Music 343—Encounter 6
Baroque II:  Mid-Baroque
Baroque III:  Late Baroque Masters
Readings
Baroque Research Project
Bach Reader
Listening Assignment 6
Extra Credit Listening
Baroque Sonata Listening Guide
Due Dates: Baroque Sonata Presentations—Friday, November 18, 2011
       Baroque Concerto Presentations—Monday, November 21, 2011
       Part II—Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Readings—

  • J. Peter Burkholder, A History of Western Music, 8th edition
    • Chapter 15: Music for Chamber and Church in the Early Seventeenth Century, pp. 332-334, 338-339
    • Chapter 16: France, England, Spain, and the New World in the Seventeenth Century, pp. 354-383
    • Chapter 17: Italy and Germany in the Late Seventeenth Century, pp. 384-411
    • Part Four intro, pp. 412-413
    • Chapter 18: The Early Eighteenth Century in Italy and France, pp. 414-435
    • Chapter 19: German Composers of the Late Baroque, pp. 436-467
    • Chapter 20: Musical Taste and Style in the Enlightenment, pp. 468-482
    • Chapter 21: Opera and Vocal Music in the Early Classic Period, pp. 483-497
  • J. Peter Burkholder, Norton Anthology of Western Music, 6th edition, Vol. 1 (NAWM)
    • NAWM 72-73, 76, 82-100: pp. 453-492, 499-512, 553-765
  • J. Peter Burkholder, Norton Anthology of Western Music, 6th edition, Vol. 1 (NAWM)
    • NAWM 72-73, 76, 82-100: pp. 453-492, 499-512, 553-765
  • David and Mendel, The Bach Reader (RESERVE)
  • Peter le Huray, Authenticity in Performance: Eighteenth-Century Case Studies (Blackboard RESERVE)
    • Chapter 3, “Corelli’s Violin Sonata Op. 5 No. 11,” pp. 24-44
  • Mattheson, Der vollkommene Kapellmeister (RESERVE)
    • Part I, Chapter 3, Sections 49-83, pp. 103-110
    • Part II, Chapter 13, Sections 79-142, pp. 451-468

Return to top


I. Baroque Research Project—Sonata and Concerto

What did performances of Baroque sonatas and concertos sound like? The study of performance practice is vital to anyone who anyone who undertakes a career in early music performance—and very useful to anyone who listens to this music. Since your final paper requires that you describe an early performance of a specific piece of music, it is crucial that you have some idea what that performance really sounded like! You had some experience looking for this information on performance practice in your two previous Research Projects, but where do you go to find information on Baroque performance practice?

Many treatises on music and musical performance were written in the Renaissance and Baroque periods (not so many in the Middle Ages), and we have read excerpts from several of these in our Encounters. Modern scholars who make a careful study of these primary sources will often write books on performance practice that summarize their findings—a kind of one-stop source of information on performance practice. The book by Peter le Huray on the reading list above fall into this category, and so do others by Robert Donington, Howard Mayer Brown, Nikolaus Harnoncourt, and others. Le Huray’s book takes a more unusual (but especially helpful) approach; he offers case studies of specific works that discuss all of the important parameters that performers must consider in striving for an a uthentic performance—one that comes as close as possible to the ones the composer would have heard. The things we learn from his discussion of the Corelli sonata—about French vs. Italian style, bowing, phrasing, articulation, rhythm, tempo, dynamics, embellishment, etc.—can be generalized to most Baroque sonatas and to Baroque string playing in general.

Research Project Overview

For this third research project, you will form small groups, research the relevant historical background of one composer-performer and explain the central musical features of one representative composition by this composer. Each group will present its research and analysis in a 10-minute class presentation. Each group should include at least 3 but no more than 5 members. Each group will decide whether they want to prepare a presentation on a Baroque sonata (either Corelli or Bach – for Friday, November 19) or a Baroque concerto (either Corelli, Vivaldi, or Bach – for Monday, November 22). NOTE: There can be no more than TWO presentations on either day, and each group must choose a different composition—we do not want to listen to two presentations of the same material! The following compositions are available for group presentations:

  1. Corelli, Trio Sonata in C Major, Op. 4, No. 1 (Trio sonata da camera)
  2. Corelli, Violin Sonata in D Major, Op. 5, No. 1 (Solo sonata da chiesa)
  3. Handel, Trio Sonata in F Major, Op. 5, No. 6 (Trio sonata da chiesa with added dances)
  4. Corelli, Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6, No. 8, Christmas Concerto (Church concerto)
  5. Vivaldi, Violin Concerto in G Major, Op. 4, No. 12 (Solo concerto)
  6. Bach, Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F Major (Concerto grosso)

