OPERA IN ENGLAND
HENRY PURCELL (1659- 1695)
• The most important English Baroque composer
• Prolific composer, despite short life
• Combines elements of national styles by embracing: lyric arias( Italian style), ornamentation and the French overture (French style0 and Renaissance madrigal and choral tradition (English style)
• Effective use of word painting
• Virtuosic keyboard style
GENRES AND TITLES:
• Sacred vocal works , anthems, hymns , Te Deum, Jubilate
• Opera: Dido and Aeneas
• Dramatic music: King Arthur, The Fairy Queen
• Solo songs
• Keyboard music , suites
• Orchestral works
ITALIAN OPERA IN ENGLAND
• After 1st public opera houses in Italy in early 17th, opera seria spread throughout Europe
• Frederic Handel (1685-1759) represents an important stage in Baroque opera. He learned to perfect the craft of this works in Hamburg, Italy and Hanover. Arrival to London his 1st opera was Rinaldo 1711, later 30 years dominated the London opera scene, he has 40 operas. He incorporated aspects of French, German and English style into his dramatic works
CANTATA
BACKGROUND
• From Italian cantare “to sing”
• Originally the term designated vocal works as opposed to instrumental works
• Began as a form of chamber music for solo voice with continuo
• Adopted into Lutheran church service in 18th
• J.S. Back composed over 300, of which approximately 200 have survived
CHARACTERISTICS
• A multi-movement vocal work
• Sacred or secular
• For vocal soloists and chorus with instrumental accompaniment
• Consists of recitatives, arias , ensembles and choruses
• Sacred cantatas performed as part of Lutheran church service in 18th century Germany
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685- 1750)
MUSICAL STYLE:
• His music represents the ultimate in baroque craftsmanship and the culmination of 1oo years of polyphonic writing
• Did not invent new forms but perfected existing forms of this day like fugues, concertos and cantatas
• amazing control of polyphonic texture
• Wrote fugues throughout his career demonstrating a wide variety of techniques and approaches (The Well Tempered Clavier, Art of the Fugue)
• Also used contrapuntal texture within other genres (choral fugue in Cantata no 80 , fugal passages in Brandenburg Concertos)
• Organized large-scale works systematically (The Well Tempered Clavier is ordered chromatically by key: C major, C minor, C sharp major, C sharp minor , D major, D minor)
• Composed many “sets” of works ( 15 two-part Inventions, 15 Three- Part Inventions , 6 English Suites, 6 French suites , 6 partitas)
• Composed many sacred works for the Lutheran Church (chorales, cantatas) ; composed a mass in B minor , even though he was not catholic
• Italian influences – lyricism or operatic arias,, dynamic instrumental style
• French influences- dance rhythms, French overtures , ornamentation
• English influences- choral style , English dances
• A virtuoso organist who wrote many very difficult works for keyboard (toccatas, fugues, concertos, Goldenberg variations)
• Composed keyboard music for all levels from elementary level pieces for students (Notebook for Anna Magdalena, his 2nd wife) to concert pieces.
GENRES AND TITLES:
• Sacred and secular cantatas Coffee Cantata and Peasant Cantata; oratorios Christmas Oratorio, St.Mathew Passion and St. John Passion; motets Magnificat, Mass in B minor.
• Orchestral suites, concerti grossi- eg. Brandebourg Concerti ; solo concertos
• Chamber music , sonatas and partitas for violin, cello suites, flute sonatas solo viola da gamba sonatas – The Musical Offering
• Keyboard music, preludes and fugues, suites, partitas, variations, inventions, sinfonias- Italian Concerto, Goldberg Variations.
• Organ music, choral preludes, toccatas, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, fantasias, preludes, fugues, and passacaglias.