recurring cadences; major and minor
harmonies used
 Dynamic Expression: contrasting (sudden drops and
increases: called “terraced dynamics”); echo imitation
used; no gradual increases or decreases in loudness
(crescendo or diminuendo), lack of detail in scores-
composers under pressure to produce a lot of music in
a short amount of time
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Characteristics of
Baroque Style Music:
Overview
 Texture: mainly polyphonic; thick texture with 1 or more
melodies in high parts and contrapuntal melodies in lower
parts; continuous bass line; occasional contrasting
homophonic sections to add interest
 Unity of mood: One piece captures one mood, only
exception is vocal music, (changes of text change the
mood of the music)
 Primary Forms: concerto, concerto grosso, suite,
oratorio, cantata, opera; trio sonata and other sonatas for
instruments; keyboard prelude, fugue, and toccata

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Louis XIV’s Palace at
Versailles

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 Operas were first performed in private theaters in the courts of the
nobility and royalty.
 Public opera houses started in Venice, Italy, in 1637; by 1700 the
public craved opera, and it was big business.
 Oratorios--operas without costumes and staging; created for
performance in church or in an opera house during LENT--a
penitential season.
 This was the beginning of the importance of virtuoso performers--
singers and instrumentalists of extremely high technical and musical
skill.
 Castrati--men who were castrated as boys so that their voices
would not change; they sounded like women with voices that had
a great deal of power.

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Example of Baroque Era
Painting--A Musical Interlude
 By the Dutch painter
Jan Verkolje (~1674)
 Depicts a passionate
musician reaching for
his female
companion, who is
holding a viol.

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Instruments
 Instruments of all
types continue to
improve
 Amati-Guarneri
Stradivarius-makes
ultimate violin

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New Musical Ideas
 Stile antico  Stile moderno
 First  Second practice
Practice(Renaissance  Text dominates music
Ideal)  Involves wider range
 Music dominates text of emotion expressed
and greater intensity
Style differ for specific
occasions:
Church, chamber, theater
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The Doctrine of Affections
 Devised by the philosophies of several theorists
 A musical means to express generic states of the
soul
 Grief, rage, excitement, grandeur, etc.
 Vocabulary of motives devised which relate to
rhetorical speech
 To excite “the affections”

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Characteristics of the Baroque
Period
 Main instrument-Harpsichord
 Tuning-based on the
Pythagorean comma
 Equal Temperament-on
keyboard instruments
 System of intervals tuned off-
key to keep distance between
half-steps equal, still used
today

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The Basso Continuo
 Chords and the Basso Continuo
 Chords became more important, by-products of the motion of
melodic lines
 Many composed melody to fit particular chord progression
 Gave more prominence to bass line-foundation of harmony
 Result-most characteristic feature-basso continuo
 Played usually by two instruments-harpsichord or organ and
low instrument like cello or bassoon
 Figured bass-bass part written with numbers indicated chord
structure, musical shorthand, saved time & paper
 Performers needed improvisational skills
 Continuo provided continual flow of notes

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The Circle of Fifths

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Characteristics of the Baroque
Period
 Words & Music
 Word painting still
used
 Emphasizing words

by writing rapid notes
for one syllable, also
to display singers’
virtuosity
 Individual words and

phrases repeated

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Chapter 9: Claudio
Monteverdi--Orpheus (Act II)
 Opera--a drama sung from beginning to
end
 Based on a mythological story (in this era)
 Costumes, staging, lighting--all the

dramatic aspects of theater combined with
music
 One character = one voice

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Baroque Opera-Forerunners
 Dramatic madrigals &
 Medieval liturgical
madrigal cycles-content of
dramas, Mystery &
epic & pastoral poems
miracle plays
with two types of text
 Renaissance Intermedi : setting: narrative for plot
of pastoral or mythological development(recitative),
character, performed reflective for emotional
between acts of plays, outpouring(aria)
consist of solo &  The Pastoral-poems
ensemble madrigals
about shepherds and
other rural subjects;
amorous, light
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The Florentine Camarata
 A group of composers who met to share musical
ideas and techniques
 Wrote treatises on composing
 Jacopo Peri-L’Euridice, first opera(1600)
 Written for wedding of King Henri IV & Marie

de’Medici
 First to use stile recitative(solo over simple

chords or continuo) for clarity of text

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Baroque Opera: General
Information
 One of most important musical
innovations of this period
 Monteverdi’s Orfeo made opera more
popular with public, outside the courts.
 First opera house, in Venice, opened in
1637.

