Final

Question 1

Pietro Francesco

Answer 1

Leading composer after Monteverdi
Wrote 33 operas - Giasone (most famous)
Strophic arias

Question 2

Antonio Cesti

Answer 2

15 operas
Arias (mostly strophic)
Arioso style
Comic scenes

Question 3

Arioso Style

Answer 3

Style of recitative (NOT aria) w/more passion/expression that provides more melodic interest and faster-moving basso continuo

Question 4

Alessandro Scarlatti

Answer 4

Composed over 40 operas
Drama per musica
Standardized recitative-aria pairing
La Griselda (his last surviving opera)

Question 5

Drama per musica

Answer 5

Serious plots w/happy endings
Historical or imaginary characters
Short arias

Question 6

Baroque Italian Opera Style

Answer 6

Tightened plots
Separation of material
Opera Seria
Sinfonia (Italian opera overture; only instrumental music in Italian opera; Fast, Slow, Fast)
No chorus
Secco Recitative
Arioso style
Da capo aria

Question 7

Francois Couperin

Answer 7

Most important French suite/ordre composer
Pieces de Clavecin
L’art de toucher le clavecin (“The Art of Playing the Harpsichord)

Question 8

Pieces de Clavecin

Answer 8

Francois Couperin
4-24mvt suite
Same tonality (D, D minor, etc.)
Fanciful titles
Select pieces for performance (not required to perform all 24 at a time)

Question 9

L’art de toucher le clavecin (“The Art of Playing the Harpsichord)

Answer 9

Couperin
Proper performance of embellishments/agreements
Standardization of agreements and symbols

Question 10

Arcangelo Corelli

Answer 10

Outstanding composer of sonata
The first to be known as a composer of the “modern” era
Clear key tonality w/no trace of modality
Earliest composer to write exclusively in major-minor tonality
5 sets of 12 sonatas

Question 11

Sonata de Chiesa

Answer 11

Arcangelo Corelli
Used as filler between mass movements or as the postlude
Usually had fugal writing
Four movements set as Slow-Fast-Slow-Fast
Basso Continuo type 2
Violone w/organ continuo

Question 12

Sonata da Camera

Answer 12

Arcangelo Corelli
Used in court for diversion or entertainment
Stylized dance movements that began w/a preludio followed by several dance movements
Basso continuo type 2
Violone w/harpsichord accompaniment

Question 13

Antonio Vivaldi

Answer 13

The master of Baroque Italian Concerto
Ospedale della Pieta–girl’s orphanage
Teacher, Composer, and Music director
Recognizable tutti theme used to hold the piece together

Question 14

Johann Sebastian Bach

Answer 14

• Church organist in Weimar and Cöthen
• Weimar–Court Organist/Konzertmeister for Duke Wilhelm; Wrote Orgel Buchlein, chorale arrangements for organ based on the liturgical calendar; wrote English suites
• Cöthen–Kapellmeister for Prince Leopold; secular duties rather than sacred; 6 cello suites; 6 sonatas and partitas for violin; 6 Brandenburg concertos; 2 Orchestral suites; Clavier-Buchlien, written for his son Wilhelm Friedman; Early versions of inventions, sinfonias, preludes, and fugues
• Anna Magdalena Notebook
• Kantor at Thomasschule and Music Director of Leipzig (supervised music for 4 churches, oversaw music for civic occasions)
• 5 complete cycles of church music
• Cantatas
• Passions

Question 15

Anna Magdalena Notebook

Answer 15

Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue
Well-Tempered Clavier I
Demonstration of equal temperament
Division of the octave into twelve equal semitones
In every key possible
Inventions and sinfonias
Written in no more than 4 sharps or 4 flats
Practical keys; keys that students were able to play in

