Music Composition Music History Lesson 5: The Baroque Period ( ) What happened to music during this time?

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1 Music Composition Music History Lesson 5: The Baroque Period ( ) The Early Baroque Period What was The Inquisition? During The Reformation, Catholics and Protestants were engaged in bloody warfare as they argued over religious principles. Protestants invaded Catholic churches and ruined beautiful works of art, which they considered obscene. Catholics set up a court called The Inquisition where they tried, according to their rules, anyone whom they deemed as heretics (non- believers). People were punished harshly, for example by being burned at the stake. What happened to music during this time? This tumultuous period marked the end of The Renaissance, when artists valued order, serenity and reason, and began to create music that was much more passionate and emotional. Listening Examples: Claudio Monteverdi Tu Se Morte from Orpheus and Euridice Orpheus was a character in ancient Greek mythology. He was a musician whose music was so sweet, it could charm even the rocks and trees into dancing. One day, his wife Euridice died suddenly, after being bitten by a snake, and was sent to the underworld. Orpheus was so overcome with grief that he went to the underworld to convince Hades and Persephone to allow him to bring her home. They were so charmed by his music that they agreed on one condition, that he lead her out and not look back at her until both of them were in the upper world. In his excitement, Orpheus turns around too soon, and she returns to the underworld forever. Giovanni Gabrieli Conzoni e Sonate During this time, grand churches were built, often in the shape of a cross. Composers experimented with the shape of these buildings by writing for small groups of instruments, which would be placed in various points in the church (for example at each of the ends of the cross). This was called antiphonal music ( against sound ).

2 The Middle Baroque Period What was the result of the religious wars? The Reformation caused a great divide in Europe, mainly between the south and the north. The southern and central European countries largely remained Catholic. Italy and Spain persisted with religious persecution. Northern countries mostly became protestant. England persecuted the Puritans, and many of them fled to the New World. They were known as pilgrims. Some of the greatest scientific and philosophical minds lived during the Baroque period, however they were often confronted by religious dogma 1 and forced to recant their findings. Galileo, for example, invented instruments, which led him to discover that the earth was not the centre of the universe, and that it revolves around the sun, however religious leaders persecuted him for this. Isaac Newton conducted experiments having to do with pendulums and the measurement of time (which led to the invention of the metronome). William Harvey studied blood circulation. Francis Bacon and Rene Descartes also lived during this time. What was life like for composers? Up to this point, composers were mainly employed by a patron, such as a nobleman or royal person. Patrons paid composers to write music according to the court s tastes and needs. During the Baroque period, however, composers chose more and more to work for the public. J. S. Bach, for example, went to jail for breaking a contract with a patron. What did the music sound like? Baroque music was highly contrasting, particularly regarding dynamics. Music shifted from loud to soft very quickly, a device known as terrace dynamics. Rules about harmony were solidified during this time, and the 24 major and minor scales became the most dominant sounds. Baroque instrumental music was very highly ornamented with trills, appoggiaturas, mordents and other effects. They were often not written into the music, and it was the performer s responsibility to add ornaments the music. 1 dogma ˈdôgməә noun a noun principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true: the Christian dogma a principle of the Trinity or set the of principles rejection of political laid dogma. down by an authority as incontrovertibly true: the Christian dogma of the Trinity the rejection of political dogma.

3 Listening Examples: George Frederic Handel, Hallelujah Chorus from The Messiah The Messiah is an oratorio, which was a long work in several movements (sections) that depicted a religious story or text, in this case the life of Jesus Christ. Although Handel s name is German, he lived in England for most of his life and wrote music for the public and for the church. The Messiah is traditionally performed at Christmas, and often audience members are invited to sing along. The stringed instrument you hear in the orchestra is a harpsichord, a keyboard instrument that plucks metal strings. It was the standard keyboard instrument in the Baroque period the piano had not been invented yet. The harpsichord was not capable of varying dynamics it was all the same volume. J. S. Bach Little Fugue in g minor J. S. Bach was a German composer whose writing was prolific. He wrote hundreds of works and was a champion of music theory and composition. His work, The Well- Tempered Klavier, included preludes and fugues in every key (24 major and minor keys) and was written to show that the equal temperament tuning system made it possible for the notes in every key to have the same relationship to each other. (In the just intonation system, some notes are naturally flat and others are naturally sharp, making some keys sound dramatically different than others.) This little fugue is hardly little! It is performed on the organ by one person, who plays multiple melodies with both hands and both feet, using two keyboards and a pedal- keyboard.

4 The Late Baroque Period (The Rococo) What is The Rococo? The Rococo is a short period in history that marks the transition from The Baroque Period to The Classical Period. During this time, composers and artists grew tired of the somber and dark moods and strict rules of The Baroque Period and gave them up in favour of lighter and more free and frivolous music and art. Music, visual art and sculpture were very highly ornamented during this time. The Abbey at Ottobeuren, near Memmingen, Bavaria, Germany, is a good example of The Rococo style. What was life like during The Rococo? The Rococo movement began in France. During this time, marriage was seen as a political or financial arrangement between two families, which should not interfere with a noble- person s social life. Morals were loose as wealthy people spent much of their time seeking pleasure. For average people, many were still extremely poor, however a middle- class started to grow during this time. People had leisure time and money and enjoyed coffee houses and salons.

5 Listening Examples: Johann Sebastian Bach, Coffee Cantata Johann Sebastian Bach wrote the Coffee Cantata near the end of his life, while he was working in Leipzig, Germany. It s a multi- movement work for two sopranos (a mother and daughter) and a bass (the father) a harpsichord and a flute. The parents are worried that their daughter is spending too much time relaxing at the coffee house and not pursuing greater goals. The picture at left shows what a wealthy woman, in this case Marie Antoinette, would wear in The Rococo Period.