Each group presentation should include the following features (we recommend dividing these features among group members and have each student present his/her research to the class):

  • Relevant Historical Significance of the Composer
    • When/where did the composer live?
    • Did he have any clear musical mentors?
    • Why is he important to musical development in the 18th century?
  • Relevant 18th-Century Comments about the Composer
    • Discuss comments by or about your selected composer (or the selected composition) from the 18th century.
    • What did 18th-century musicians and audiences have to say?
    • [See below for advice locating Primary Source Resources]
  • Genre Background and Reception History of the Selected Composition
    • What genre does the selected composition belong to? Explain why?
    • Was this a common genre during the 18th century?
    • Where/when was the selected work composed or published?
    • Who was the intended audience?
    • Who might have performed this work at its premiere?
  • Performance Practice
    • How would the selected composition have sounded in the 18th century?
    • Instruments (their construction and sound)? French vs. Italian style? Bowing, phrasing, and articulation? Rhythm, tempo, and dynamics? Embellishment and improvisation?
  • Close Musical Analysis of the Selected Composition
    • Discuss the formal structure, key themes, harmonies, and unique features of the composition)
    • [Two students can work together on the analysis!]
Every group should play a few minutes of a recording of the selected composition before discussing the musical analysis. You can use the recordings on RESERVE or on Blackboard, any period instrument recording of your choice, or a live performance if you feel ambitious!

Visual images and music notation (PowerPoint, chalk board, etc...) are welcome but not required. Each group’s goal is to prepare a quality, informative presentation on their topic!

Required Readings and Research

In order to prepare a thorough historical and musical presentation of your composer and composition, you will need to conduct scholarly research. All research materials must be cited and submitted in a bibliography in MLA format. The required reading excerpt is listed here.

  • Peter le Huray. Authenticity in Performance: Eighteenth-Century Case Studies. Cambridge University Press, 1990.
    • Chapter 3, “Corelli’s Violin Sonata Op. 5 No. 11,” pp. 24-44 (on Blackboard)

This reading will get you started, but you will need to locate additional scholarly sources to fully prepare your presentations. Multiple books are available on RESERVE or in the library stacks, Oxford Music Online (Grove!), RILM, JSTOR, Project MUSE, and newspaper archives will help each group locate research materials. Here are some suggestions:

  • Julie Sadie, ed. Companion to Baroque Music. University of California Press, 1998 (available via interlibrary loan or google.books)
    • Sandra Mangsen, “Forms and Genres: The Chamber: sonata, suite, and concerto,” pp. 394-400
    • Howard Schott, “National Styles,” pp. 409-416
    • David Fuller, “Ornamentation,” pp. 417-434
    • Jeremy Montague, “Instruments,” pp. 366-375
    • Stanley Sadie, “The Idea of Authenticity,” pp. 435-446
  • Robert Donington. Baroque Music: Style and Performance—A Handbook. W.W. Norton, 1982 (on RESERVE)
  • In addition to Donington, a couple more good sources on performance practice are on RESERVE
  • The primary source collections we have used in previous encounters, by Weiss/Taruskin and by Strunk, provide many useful tidbits on composers, genres, and performance practice
  • Good composer biographies also include discussion of the composer’s music!

Project Deadlines

On the day of your presentation, every group member must come to class early enough to upload or download whatever you need BEFORE class begins. We will do presentations at the beginning of the class period. If I ask your group to go first and you are late, they will have to start without you.

A few pointers:

  • If you use Powerpoint, there will be fewer glitches if you save your final version in the older .ppt format (not .pptx).
  • If you use Keynote, you will have to save your presentation as a Powerpoint document to play it in class.
  • If you use Powerpoint and YouTube, put the YouTube URL in your Powerpoint presentation—and hit the space bar once right after the URL. This will turn it blue (make it a live link), and clicking on it in presentation mode will automatically open your YouTube video in the default web browser!
Each student should prepare a written summary of their research and comments for class. Given each student’s limited presentation time, written summaries should be 1 to 2 pages long—no more! Along with your written summary, turn in a bibliography listing all research sources consulted. Please turn in your written summaries & bibliographies on the due date for your presentation.

Every student in each group will be graded independently for their written comments and their verbal presentation. Here are the project presentation deadlines:

  • Baroque Sonata Presentations – In class on Friday, November 18!
  • Baroque Concerto Presentations – In class on Monday, November 21!