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Baroque Opera:
Characteristics
 Libretto--the story or play
 Usually based on Greek dramas.
 Started in Italy but moved to England and

France.
 Italian remained the popular language for

opera during this period.
 Currently, Baroque operas have been

translated to many languages.

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Characteristics of
Baroque Opera
 One character = one voice
 Homophonic texture with accompaniment

 Easier to understand the text

 Restores balance between text and music

 Accompaniment consists an instrument that can play chords
(such as a lute or harpsichord) and a low melodic instrument
that can play long notes, such as the cello or bassoon.
 Accompaniment plays continuously and is known as basso
continuo.
 Bel Canto Singing Style--”beautiful singing”--the lilting flow of
melody
 Involves elaborate embellishments.

 Trained singers are taught this style of singing routinely.

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Characteristics of
Baroque Opera
 Types of compositions: recitatives, arias, choruses, duets,
trios, sextets, etc.
 Recitative--moved the action along--a style of singing
that lies somewhere between singing and speaking.
 Not very elaborate musically
 Simple accompaniment
 Less embellishment
 Aria--character who sings this pauses to reflect on the
story or an emotion.
 Musically elaborate; this is where the singers get to
display their virtuosity.
 Accompaniment can also be more elaborate than the
accompaniment for a recitative, but it does not
overshadow the singer.
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Characteristics of
Baroque Opera
 Types of  Duet--2 singers
compositions:  Trio--3 singers
recitatives, arias,  Quartet--4 singers
choruses, duets,  Quintet--5 singers
trios, sextets, etc.  Sextet--6 singers
 Chorus--polyphonic  Septet--7 singers
texture--various  Octet--8 singers
members of the  Nonet--9 singers
chorus comment on
the action, reflect
emotions, etc.

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Baroque Opera:
Characteristics
 Soloists--principal characters are trained
singers
 Sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses all used
to give variety.
 Sometimes male voices used in female roles.

 Some male roles required high voices; a
castrated man would sing these roles (called
castrati).
 Boys were castrated before their voices
changed; they were celebrities!
 These roles are now usually sung by

Listen to This women (called “pants roles”).
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Baroque Opera
 Rise of Virtuoso
singers
 Done with consent of
parents who hoped sons
would become highly
paid opera singers
 Faranelli-most famous
Castrato-combined lung power of man with
vocal range of woman; agility, breath control,
and unique sound intriguing; received highest
pay of any musician; audiences more
impressed with vocal virtuosity than realism

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Baroque: Vocal Music
 Concertato Style: Vocal music that also
included instrumental ensembles
 “concert” and “concerto” come from the
word meaning “bring contrasting
performing groups together”
 Three musical genres (i.e., types of
compositions): oratorio, cantata, and
Mass
 Composers: Monteverdi, Schütz,
Telemann, Handel, and J. S. Bach
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Monteverdi’s Orpheus
 Orpheus--the story
 His beloved, Euridice, has been poisoned by a snake
bite and gone to the Underworld. Orpheus uses
singing to persuade the guardians of the Underworld to
let him bring Euridice back. They agree with the
stipulation that he not look back while leaving the
Underworld. He cannot resist the urge to look back,
and he loses Euridice forever.
 Orpheus--this selection
 A recitative, a chorus--Orpheus is grieving the loss of
Euridice, and the Chorus is commenting on his grief
and sadness. Both sections are accompanied by
basso continuo, although it is harder to hear in the
chorus.
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Claudio Monteverdi
(1567-1643)
 Career straddled the  Other compositions by
Renaissance and Monteverdi
Baroque eras--he was a  Coronation of Poppea
bridge composer.
 Born in Cremona, Italy (opera)
(where famous violins  The Return of Ulysses
were made); became a to His Homeland
violinist. (opera)
 He served at the court of  “Zefiro torna”--a
Mantua where Orpheus madrigal written in
was first performed--1607. Italian
 1613--He became music  “Vespers in Honor of
director at St. Mark’s
Basilica in Venice. the Blessed Virgin
 1630’s--He composed Mary”--a sacred choral
works for the new public piece
opera houses in Venice.
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Claudio Monteverdi
(1567-1643)
 A portrait of
Monteverdi, circa
1613
 Made when he was
appointed music
director at St. Mark’s
in Venice, Italy;
became a priest and
composed sacred
music.

