Baroque music Flashcards
(33 cards)
What is the time period of Baroque music?
1600 - 1750
Define ornamentation in Baroque music.
Frequent use of trills, mordents, appoggiaturas, acciaccaturas, and turns.
What are sequences in Baroque music?
Melodic patterns repeated at a higher or lower pitch.
Describe the melodic motion in Baroque music.
Melodic lines often move in scales or small intervals.
What are terraced dynamics?
Sudden shifts between loud (forte) and soft (piano) without gradual changes.
What is functional harmony?
Strong use of tonic (I), dominant (V), and subdominant (IV) chords.
Whhen are perfect cadences used?
Common at phrase ends to establish tonality.
What are pedal notes?
Sustained notes in the bass, often tonic or dominant.
What does modulation to related keys involve?
Typically dominant (V) or relative minor/major.
What does the Circle of Fifths/Fourths allow pieces to do?
Progressions often move through related keys systematically.
What characterizes contrapuntal and polyphonic writing?
Multiple melodic lines weaving together.
What are imitation and fugal entries?
One part introduces a melody, followed by others in succession.
Define basso continuo.
A continuous bass line played by harpsichord, organ, or lute with a cello, viola da gamba, or bassoon.
What are homophonic sections in Baroque music used for?
Contrast in some Baroque movements.
What are binary and ternary forms used in?
Common forms in dance suites and movements.
What is ritornello form?
Recurring orchestral sections alternate with solo passages (especially in concertos).
Describe the fugue form.
Developed thematic material using exposition, episodes, and subject entries.
What is a da capo aria?
Vocal ternary form (ABA), with the repeated A section often highly ornamented.
What types of metres are common in Baroque music?
Simple & Compound Metres: 2/4, 3/4, 6/8.
What characterizes the rhythms in Baroque music?
Steady, Continuous Rhythms with a driving pulse.
When are dotted rhythms used?
Used frequently in overtures and dances.
What is hemiola?
Rhythmic device where two groups of three beats are reinterpreted as three groups of two.
Describe the Baroque orchestra.
Small ensemble with strings, harpsichord, and basso continuo.
What instruments are used ornamentally in Baroque music?
Recorder, oboe, bassoon, trumpets (natural, without valves).