Return to top


II. The Bach Reader

Go to the Reserve Desk in Buehler Library. Ask for The Bach Reader by David and Mendel. This book is a documentary biography; that is, it contains the “raw material” a biographer would have to consult in order to write a biography of Bach—important legal documents, letters, and so on. Browse through the table of contents (pp. 7-11) for Section Two to get a feel for the kinds of documents this book contains. Choose any document on pp. 46-198 that interests you. Once you have selected a document, do the following:

  • Go to the Blackboard Discussion module and look for Encounter 7
  • Browse through the Encounter 7 discussion to make sure no one has reported on your chosen document. If another student has already reported on that document, you must find another one.
  • Read your document, the questions I posted in the Encounter 7 discussion, and several student replies.
  • Click “Reply” in the Encounter 7 discussion and answer the questions I posted there.
  • In your reply, respond to at least one other student reply that either confirms or contradicts what you found in your chosen document. What kind of person is Bach?

Return to top


Listening Assignment 6

The Mid-Baroque & Late Baroque Masters

Final Exam Listening Parts 1a & 1b
Final Exam Listening Part 2
Encounter 6 Listening

Final Exam Listening—Parts 1a and 1b

For this section we will play excerpts from the Exam List below, which includes both mid and late Baroque works from this Encounter. The list includes two sections—the first section includes opera and other vocal genres; the second consists entirely of instrumental genres. (For further information on vocal genres, please see the Baroque Vocal Genres Listening Guide.) We will test you on each list separately. For each work you hear, please identify the following:

  • Composer & title (and section, where necessary)
  • Genre
    • Part 1a—church cantata, intermezzo, opera, oratorio, or tragédie lyrique
    • Part 1b—chorale prelude, concerto grosso, fugue, solo concerto, prelude, solo sonata (da chiesa or da camera), toccata, trio sonata (da chiesa or da camera), or solo concerto
  • Appropriate vocal or instrumental category
    • Part 1a—accompanied recitative, chorale, chorus, da capo aria, French overture, ground bass aria, simple recitative, or verse-refrain aria
    • Part 1b—allemande, canzona-like, courante, French overture, fugue, gigue, passacaglia, ritornello form, sarabande
  • Country of origin—England, France, Germany, or Italy
  • Two additional features—possible things to describe include:
    • Performing forces (solo voice(s)? chorus? solo instrument? continuo or orchestral accompaniment? etc.)
    • Examples of text depiction or text expression
    • Recurring rhythmic or metric patterns (describe them, please)
    • Texture (melody & accompaniment? homorhythmic? imitative? for which phrases?)
    • Use of ritornello, ground bass, or other distinctive formal features
    • Melodic style and use of ornamentation
    • Etc.

NOTE: We will also include one excerpt from a Baroque sonata that is NOT on the Exam List—you will need to identify the correct Baroque dance form and sonata type (church or chamber? solo or trio?)!

All recordings are from NRAWM unless otherwise noted.

Exam List

Part 1a—Vocal Works

  1. Lully, Armide (Tragédie lyrique—French opera)
    • Ouverture (French overture)
    • Enfin il est en ma puissance (Simple recitative)
  2. Purcell, Dido and Aeneas (English opera)
    • When I am laid in earth (Ground bass aria)
  3. Scarlatti, La Griselda (Italian opera)
    • In voler ciò che tu brami (Da capo aria)
  4. Rameau, Hippolyte et Aricie (Tragédie lyrique—French opera)
    • Act IV conclusion (Chorus with simple recitative & accompanied recitative)
  5. Handel, Giulio Cesare (Italian opera)
    • V’adoro pupille (Da capo aria)
  6. Handel, Messiah (English oratorio) RESERVE DVD
    • There were shepherds (Simple recitative & accompanied recitative)
    • Glory to God (Chorus)
  7. Gay, The Beggar’s Opera (Ballad opera—English comic opera)
    • Scene 13: Aria XVI (Verse-refrain aria)
  8. Bach, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 62 (Church cantata)
    • Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Chorus)
    • Lob sei Gott, dem Vater, ton (Chorale)
  9. Pergolesi, La Serva Padrona (Intermezzo—Italian comic opera)
    • Son imbrogliato (Da capo aria)

Part 1b—Instrumental Works

  1. Jacquet de la Guerre, Suite No. 3 in A Minor (Keyboard dance suite)
    • Allemande
  2. Couperin, Vingt-cinquième ordre (Keyboard dance suite)
    • La visioinaire (French overture)
  3. Corelli, Trio Sonata Op. 3 No. 2 (Trio sonata da chiesa)
    • II. Allegro (Fugue)
    • III. Adagio (Sarabande)
    • IV. Allegro (Gigue)
  4. Corelli, Violin Sonata Op. 5 No. 11 (Solo sonata da camera)
    • I. Preludio Adagio (Slow Allemande)
  5. Corelli, Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 6, No. 8 (Concerto grosso da chiesa)—Blackboard RESERVE
    • II. Allegro (Fast Allemande)
  6. Vivaldi, Concerto in A Minor, Op. 3, No. 6 (Solo concerto)
    • I. Allegro (Ritornello form)
  7. Bach, Brandenburg Concertos RESERVE DVD
    • Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 (Concerto grosso)
      • III. Allegro assai (Fugue)
  8. Bach, Toccata in D Minor (Toccata)—RESERVE MCD B118/565tk (track 1)
  9. Bach, Das wohltemperirte Klavier—DWMA RESERVE CD
    • Fugue in C Minor (Fugue)—CD6, track 19
  10. Bach, Durch Adams Fall (Chorale prelude)