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Chapter 10: Henry Purcell--
Dido and Aeneas
 One of the first operas ever written in English
 First documented production--at a girls’ school in Chelsea
in 1689
 Short, for strings & continuo; no elaborate staging; dances
& choruses
 Libretto-Nahum Tate, inspired by The Aenid(Virgil)
 Plot--foreign prince (Aeneas) promises to marry the Queen
of Carthage (Dido), but abandons her and drives her to
suicide
 Chief characters
 Dido--(soprano)
 Aeneas--(baritone)
 Belinda, Dido’s maidservant--(soprano)

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The Form of This
Selection
 Song—an aria in which Dido laments her situation
 Melody sung over a repeated pattern in the bass--
ostinato
 Ostinato can also be called a ground bass--a short
sequence of low notes repeated over and over.

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Henry Purcell
(ca. 1659-1695)
 Dido and Aeneas--his only opera
 Wrote many works that included song
and spoken dialogue (semi-operas).
 Was far ahead of his time in writing
opera in English. Opera wasn’t
popular during his time, and even
when it became popular, audiences
wanted it sung in Italian.
 Born into a musical family.
 Served as composer and organist in
the English court and later at
Westminster Abbey (buried near the
organ there--a BIG honor).

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Other Baroque
Composers of Opera
 Italian
 George Frideric Handel
 Rinaldo--includesda capo aria--an aria in
ABA form. The first section is repeated
(embellished) after the contrasting second
section
 French
 Lully--Armide
 Jean-Philippe Rameau--Hippolyte et

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Aricie
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Aria Form: Called “Da Capo”
A B A

Three parts: called A B A (letters designate sections)

A section: highly melodic, B section: contrasts A section: repeat
minimal ornamentation of mood, tonality, the 1st section
or change of tempo . Singer is free to

improvise/ornament
embellish melody
 “da capo” means “go back and sing the beginning again”
 A = very melodic, but not ornamented B = contrasting mood, tonality,
tempo A = repeated, but this time embellished
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Women Musicians in the
Baroque Era
 Trained primarily as performers/virtuosos, not as
composers
 Most women did not have access to training in
musical composition--exceptions:
 Barbara Stozzi, Francesca Caccini, and Elisabeth
Jacquet de la Guerre
 No professional prospects for women composers
 Women weren’t really accepted as composers
(or conductors) until the 20th century.

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Other Baroque Composers
of Chamber Music
 Arcangelo Corelli  Johann Pachelbel
 Many of both kinds of  Canon and Gigue in D

trio sonatas major--3 violins and
basso continuo--a very
 Sonata--that which is
famous Baroque piece
played vs. cantata--  Marin Marais
that which is sung  Much virtuosic music
 Sonata da camera--
for viola da gamba (a
chamber music for precursor to the cello)
entertainment
 Sonata da chiesa--

church sonata

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Johann Pachelbel
 Nuremburg, Germany
 Taught Bach’s teacher
 Canon in D
 Composed 1689,
rediscovered
 Used quite often today
 Ground bass of 8 notes,
all equal length
 Melodic variation played
over bass 27 times
 3 instrumental parts,
following each other after
8 beats in imitation
 Originally for 3 violins &
continuo
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The Baroque Orchestra
 Chamber orchestra-small, 10 to 30-40
players, for use in smaller venues
 All had basso continuo, upper strings,
woodwinds/brass/percussion variable
 Instrumentation varied from piece to piece
 Baroque trumpet-no valves, difficult to play,
aristocratic role in orchestra
 Composers used great deal of doubling and
rearranging
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Baroque Instrumental
Music: General
Characteristics
 Several major genres developed:
 The Baroque Concerto--a soloist plus an
accompaniment consisting of harpsichord and
small chamber orchestra (mostly strings)
 The Concerto Grosso--several soloists plus

an orchestra (called “tutti”)
 The Fugue---a complex instrumental

composition for 3 or 4 “voices”--different parts
in the counterpoint, but played on
instruments, not sung
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Antonio Vivaldi The Four
Seasons “Spring”
 Concerto--an instrumental work for a
soloist (or group of soloists) and a larger
ensemble
 “Spring”--for solo violin, an orchestra of
string instruments, and basso continuo
 “Spring”--the first of 4 concertos
 Consists of 3 movements--fast-slow-fast.
 This selection is the first movement.

