Composers
Name the four composers of the Baroque era we studied.
Corelli, Vivaldi, Bach, and Handel
Name all the musical elements that we use to analyze music.
Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, Timbre/Color, Texture, Form
What does Cantata mean?
"Something sung"
What years were the Baroque period? What does the Baroque period refer to?
1600-1750; this was the name of the period of art, architecture, and music at the time.
Which Baroque composer was the first to establish harmonic norms in music?
Corelli
List the three kinds of texture and their definitions.
Monophonic: one single melodic line
Homophonic: one single melodic line with harmony
Polyphonic: multiple melodic lines playing simultaneously
Name one piece written by Bach that we studied.
Organ Fugue in G minor
Cantata no. 80 "A Mighty Fortress is Our God"
Name a characteristic of art and architecture of the Baroque Era that influenced Baroque music.
Grand designs, overabundance of small details, sense of power and movement, sensitivity and mastery of light
What form(s) is each composer in the Baroque era known for?
Corelli: Sonata
Vivaldi: Concerto
Bach: Fugue and Cantata
Handel: Oratorio
Name one way that the Baroque era music differed from Medieval music (specifically Gregorian chant)
Monophonic vs polyphonic
Melody stepwise motion vs larger skips
What are the three parts of Messiah by Handel about?
1. Jesus' birth
2. His sacrifice for mankind
3. His resurrection
Name two world events that occur during the Baroque era.
Gallileo discovers gravity, Jamestown, Plymouth rock, Isaac Newton's physics principles, Louis XIV builds Palace of Versailles, Salem Witch Trialds
Describe what Bach's musical education looked like.
Self taught, and taught by family. Learned by copying and studying other composers.
What are the melodic characteristics of the Baroque musical era?
Larger leaps, wider ranges, emphasis on writing melodies for instruments, melodies are repeated as a motif, ornamentation
What is a concerto?
A friendly competition between a soloist and an ensemble (or sometimes small ensemble vs a large orchestra).
Name a piece of literature that was written in the Baroque era.
Don Quixote, Paradise Lost, Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver's travels
Who were the two towering figures of the Baroque era? How was this period of the Baroque era different than its earlier period?
Bach and Handel; this time period of the Baroque focused on mastery and culmination of the musical elements, rather than focused on innovation.
How did Baroque music change between its earlier years and later years?
The beginning of the Baroque era focused on innovation, while the later years were focused on mastery.
A fugue is a piece that centers around a ________, followed by an ________ and then an ________.
How did art shift from the Medieval era to the Baroque era?
Medieval era was mostly flat, two-dimensional art with dull colors of subjects with religious figures. Baroque era is more colorful, uses more shadows and light, and are three dimensional with a larger variety of subjects.