Return to top
Return to listening menu

Final Exam Listening—Part 2

For the second listening section of the Final Exam you will hear three musical works, one each from the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque eras. You can prepare for this sections by reflecting on the differences between these eras and making lists of the most important style features for each one. Consider the following musical elements in your preparation.

  1. Texture types favored in each era—monophonic? melody & accompaniment? homorhythmic? imitative? fugal? etc.
  2. Nature of musical expression in each era—what did composers try to express? text depiction/expression or not?
  3. Important genres in each era—plainchant? organum? motet? madrigal? chanson? recitative? aria? chorus? etc.
  4. Other important style features—how does each era use – rhythm and meter? chromaticism? melodic shape & length? melismatic/syllabic? performing forces? dramatic features? etc.
  5. Important composers and dates for each era?

Return to top
Return to listening menu

Encounter 6 Listening

Before you listen, do the Burkholder readings above to familiarize yourself with the composers, their works, mid- and late-Baroque genres, and significant style features. The materials below will give you practice recognizing these works, genres, and their style features. Please see further preparation instructions in the Dances and Dance Suites and Sonata for Church and Chamber sections below. These will help you prepare for both the Baroque Research Report and the final exam. As always, you really want to read the NAWM notes and follow the score for every work from NAWM.

Each cluster of works listed below is accompanied by a set of Study Questions. The Study Questions and recordings together are designed to help you prepare for the final exam (Baroque Unit Exam) and require no written report.

Cantata & Oratorio

A) NAWM 76—Giacomo Carissimi, Historia di Jephte (Oratorio)

  • a) Plorate colles (Recitative with arioso passages)—CD5, tracks 1-4
  • b) Plorate filii Israel (Chorus)—CD5, tracks 5-6

B) NAWM 89—Alessandro Scarlatti, Clori vezzosa, e bella, conclusion (Cantata)

  • a) Vivo penando (Recitative)—CD5, track 59
  • b) Sì, sì ben mio (Da capo aria)—CD5, tracks 60-63

Study Questions on A-B:

  • 1. In these mid-Baroque Italian examples, what are the most important differences between recitative, arioso, aria, and chorus? Consider especially the use of rhythm, instrumentation, and melody.
  • 2. Based on the excerpts above, what are the most obvious similarities and differences between the cantata and the oratorio?
  • 3. The Scarlatti cantata above provides our first example of a da capo aria. How would you describe the form of the da capo aria? How is the final A section different from the first A section? How does this form differ from aria forms used in early Baroque operas from Encounter 5?

Return to top
Return to listening menu

Mid Baroque Opera

C) NAWM 82—Jean-Baptiste Lully, Armide (Mid Baroque Tragédie lyrique—Mid Baroque French opera)

  • a) Overture (French overture)—CD5, tracks 23-25
  • b) Act II, scene 5
    • Enfin il est en ma puissance (Recitative)—CD5, tracks 26-29
    • Venez, venez, seconder mes désirs (Aria)—CD5, track 30

D) NAWM 86—Henry Purcell, Dido and Aeneas, Act III, scene 2 (Mid Baroque English opera)

  • a) Thy hand, Belinda (Recitative)—CD5, track 42
  • b) When I am laid in earth (Ground bass aria)—CD5, tracks 43-44

E) NAWM 90—Alessandro Scarlatti, La Griselda, excerpt from Act I, Scene 2 (Mid Baroque Italian opera)

  • a) In voler ciò che tu brami (Da capo aria)—CD5, tracks 64-67

F) NAWM 95—Jean-Philippe Rameau, Hippolyte et Aricie, Act IV conclusion (Tragédie lyrique—Late Baroque French opera)—CD6, tracks 35-39

Study Questions on C-F:

  • 4. Assuming the example from Lully’s Armide is representative, what are the typical features of a French overture? Consider its form as well as contrasts in texture, tempo, meter, etc.
  • 5. How do these French & English examples of recitative and aria (C & D) differ from each other? What qualities seem particularly French or English? Why?
  • 6. The Scarlatti opera above provides another example of a da capo aria. How is the final A section different from the first A section in this aria? In what ways is this aria similar to yet different from the cantata aria above (B)? Why do you think this form become so popular in the late Baroque? How do the other aria forms here (in C and D especially) differ from the da capo form in Scarlatti’s La Griselda?
  • 7. What is unusual about Rameau’s use of recitative, aria, chorus, and orchestra in this scene from Hippolyte et Aricie? How does the impact of this scene compare with that of the examples by Lully, Purcell, and Scarlatti?