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Concerto
 Sharp contrast between the timbre of the
solo instrument (or the small group of
soloists) and the larger
ensemble/orchestra
 An example of the Baroque love of
extremes
 Nearly every modern symphony concert
includes at least one concerto--they were
written in all periods after the Baroque
era.
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The Concerto Plan

2nd Movement 3rd Movement
1st Movement
Slow (Adagio, Fast (allegro)
Fast (allegro)
Andante)

 Movements- piece that sounds complete &
independent on its own but part of larger composition
 Three movements--typical arrangement: fast
movement, slow movement, fast movement
 Middle movement often in contrasting key
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The Concerto Grosso
 Typically a recurring theme (called the
“ritornello”) is played by the whole orchestra
(the “tutti).
 Soloists play more virtuostic transition

passages in which the key of piece changes
(called “modulation”).
 Tutti returns to play the ritornello theme in the

new key; this pattern of soloists and tutti
repeats several times.
 Last statement of ritornello theme is in the

original key.
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Form: The Ritornello
Principle
 A series of alternating sections--between the
soloist(s) and the orchestra; orchestra is called
the tutti.
 The main theme of the movement is called the
ritornello.
 Piece starts out with the ritornello. The soloist(s)
play a section (which modulates to a new key)
and then the ritornello comes back again in that
new key. This happens over and over (any
number of times) until the soloist section returns
to the original key and the orchestra plays the
ritornello in that key one last time.
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Ritornello Form

Ritornello Form

Ritornello 1 Solo 1 Ritornello 2 Solo 2 Ritornello 3 repeat pattern

Tonic key New keys-----------------> Tonic key at end

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Program Music
 An instrumental work that is in some way
associated with a story, event, or idea
 Can be indicated by
 Suggestive title
 A prose narrative

 A poem

 Listener can listen with program in mind
or without it--listener’s choice.
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Antonio Vivaldi (1678-
1741)
 Born in Venice, a virtuoso violinist
 Most important accomplishments: innovations
in concerto form, orchestration, and violin
technique
 Prolific composer of concertos, sonatas,
operas, cantatas, chamber pieces, and
sacred vocal music
 Most famous works: hundreds of concertos,
including The Four Seasons--4 violin
concertos (one depicting each season)
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Antonio Vivaldi
(1678 - 1741)
 Called the “Red Priest”
 1703-1740-Director of
music at Ospedale della
Pieta-orphanage for
young women
 Moved to Vienna and
worked in Charles VI’s
court
 Gave concerts in Europe,
produced opera, lived
w/French soprano
 A master of melody and
novelties in the basic
forms of his day

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Chapter 13--Johann Sebastian
Bach Fugue in G minor
 Fugue--a polyphonic work based on a central
theme--very common type of composition in the
Baroque Era
 One voice plays the theme alone
 Each voice comes in subsequently stating the
theme while the previous voices spin out a
countermelody--called counterpoint--note
against note
 Similar to voices chasing one another in imitation
 This fugue composed for organ, probably at
Arnstadt, when Bach was about 20.

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Organ = “King of
Instruments”
 Has size, power (volume), and a wide variety of
sounds (different pipes create different sounds)
 Consists of keyboards (called manuals), and
pipes (through which wind/air is blown)
 Keys control the flow of air through the pipes
 Stops control which pipes the keys open
 Longest pipes are 16 feet; shortest about 2 feet
 Longest pipes = lowest sounds; highest pipes =
highest sounds

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The Baroque Fugue:
General Information
 Subject (main musical theme)--played in one
“voice” and then imitated in others
 Countersubject (counter theme played
opposite the subject in other voices)
 Episodes--parts of the fugue in which the
subject is not heard--used for transition and
musical interest

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Organ Fugue in G Minor(Little Fugue)

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Fugue: Compositional
Techniques
 stretto-subject imitated before it is completed
 pedal point(organ point)-a single tone, usually in
bass is held while other voices are still moving
 sequence-pattern of notes repeated several times in
succession but at different pitch levels
 suspension-holding notes from one chord to next to
create tension & release

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Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685-1750)
 Most prominent composer of Baroque Period
 Born in Eisenach, Germany; family with many
musicians
 Composed music at three locations during
career (a few famous works composed at each)
 Weimar--music for church services
 Cöthen--The Well-Tempered Clavier and 6
Brandenburg Concertos
 Leipzig--Mass in b minor, the cantata, Wachet Auf (“A
Mighty Fortress is Our God”), St. Matthew Passion, 2
and 3-part Inventions for harpsichord
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 First wife, Maria
Barbara, dies
 Marries Anna
Magdalena, for which
he wrote book of
keyboard music, still
used today

