Mr.

Reilly's Music Class

Day 5
Baroque Era
• ca. 1600-1750
• From the Portuguese "barroco" or Spanish "barrueco", meaning
"rugged pearl"
• Art during this time was over-the-top and elaborate
• The first instances of the term, "Baroque," in regards to art were actually
derogatory
• Due to the rise of secular music in the Renaissance, most composers
wrote both secular and religious works, as there was now money to
be found in both
Some terms pertaining to Baroque Music
• basso continuo: figured bass
• Oftentimes, the harpsichord player would be given the bass line and numbers
representing the intervals above the bass that would signify which chord
should be played
• Can also refer to the section of a group consisting of the celli, basses, and
harpsichord
• Grounded bass
• Some composers would write a single bass line around which the entire piece
is based
• Castrato
• A male singer who is castrated as a child to retain his high voice through
adulthood
Baroque Opera
• Opera is a sung-through drama, complete with sets, costumes,
characters, and plot
• Emerged from Italy
• Often drew upon Greek and Roman mythology for inspiration
• Music and lyrics were often written by separate people
• Music was composed by a composer, while the text, or libretto, was written
by a librettist
• Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) was an important figure in
developing Italian opera
Excerpts from Dido and Aeneas by Henry Purcell

Recitative: "Thy hand, Belinda"

Aria: "When I am laid in earth" (Dido's Lament)
Recitative and Aria
• Recitative
• Sounds spoken, no real melody
• Used mostly to drive the plot forward
• Aria
• Melodic, soloistic
• Characters often express emotional moments in aria
Oratorio
• "Oratorio" is Italian for "place of prayer"
• Much like opera, oratorio is a large-scale musical work that tells a
story
• Includes recitatives and arias, just like opera
• Unlike opera, no acting, costumes, or sets are involved
• Text is based on Christian scripture, as opposed to the ancient mythology that
was most often used in opera
• George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was important in developing the
oratorio after failing to establish a career as an opera composer
"Hallelujah Chorus" from Messiah by George Frideric Handel
Cantata
• Religious hymn in the Lutheran Church
• Lutheran churches required a new cantata every week, as well as
cantatas for special holidays
• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), a devout Lutheran, wrote about
four to five years' worth of cantatas
Wachet auf (Sleepers, Awake), I by Johann Sebastian Bach
Homework
• Reflection: If you had to pick one, would you rather listen to an opera
or an oratorio? Why?
• Read Chapter 18: Baroque Instruments & The Suite
• Question will be posted on F day
jreilly@msgrfarrellhs.org