Return to top
Return to listening menu

Dances and Dance Suites

Before listening to these works, read the following passages in your textbook:

  • The paragraph on “Performance practice,” pp. 364-365
  • The section on Lute and Keyboard Music, especially the paragraphs on “Agréments” and “Style luthé,” pp. 367-369
  • The section on Dance Music, especially the paragraphs on “Binary form,” “Suites” (especially its descriptions of individual dances), and “German versus French suites,” pp. 369-372

For each dance mentioned on pp. 369-372, make a short list (for your own use) of typical features (tempo, rhythm, upbeat, form, etc.)

Also browse through the following readings from the RESERVE list.

  • Mattheson, Der vollkommene Kapellmeister
    • Part I, Chapter 3, Sections 49-83, pp. 103-110
    • Part II, Chapter 13, Sections 79-142, pp. 451-468

Early Baroque sources used the terminlogy of rhetoric (the art and craft of persuasive speech, practiced by orators and actors) to explain how composers could express an emotion by imitating the speech patterns associated with that emotional state. Later in the Baroque period, notions of how to express and move the affections evolved into a deeper, more “scientific” system known as the Affektenlehre (Doctrine of the Affections). One of the principal sources of information about the Affektenlehre is Mattheson’s Der vollkommene Kapellmeister. Based on scientific writings on the nature of the affections, Mattheson’s book takes the six primary affections listed by Descartes and discusses the musical devices appropriate to express each one (see pp. 103-110). Mattheson goes even further, indicating that each musical genre, whether instrumental (see pp. 451-468) or vocal (see pp. 431-448), is naturally suited to the expression of some specific affection.

G) NAWM 84—Denis Gaultier, La Coquette virtuose (French lute courante)—CD5, track 33

H) NAWM 85—Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre, Suite No. 3 in A Minor, from Pièces de clavecin, Book I (French keyboard dance suite)

  • a) Prelude—CD5, track 34
  • b) Allemande—CD5, track 35
  • c) Courante I—CD5, track 36
  • d) Sarabande—CD5, track 37
  • e) Gigue—CD5, track 38

I) NAWM 94—François Couperin, Vingt-cinquième ordre (French keyboard dance suite)

  • a) La Visionaire (French overture)—CD6, tracks 31-32
  • b) La Muse victorieuse (Passepied)—CD6, tracks 33-34

Study Questions on G-I:

  • 8. What features of French Baroque performance practice and keyboard style can you hear in the works above (based on the readings from pp. 367-369)? Find a few good examples.
  • 9. Practice listening for typical features of each dance as described on textbook pp. 369-372. For each dance above, which features (from the list you made—see instructions above) can you hear?
  • 10. Which features of Couperin’s La visionaire mark it as a French overture?
  • 11. Does the “affect” (emotion) of each dance above correspond to Mattheson’s description in his Der vollkommene Kapellmeister (RESERVE)? Browse through pp. 451-468 to find Mattheson’s descriptions of the dance-types used in these three suites and figure out how each dance fits (or doesn’t fit) his description.

Return to top
Return to listening menu

The Sonata for Church and Chamber

Before you listen, use Burkholder Ch. 17 (pp. 390-398) and either the Corelli lecture notes or the Baroque Sonata Listening Guide to determine characteristic features of Corelli’s sonatas, including the number and order of movements (for both church and chamber sonatas) as well as the typical form, tempo, meter, rhythms, and character for each movement. Make sure you understand the differences between the sonata da chiesa (church sonata) and the sonata da camera (chamber sonata) and between solo sonatas and trio sonatas. This will help you prepare for both the Baroque Research Report (above) and the final exam.