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Other Important Works
 St. Matthew Passion--for vocalists and orchestra
 The Well-Tempered Clavier--Books 1 and 2--two
sets of preludes and fugues in all 24 of the major
and minor keys
 Toccata and Fugue in D minor--for keyboard
 Chorale Prelude (Wachet Auf)--an organ version
of one movement of his Cantata #140 (a chorale
prelude was played prior to singing the hymn on
which it was based)

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Chapter 15: Johann Sebastian Bach
Brandenburg Concerto no.2 in F Major
 Concerto grosso--Italian for “big concerto”
 Bach wrote 6 of these Brandenburg Concertos--dedicated
to the Margrave of Brandenburg.
 Actually composed for and performed by Bach employer
Prince of Cöthen
 Each has multiple soloists (concertina) and orchestra.
 Soloists in this piece--trumpet, oboe, violin, and recorder
(a kind of flute)
 All have contrasting sounds
 Trumpet--a loud brass instrument
 Oboe--a rather shrill woodwind instrument
 Violin--a high register string instrument
 Recorder--a soft sounding woodwind instrument
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Baroque Cantata: General
Characteristics
 Featured soloists, chorus, and orchestra
 Similar in style to an oratorio, but much
shorter
 Sacred cantatas
 Usually glorified New Testament subjects
 Often based on a Lutheran Chorale (a 4-part
hymn sung by the congregation)
 Secular cantatas
 Based popular stories and themes
 Otherwise, like sacred cantatas
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The Church Cantata
 Performed in worship
service
 1700-Influence of Erdmann
Neumister
 Theologian & poet who
introduced subjective,
meditative texts not of
Biblical liturgical origin
 Designed for use in
arias or duets, in
addition to choruses
based on the Chorale

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Bach’s Cantatas at Leipzig

 58 per year
 Small orchestra: 18-24 players
 Approx. 200 cantatas preserved (not
numbered by Bach, but by editors)
 All use chorale melody as basis for each
movement

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Chapter 17: Johann
Sebastian Bach Cantata 140
 The piece highlighted here is Awake, a Voice
Calls to Us
 Two movements presented here--the first and
the last
 First movement = polyphonic
 Last movement = homophonic
 This entire piece is a cantata--a work sung
during a service of worship
 Based on a hymn tune
 Hymn tune is known as a chorale when sung in
4-part harmony
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Cantata No. 140
Wachet Auf, ruft uns die Stimme
(Wake Up, Call the Voices)

 Performed Sunday Before Advent
 Text: Matthew 25: 1-13, parable of 5 wise, 5
foolish virgins
 Message: Be prepared and vigilant, for you
don’t know when God will call
 Seven sections total

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Cantata 140--Movement 1
 An opening chorus
 Dotted rhythms (long-short-long-short) make this sound
like a march (similar to a French Overture).
 Upper voice has the melody in very long notes.
 Elaborate lines of counterpoint are weaved with the lower
voices and the orchestra.
 Form: also in Bar Form, but long pauses between sung
sections are filled in by the orchestra.
 Form: uses the ritornello principle--each vocal chorale
section is followed by an orchestra ritornello section.
 Ritornello 1 -->Chorale A --> Ritornello 2 --> Chorale A
(again) --> Ritornello 3 --> Chorale B --> Ritornello 4

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Cantata 140--Movement 7
 The Closing Chorale--this is sung in homophonic
texture
 It is easy to recognize the tune here.
 The melody is in the top voice, set syllabically, in
4 part harmony.
 Instruments of the orchestra play the same parts
as the voices sing--called doubling
 High instruments double soprano line
 Lower instruments double other lines
 This combination of voices and orchestral doubling
creates a sense of unity and projects the text of the
chorale clearly.
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Chapter 16: George Frideric
Handel Water Music
 Written for a riverboat party given by
English King George I--July 17, 1717
 The entire piece is a suite--series of
dance movements (about 2 dozen)
 Movements presented here:
 Rigaudon--a fast dance in duple meter,
cheerful in tone
 Hornpipe--a lively dance in triple meter,
often associated with sailors

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View of London and the Thames --similar
to the Water Music procession

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The Baroque Suite
 Dance Suites
 “Stylized” collection of dances intended for listening rather
than dancing
 Derived from various types of dances that were in fashion
 Core Dances: Allemande(Ger), Courante(Fr), Sarabande(Sp),
Gigue(Irish)
 Other dances: Bourée, minuet, gavotte, loure, polonaise,
passepied
 Might include prelude or overture
 Customary for all to be written in the same key, faster dances
contrast with slower
 Binary form

