Accompanied song was cultivated in Italy in the 16th and early 17th centuries, long before the word “cantata” was common terminology. Shortly after the conception of the recitative, the cantata began to combine the monadic style with new forms and the concept of systeme tonal (or the basis for the development of equal temperament) , which began to replace the ancient modes. The cantata had its origins in the same sources as opera and oratorio. The three forms are direct descendants of the madrigals of the sixteenth century. Toward the end of the sixteenth century, it became common practice to use accompanying instruments with all of the voices for the sake of intonation. This custom led to the development of the solo madrigal, in which only one voice sang to the accompaniment of instruments playing the lower portions. At the beginning of the seventeenth century the monodists Caccini, Peri, and Monteverdi replaced the accompanied madrigal with the continuo madrigal, in which the madrigal accompaniment was replaced by an improvisatory chordal accompaniment of a given bass line, also known as basso continuo. From the beginning of the seventeenth century, the monodists wrote madrigals of this type, which were later to be called “cantatas.” The first known use of the word cantata is …show more content…
In fact it was often intended for small gatherings. In a private concert setting it only relied on voice and a single instrument. Furthermore, composers often softened and lightened the settings of the text, especially in recitative sections when designated for chamber performance. Bukofzer states that the restrained bel canto style as found in the cantata, the oratorio, and the opera was “based on the penetrating and sustaining power of the castrato voice,” which may be an indication that the castrato voice was an important performing force in the
I believe the impetus behind the exploration and colonization in the era of European exploration was for multiple different incentives for example, wealth, religion, and fame. Moreover, wealth and power were obtained through trading goods, valuables, gold, silver, lands, and colonies. In addition, looking for the Northwest Passage to Asia and fur trading were critical factors that defined the wealth aspect. Also, converting Native Americans to Roman Catholicism played a significant role in the expansion of colonies. Furthermore, the English came to America in search for freedom of religion.
It was during this visit that Schütz made the acquaintance of Claudio Monteverdi. It was here that Schütz learnt about the new declamatory style that Monteverdi was seen to be pioneering. Schütz had a work of Symphonie Sacrae published in Venice in 1629, which were composed in this new declamatory style called monody. In this we can see the sudden change from Schütz’s original style of composing polychoral works to this new style. Schütz’s Symphonie Sacrae are scored for up to three voices, along with varied parts for winds and string as well as continuo accompaniment.
The cross-cultural exchange of music broadened, and people began appreciating different forms of music. Along with this new music, came the chance for people to hear the stories of people living different lives from them. The various singing and instrumental styles of these musicians came about through cultural practices and traditions. Therefore, by sharing their
Handel is famous for his English oratorio Messiah, which has three parts and begins with a string ritornello. It gives the listener a sense of calmness in that there is not much action or excitement. The aria Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted is characterized by its word painting. For
When George Frideric Handel was a little kid, his uncle gave him a clavier which was a small keyboard-like instrument in secret because he knew that George loved the beautiful notes of music. One night, his parents heard music wafting throughout the house in the middle of the night and knew not from whence it came. When they searched the house, they found George playing melodies on his instrument. This was one of the first times that he would experience music for himself and lead him to have a career that would produce one of the most inspiring pieces of all time: the Hallelujah Chorus from the Messiah.
The orchestra maintained the musical score and provided ornamentation and emphasized the melodic contour of the singer’s vocal line. Without reading the subtitles, there is such emotion and energy in the male singer’s performance that it is easy to see, along with the physical positioning and facial expressions of the female performer, that there is an impassioned dialogue being given from him to
Although the ancient lullabies, harvest and love songs, respectively called “Nanne”, “Tribierre” and “Serinati”, have all but died out, the “Paghjella” has enjoyed an unexpected comeback since the first stirrings of the “Riacquistu” in the 1970 's: this multi-voice male singing tradition has been rediscovered by singers and music groups and now also enjoys considerable popularity beyond the shores of Corsica.
This essay will draw attention to the relationship between the political and social circumstances surrounding the creation and performance of J.S Bach’s Concerto no.4 in G major (Brandenburg). Other factors such as how improved technology (instrumental and print), at that point of time, changed the way that music was created, transmitted and performed will also be discussed. Johann Sebastian Bach (J.S Bach) was born on March 31st, 1685 in Eisenach, Germany to a prominent musical family. His father, Johann Ambrosius Bach, the director of town musicians, taught him to play the violin and harpsichord whilst his uncle, Johann Christoph Bach, introduced him to the organ. Bach held a few notable musical posts over his lifetime in different parts of
A cantana is a piece of music for worship and a oratoria is a genre that addressees a religious theme. Johann Sebastian Bach, J.S. Bach, was a German composer and musician who was alive during the Baroque period wrote a cantana called “WAchet Auf, Ruft Uns Die Stimme”.
Fugue usually consists of three to five voices that imitate the subject and has a bottom bass. This also had some variations with elements such as countersubject, episodes, inversions, augmentation and retrograde, diminution and prelude. Through the Baroque period society developed a major innovation in the music world, operas. An opera is a drama that is sung to an orchestra accompaniment. Operas caused excitement and emotions through society because it was a fusion between music, acting, and costumes that people had never seen before.
The original score of Mozart (1791) gives Sarastro and the Queen of the Night, the two most rhetorically powerful figures presented to the audience, distinct and conflicting personas of music. Sarastro's music is characterised by ideals of rational order where “one knows not revenge and should a person have fallen, love will guide him to duty”. The contrast of the Queen of the Night’s music is contained within two arias drawing on the expressive use of coloratura as well as Sturm und Drang to distinguish the divergence of the two entities. She has chromatic harmonies, abrupt and frequent changes, frequent intonation, melismatic content, and a vast vocal range embellish the significance of her values: “Gods of revenge, hear the oath I speak” (McCorkle et al., 1966). Where Sarastro's arias are constructed as rational and controlled vocalizations of greater principles, the Queen of the Night’s arias shadow the deviations of her passions, and the excessive means in the way she speaks becomes more apparent than the semantic content of her words.
Another was the development of counterpoint, which is when two or more melodies are combined that contrast with each other (Tollervey, Nicholas H.). Bach is well known for his use of counterpoint and fugue. ("Baroque Orchestral Music."). During this time period, musical components such
There were many musical elements heard throughout these pieces and it was interesting to hear how they varied in each song and suite. In Intermezzo, it began with a quieter violin solo melody creating a monophonic texture. Soon after, it became accompanied by the other violins and cellos, then the full ensemble came in creating a moderate, flowing melody at about mezzo forte and switching to a polyphonic texture. Next, there was a harp solo at forte with many crescendos and decrescendos. The full ensemble enters again raising the dynamics to forte before decrescendoing and slowing down to end with a held note and final tone.
Baroque music is a style of western art music. It was followed after the Renaissance music and was followed in turn by classical music. It emerged in the seventeenth century as a shorthand notation for keyboardists who were accompanying a soloist or small ensemble performing a work originally composed for a larger group. Key composers of the Baroque music are Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, Henry Purcell, Arcangelo Corelli, Alessandro Scarlatti, Jean Philippe Rameau, Johann Pachelbel, George Frideric Handle, Claudio Monteverdi Domenico Scarlatti and many others.
There are several theories that regard where and when the music originated. The historiographers pointed out that there are different periods of music with each period having its own characteristics, its composers, its instruments, its rhythm and significance to the existing music today. The first three periods; Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque are expounded in this essay. The periods span through different times albeit some overlapped one another. The essay also focuses on the common factor that triggered the existence of the music periods and its impacts on each period.