Trio Sonatas

J) NAWM 91—Arcangelo Corelli, Trio Sonata in D, Op. 3, No. 2 (Church sonata)

  • a) Mvmt. i: Grave (Allemande)—CD6, track 1
  • b) Mvmt. ii: Allegro (Fugue)—CD6, track 2
  • c) Mvmt. iii: Adagio (Sarabande)—CD6, track 3
  • d) Mvmt. iv: Allegro (Gigue)—CD6, tracks 4-5
    • Alternate Recording: Purcell Quartet (with ornamentation!) – Assignments module/Encounter Listening/Encounter 6/Corelli Trio Sonata, Op. 3, No. 2

Solo Sonatas

K) Corelli, Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 5 CDs—RESERVE MCD C824/5m

  • Arcangelo Corelli, Violin Sonata, Op. 5, No. 11 (Chamber sonata, or is it church sonata?)—CD2, tracks 18-22
    • Mvmt. i: Preludio. Adagio
    • Mvmt. ii: Allegro
    • Mvmt. iii: Adagio
    • Mvmt. iv: Vivace (Fugue)
    • Mvmt. v: Gavotta: Allegro (Gavotte)
  • Alternate Recording—See Assignments module/Encounter Listening/Encounter 6/Corelli Violin Sonata, Op. 5, No. 11

Study Questions on J-K:

  • 12. As you listen to each movement in each sonata above, identify important style features.How would you describe its use of melody, rhythm (tempo? meter? anacrusis? dotted or continuos rhythms?), texture (imitative? homophonic? other?), form (binary? fugal?), dance type (use the lists you made for Dances & Dance Suites above), and instrumentation (how many violins? continuo instruments?).
  • 13. Based on the examples above, what are the most important differences between church sonatas and chamber sonatas?
  • 14. Based on the examples above, what are the most important differences between solo sonatas and trio sonatas (besides the number of violins used)?
  • 15. Does the “affect” (emotion) of each dance in the Corelli chamber sonata (K) correspond to Mattheson’s description in his Der vollkommene Kapellmeister (RESERVE)? Browse through pp. 451-468 to find Mattheson’s descriptions of the dance-types used in these sonatas and figure out how each dance fits (or doesn’t fit) his description.
  • 16. These Corelli sonatas provide excellent examples of Italian Baroque style. Based on the Peter le Huray reading for the Baroque Research Project, your observations on French Baroque style above (for the questions under Dances & Dance Suites above), and the Corelli sonatas you just listened to, what do you hear as the chief differences between Italian Baroque and French Baroque styles?

Return to top
Return to listening menu

Late Baroque Opera and Oratorio in England

Italian Opera in England

L) NAWM 99—George Frideric Handel, Giulio Cesare (Italian opera)

  • Act II, scenes 1-2
    • a) Eseguisti (Recitative, aria introduction, & recitative)—NAWM CD6, tracks 67-69
    • b) V’adoro pupille (Da capo aria)—NAWM CD6, tracks 70-72

Handel & the English Oratorio

M) NAWM 100—George Frideric Handel, Saul (English oratorio)

  • a) No. 66, The Time at length is come (Accompanied recitative)—CD6, track 73
  • b) No. 67, Where is the Son of Jesse? (Simple recitative)—CD6, track 74
  • c) No. 68, O Fatal Consequence Of Rage (Chorus)—CD6, tracks 75-78

N) Messiah DVD—RESERVE VIDEO 781.7 H236m

  • George Frideric Handel, Messiah (English oratorio)
    • There were shepherds (Simple recitative & accompanied recitative)—DVD track 14
    • Glory to God (Chorus)—DVD track 15
  • Alternate Recording: Naxos Music Library 8.550667-68—Handel, The Messiahtracks 14-15

Study Questions on L-N:

  • 17. As you listen to these Handel examples, how would you describe the differences do you hear between Handel’s operas and his oratorios?
  • 18. Based on these Handel examples, what are the primary differences between between simple (continuo) recitative, accompanied recitative, and arias in the late Baroque? How does Handel combine these types effectively in his “scene complexes” (see textbook p. 459)? In what ways does Handel alter the “recit-aria-recit-aria-etc.” formula of previous Baroque operas?
  • 19. How effectively do these late Baroque arias express the text? How much ornamentation in the da capo sections? What is the effect of the da capo section?
  • 20. What role does text depiction play in the choruses from Saul and Messiah?

Return to top
Return to listening menu

Early Classic Opera before 1750

O) NAWM 101—Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, La serva padrona (Intermezzo)—Blackboard RESERVE

  • Ah, quanto mi sta male/Son imbrogliato io (Simple & accomponaied recitative/da capo aria)—CD7, tracks 1-6

P) NAWM 102—Johann Adolf Hasse, Cleofide (Italian opera seria)—Blackboard RESERVE

  • Act II, scene 9: Digli ch’io son fidele (Da capo aria)—CD7, tracks 7-11

Q) NAWM 103—John Gay, The Beggar’s Opera (English ballad opera)—Blackboard RESERVE

  • Aria XV: My heart was so free (Aria)—CD7, track 12-13
  • Aria XVI: Were I laid on Greenland’s coast (Aria)—CD7, track 14-15

Study Questions on O-Q:

  • 21. How is Uberto’s aria (O) typical of Italian comic opera? How is the aria from Hasse’s Cleofide (P) typical of opera seria? Which would you rather listen to?
  • 22. How are the first two arias (O-P) different from Handel’s late Baroque arias above (in L)?
  • 23. How are the Gay examples (Q) different from the arias in L & O-P? Do the instruments merely accompany the singers? Why do you think The Beggar’s Opera nearly put Handel out of business?