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Binary Form
 Two sections, each repeated
 ||: A :||: B :||
 Tonic key to related key New key ---> tonic
 A section starts in tonic and modulates; B
section starts in the new key and goes
back to the tonic key.
 Usually based on a single theme,
manipulated in various ways; little actual
contrasting material.
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George Frideric Handel
(1685 - 1759)
 Born in Halle, Germany but moved to Italy in 1706--
composed operas and oratorios there.
 Worked as a violinist in opera house at Hamburg.
 Studied music in Rome with Corelli.
 Spent time in Venice where he composed the oratorio, The
Resurrection
 Moved back to Germany to be music director for the
Elector of Hanover in 1710, but then moved to England-
composed operas and oratorios.
 Director of London Royal Academy of Music
 Abandoned opera in 1741 and turned to oratorios.
 One of the first composers to become a cultural hero--
commemorated in 1784 by a series of large concerts in
Westminster Abbey.

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(1685 - 1759)
 Here Handel is
composing at the
keyboard without his
wig.
 Notice that he is
basically bald,
keeping his head
shaved so that the
wig would fit more
comfortably in public.

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George Frideric Handel (1685-
1759)
 A few well known works:
 Operas: Rinaldo and Julius Caesar

 Oratorios: Israel in Egypt, Messiah, Saul,
Samson, and Judas Maccabaeus
 Instrumental Music: Water Music and Music
for Royal Fireworks
 Secular vocal music, keyboard pieces, and
chamber music

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Baroque Oratorio:
General Characteristics
 Like operas--tell a story (libretto)
 Have soloists, duets, trios, choruses
 Accompanied by orchestra

 Different from opera
 No costumes, staging, or acting
 Performed as a concert

 Biggest composer: Handel, a German
composer of Italian opera who wrote
oratorios in England
 Probably his most famous--The Messiah
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Chapter 18: George
Frideric Handel Messiah
 These selections are a recitative and aria
followed by a large, grand chorus (known
as the “Hallelujah Chorus.”)
 The three work together to form one
dramatic unit.
 Each section has a different style of
composing and singing the music.
 Messiah is an oratorio--like an opera
without staging, sets, or costumes.
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The Messiah
 2 ½ hours long
 1st performance in Dublin(1742), benefit for
debtor’s prison
 1st in London-religious opposition to Christian
text in theater
 Achieved unique status, performed yearly at
benefit for London orphanage
 “Fed the hungry, clothed the naked, fostered
the orphan.”

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The Messiah
 3 Main parts
 Prophecy of Messiah’s arrival
 Christmas
 Easter
 53 sections-19 choruses, 16 aria/recitatives, 2
orchestral features
 Contemplation on Christian belief-prophecy, birth,
suffering & death, Resurrection & Redemption
 Only oratorio to use Old & New Testament

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The Messiah
 At first
performance-
“Hallelujah
Chorus”-King
George II stood,
started tradition
that is still
practiced

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Messiah--Recitative and Aria
 Recitative--“He That Dwelleth in Heaven”
 In a declamatory style to project the text
 Aria—“Thou Shalt Break Them”
 More musically complex than the recitative with
more elaborate melody
 Text is quite brief, but Handel repeats the words
many times and includes long melismas on key
phrases/words.
 Built on the ritornello principle, alternating
between the tenor soloist and the orchestra.
 Several instances of word painting are used
 “broken,” “dashed,” “potter’s vessel.”
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“Hallelujah” Chorus
 Characteristics
 Lengthy with repetitive text
 Rhythm strictly adhered to

 Accompaniment-important role

 Music requires more than average singing skill,
challenging
 Chorus-two meanings
 Group that sings choral music
 Choral section of musical work

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Messiah--Chorus
 Based on verses from the New Testament Book of
Revelation
 Form: sectional--each verse or half-verse receives its own
melodic material, creating 4 large sections to the work (A,
B, C, and D)
 There are five melodies in the work.

 When the same text reappears, so does its corresponding
melody.
 Texture: movement includes all 3 forms of texture--
monophonic, homophonic, and polyphonic.
 Beginning “Hallelujah”--homophonic

 “For the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth”--monophonic

 Polyphonic when texts are combined

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The Baroque

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The Baroque