Oratorio originally meant prayer hall, a building located adjacent to a church that was designed as a place for religious experiences distinct from the liturgy. Although there are late sixteenth century precedents for the oratorio in the motet and madrigal repertoire, the oratorio as a distinct musical genre emerged amidst the excellent acoustics of these spaces in the early s.
By the middle of the 17th century, oratorios were performed in palaces and public theaters and were growing increasingly similar to operas, although the subject matter, division into two parts rather than three acts and absence of staged action still set it apart. The oratorio grew in popularity in other parts of Europe as well. In Protestant Germany, dramatic music composed for use in the Lutheran church gradually became fused with elements of the oratorio, especially in the inclusion of non-Biblical texts.
The oratorio passion, as it came to be called, culminated in the great works of J. Other well known examples outside of Italy include the English oratorios of George Frideric Handel , who popularized the genre in London as a result of the English distaste for Italian opera. Cantata: an extended piece consisting of a succession of recitatives and set pieces such as arias, duets and choruses. Originating in early 17th century Italy, the cantata began as a secular work composed for solo voice and basso continuo, most likely intended for performance at private social gatherings.
Many of these works were published, suggesting that they were performed by professional musicians and amateurs alike. By the middle of the century cantatas were published less frequently, suggesting that performances were increasingly being done by professionals.
By the end of the 17th century, cantatas began incorporating the da capo aria and often had orchestral accompaniments. Outside of Italy, the expanding genre of the Lutheran motet began incorporating many elements of the Italian cantata, especially techniques of dramatic expression like recitative and aria.
Sonata : Used to describe several types of pieces in the baroque era, the term sonata most commonly designated a work in several movements for one or more instruments most frequently violins and bassocontinuo; a sonata for two violins or other treble instruments plus bass was usually called a trio sonata. Examples of both types can be found in the late 17th century works of Corelli. The rise to prominence of solo sonatas for keyboard instruments begins late in the baroque period, including those for organ Bach and harpsichord Handel, Domenico Scarlatti.
Concerto : Derived from the Italian concertare to join together, unite , the concerto took several forms during the baroque era. Until the early 18th century, a concerto was simply a composition that united a diverse ensemble consisting of voices, instruments or both. Sacred works for voices and instruments were often called concertos, while similar secular works were generally termed arie airs , cantatas or musiche. While large scale sacred concertos can be found in the works of Claudio Monteverdi, more intimate compositions for one to four voices, continuo and additional solo instruments were far more common.
Later in the seventeenth century, the concerto began to assume its modern definition: a multimovement work for instrumental soloist or group of soloists and orchestra. Taking its cue from the canzonas and sonatas of the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, which used contrasting groups of instruments to great effect, the concerto grosso alternates a small group of soloists with a larger ensemble.
The works of Corelli , particularly his Op. The most dominant type of concerto in the 18th century was the solo concerto, which featured a single instrument in contrast with an ensemble. While most solo concertos were written for violin, trumpet concertos were also popular, and concertos were also composed for cello, oboe, flute and bassoon. In the s, Handel wrote 16 organ concertos, and Bach also composed several concertos for harpsichord around the same time most of these are arrangements of preexistent works.
Suite: Based on the traditional pairing of dances in the Renaissance, the suite was the first multi-movement work for instruments. The suite was essentially a series of dances in the same key, most or all of them in two-part form. Most suites also began with an introductory movement such as a prelude, ouverture or fantasia. To many baroque composers, the different dances embodied specific characters.
Baroque suites were scored for solo instruments as well as orchestra; those written for one or two melody instruments and continuo are sometimes titled sonata da camera. In modern times, going to a concert is an event. We hear an ad on the radio or see a listing in the newspaper; we purchase tickets; we go to a concert hall and sit quietly until it is time to applaud.
In the baroque era, this kind of public concert was rare. Many of the most famous baroque compositions were performed in churches for a service, or as part of a private concert or celebration in the home of a wealthy patron. During the course of the baroque, however, public performances became more common, particularly in the genres of opera and oratorio, and our modern concert tradition began to coalesce in many European cities.
As Roger North described a performance in one of the earliest concert series, organized in London in the s:. The first attempt was low: a project of old [John] Banister, who was a good violin, and a theatrical composer. He opened an obscure room in a public house in White friars; filled it with tables and seats, and made a side box with curtains for the music. One shilling a piece, call for what you please, pay the reckoning, and Welcome gentlemen.
The advent of the public concert made the growing middle class an important source of income for musicians. By the end of the baroque, this social subset had become a musical patron almost as powerful as the church or court. By the middle of the eighteenth century, the baroque idea of music as a form of rhetoric was under attack. Vivaldi — See more Vivaldi — Handel — See more Handel — Bach See more Bach Preview Track Preview.
Buy CD. Download 'Water Music Suite No. Download 'Brandenburg Concerto No. Download: Classic FM's music period collections. More periods See more More periods. Baroque is a period of artistic style that started around in Rome, Italy, and spread throughout the majority of Europe.
The Baroque is a period of artistic style that started around in Rome , Italy, and spread throughout the majority of Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. In informal usage, the word baroque describes something that is elaborate and highly detailed. The most important factors during the Baroque era were the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation, with the development of the Baroque style considered to be linked closely with the Catholic Church.
The popularity of the style was in fact encouraged by the Catholic Church, which had decided at the Council of Trent that the arts should communicate religious themes and direct emotional involvement in response to the Protestant Reformation. Baroque art manifested itself differently in various European countries owing to their unique political and cultural climates. The Baroque style is characterized by exaggerated motion and clear detail used to produce drama, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance, and music.
Baroque iconography was direct, obvious, and dramatic, intending to appeal above all to the senses and the emotions. The use of the chiaroscuro technique is a well known trait of Baroque art. This technique refers to the interplay between light and dark and is often used in paintings of dimly lit scenes to produce a very high-contrast, dramatic atmosphere.
Other important Baroque painters include Caravaggio who is thought to be a precursor to the movement and is known for work characterized by close-up action and strong diagonals and Rembrandt.
0コメント