Return to top
Return to listening menu

The Mid-Baroque Concerto

R) Corelli Concerti Grossi Op. 6 Nos. 7-12 CD—Blackboard RESERVE

  • Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 6, No. 8, Fatto per la notte di natale (Written for Christmas Eve) (Concerto grosso da chiesa)
    • I. Vivace–Grave (Canzona-like form)
    • II. Allegro (Allemande - fugue?)

The Late Baroque Concerto

S) NAWM 93—Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto for Violin and Orchestra in A Minor, Op. 3, No. 6 (Violin concerto)

  • a) I. Allegro (Ritornello form)—CD6, tracks 13-20
  • b) II. Largo—CD6, track 21
  • c) III. Presto (Ritornello form)—CD6, tracks 22-30
  • Alternate Recording: L’estro armonico CD set, Fabio Biondi & Europa Galante—Blackboard RESERVE

T) Johann Sebastian Bach, Brandenburg Concertos DVD—RESERVE VIDEO 784.2 B817f

  • Concerto No. 2 in F Major (Concerto grosso)—DVD track 7
    • III. Allegro assai (Fugue)
  • Alternate Recording: RESERVE MCD B118/1046n—Bach, Brandenburg Concertos—CD1, track 7
  • Alternate Recording: Six Concertos for the Margrave of Brandenburg CD set, European Brandenburg Ensemble, Trevor Pinnock, cond.—Blackboard RESERVE

Study Questions on R-T:

  • 24. Why is the Corelli concerto so different from the later concertos by Bach and Vivaldi? How did the concerto change as we move from mid to late Baroque?
  • 25. Which movements of these concertos appear to use ritornello form: I, II, and/or III?
  • 26. Outside of tempo, what differences do you hear between slow movements and fast movements in these concertos? Consider form, performing forces, and any other features that stand out.
  • 27. What are the most important differences between Bach’s concerto and Vivaldi’s? Any style features are fair game in your comparison.

Return to top
Return to listening menu

The North German Organ School

Quasi-Improvisatory and Imitative Works

U) NAWM 92—Dietrich Buxtehude, Praeludium in E Major (Mid Baroque organ prelude)—CD6, tracks 6-12

V) Johann Sebastian Bach, Toccata & Fugue CD (Koopman)—RESERVE MCD B118/565tk

  • Toccata & Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565 (Organ toccata and fugue)—tracks 1-2
    • Alternate Recording: RESERVE VIDEO 786.5 B118o—Bach, Greatest Organ Works DVD
    • Alternate Recording—See Assignments module/Encounter Listening/Encounter 7/Bach Toccata & Fugue

W) Development of Western Music (DWMA)—RESERVE MCD D489 1998

  • DWMA 116—Johann Sebastian Bach, Das wohltemperirte Klavier, Prelude and Fugue in C minor, BWV 847 (Keyboard prelude and fugue)—CD6, tracks 18-19
    • Alternate Recording: RESERVE VIDEO 786.2 B118j—Bach, 48 Preludes and Fugues: The Well-Tempered Clavier—DVD 1
    • Alternate Recording—See Assignments module/Encounter Listening/Encounter 7/Bach Prelude & Fugue

Chorale-Based Works

X) NAWM 97—Johann Sebastian Bach, Durch Adams Fall, BWV 637 (Chorale prelude)—CD6, track 51

Study Questions on U-X:

  • 28. Why did Buxtehude write just a prelude and not a prelude and fugue? Are there any fugal sections in this work? How would you describe the use of imitation here?
  • 29. Late Baroque composers frequently paired improvisatory works (toccatas, preludes, fantasias, etc.) with fugues. Compare Bach’s organ toccata with his keyboard prelude above. How similar or different are the toccata and the prelude? How similar or different are the two fugues that follow them? What effect is created by pairing an improvisatory work and a fugue?
  • 30. Which term best describes the Bach chorale prelude, Durch Adams Fall—imitative, ornamental, or figural (see Burkholder, pp. 407-408)? What is the effect of the descending 7th motive in the pedals? How does this piece symbolize the central image of the title, Adam’s fall from grace (“original sin”)?

Return to top
Return to listening menu

Bach Vocal Music

Y) NAWM 98—Johann Sebastian Bach, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 62 (Church cantata)

  1. Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Chorus—in the form of a “gapped” chorale prelude)—CD6, tracks 52-59
  2. Bewundert, o Menschen (Full da capo aria)—CD6, tracks 60-61
  3. So geht aus Gottes Herrlichkeit und Thron (Recitative)—CD6, track 62
  4. Streite, siege, starker Held! (Full da capo aria)—CD6, tracks 63-64
  5. Wir ehren diese Herrlichkeit (Accompanied recitative)—CD6, track 65
  6. Lob sei Gott, dem Vater, ton (Chorale)—CD6, track 66

Study Questions on Y:

  • 31. What are the most important differences between this church cantata and the Handel opera & oratorio excerpts in L-N above? Pay special attention to the types of musical numbers used (aria, recitative, chorus, chorale) and the way Bach uses them. Can the differences be explained by the fact that Bach is writing this cantata for use in church? What role does the chorale melody Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland play in this cantata?
  • 32. Study Bach’s opening chorus. Bach often combines features of contrasting genres in his choruses, and this one is no exception. Here he fuses the chorale motet with the ritornello form typical of a concerto. How is this an example of ritornello form? Where are the ritornello statements? Where are the episodes? How does Bach present phrases from the cantus firmus (Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland) in this chorus? In what ways does his use of the cantus firmus resemble the structure of Renaissance (Josquin, e.g.) Masses or motets? What similarities and differences do you find as you compare this chorus with the Handel chorus (Glory to God) from Messiah?
  • 33. As you compare uses of different vocal types (chorus, simple recitative, accompanied recitative, and da capo aria) by Bach (Y) and Handel (L-N), which composer is more obvious in using text depiction? Which one relies more heavily on contrapuntal textures? Which one uses contrasting textures and dynamics more dramatically? Where can you find good examples of these features?

Return to top
Return to listening menu


Extra Credit Listening—

Buehler Library RESERVE
  • MCD C824/1—Corelli, Sonate da chiesa, Op. 1 & 3 (London Baroque)
  • MCD C824/5m—Corelli, Sonatas for Solo Violin, Op. 5 (Andrew Manze)
  • MCD H236/016j—Handel, Giulio Cesare—Highlights (Jacobs)
  • VIDEO 781.7 H236m—Handel, Messiah DVD (Cleobury)
  • MCD V855/8h—Vivaldi, The Four Seasons CD (Hogwood)
  • MCD B118/1046n—Bach, Brandenburg Concertos (Pickett)
  • VIDEO 784.2 B817f—Bach, Brandenburg Concertos DVD (von der Goltz)
  • MCD B118/565tk—Bach, Toccata & Fugue (Koopman)
  • VIDEO 786.5 B118o—Bach, Greatest Organ Works, Volume One DVD (Stamm)
  • VIDEO 786.2 B118j—Bach, 48 Preludes and Fugues: The Well Tempered Clavier DVD (Gavrilov, MacGregor, Demidenko, and Hewitt)
  • MCD B118/248k—Bach, Weinachts-Oratorium (Christmas Oratorio) (Koopman)
  • MCD B118/244k—Bach, Matthäus-Passion (St. Matthew Passion) (Koopman)
  • MCD D489 1998—Development of Western Music recordings (DWMA), 3rd edition, Volume I, CD5-CD6
    • DWMA 104a—Samuel Scheidt, Vater unser im Himmelreich (Imitative Chorale Prelude)—CD5, track 7
    • DWMA 104b—Dietrich Buxtehude, Vater unser im Himmelreich (Ornamental Chorale Prelude)—CD5, track 8
    • DWMA 104d—Johann Sebastian Bach, Vater unser im Himmelreich (Figural Chorale Prelude)—CD5, track 9
    • DWMA 114—Johann Sebastian Bach, Cantata No. 80: Ein’ feste Burg ist unser Gott, Mvmt. I (Cantata excerpt)—CD6, track 15
    • DWMA 118—George Frideric Handel, Giulio Cesare–Act III, scene 7 (Late Baroque Italian Opera excerpt)—CD6, track 21
    • DWMA 119a—George Frideric Handel, Messiah, “Comfort ye” (Accompanied Recitative—Oratorio excerpt)—CD6, track 22
    • DWMA 119b—George Frideric Handel, Messiah, “Every valley” (Aria—Oratorio excerpt)—CD6, track 23
    • DWMA 119c—George Frideric Handel, Messiah, “And the glory of the Lord” (Chorus—Oratorio excerpt)—CD6, track 24


Created 10/24/11 by Mark Harbold—last updated 10/25/11