Question 16

Discuss Bach’s responsibilities as the Music Director in Leipzig

Answer 16

4 Churches: St. Peter’s (Unison boys choir, didn’t attend this church), St. Matthew’s (4 part choir, simple chorale settings, didn’t attend this church) and St. Thomas’ and St. Nicholas’ (Polyphonic motets, full-scale cantatas every Sunday, personally attended and conducted at these churches)

Question 17

Discuss Bach’s cantatas

Answer 17

Text comes from Lutheran Bible, chorales, and new compositions (poetry--Picander/Henrici)
-Solos, small choir, orchestra
-6mvts
Opening Chorus
Solo Recitative
Aria/Duet
[sermon]
Recitative
Aria/Duet
Chorale

Question 18

Discuss Bach’s passions

Answer 18

5 total, only 2 survived
St. John Passion
St. Matthew Passion

Question 19

Discuss Bach’s Models of Baroque Style

Answer 19

Well-tempered Clavier (equal temperment, Godlberg variations)
B-minor Mass (displayed transition from stile antico to stile moderno)
Musical Offering (gift for a king)
The Art of the Fuge (his most technically complex composition, greatest practical study of contrapuntal technique, instrumentation wasn’t finished before his death)

Question 20

George Friderich Handel

Answer 20

German and English composer
Worked for the Elector of Hanover (who became King George I of England)
Italian Opera (wrote 40)
Turned to Oratorio

Question 21

Discuss Handel’s Italian Operas

Answer 21

Wrote 40
Subjects-historical, mythological, romantic
Giulio Cesare (His best Italian Opera)
Aria (da capo w/o excessive repetitions; displayed character’s feelings)

Question 22

Discuss England’s opinion on Italian Opera

Answer 22

Didn’t like it because

• in a foreign language
• mythological plots
• castrati
• turned against it, causing the downfall of the Royal Academy of Music

Question 23

Explain the significance of the Royal Academy of Music’s failure

Answer 23

• The Beggar’s Opera (J. Gay and J. Pepusch)
• Performed 61 times
• Ballad opera (spoken word, popular songs, basso continuo)
• Political satire and contemporary characters
• Words in English
• Simple music
• No castrati

Question 24

Oratorio

Answer 24

Appealed to bourgeois
No castrati
No sets
Written in English
Subjects based on Bible
Chorus

Question 25

Discuss Handel’s oratorio style

Answer 25

3 acts
Solo recitatives as dialogue
Arias provide expression of individual
Often begins w/French overture
English chorale anthem tradition
Basses have leading roles

Question 26

Intermezzo

Answer 26

Separate works between acts to provide comic relief
2 acts
Simple plots-present day, slapstick
Italian opera style
Reduced orchestra/no overture
La serva padrona by Pergolesi

Question 27

Jean-Philippe Rameau

Answer 27

Traite de l'harmonie (Treaty of Harmony)
Harmony based on triads
Hierarchy of chords
Pivot chord modulation
Melody derived from harmony

Question 28

Galant Style

Answer 28

Response to Baroque style
Implies elegance, grace, charm
Light texture
Single melodic line in short phrases (usually 2mm)
Major keys w/simple harmonies
Sparse voicing in accompaniment
Trommelbass (“drum bass”; rhythmic animation to provide movement in slow harmonic line)

Question 29

Domenico Scarlatti

Answer 29

Song of Alessandro Scarlatti
Keyboard sonatas - predecessor to classical sonata
Single movement in binary form
Clarified structure
Keyboard Master to Maria Barbara

Question 30

Trace Recitative

Answer 30

Jacapo Peri (Stile Rappresentativo)
-New declamatory style w/flexible rhythm
Secco (Dry) Recitative
-Simple, chord-sing-chord-sing
Arioso Style
-more melodic recitative w/faster basso continuo

Question 31

Trace (Italian) Aria

Answer 31

Bel canto (Monteverdi?)
-“Beautiful singing”, slow and resonant
Florid
-more movement and agility/flexibility
Da capo (Scarlati)
-ABA; return to A allows for embelishment

Question 32

Trace Opera Overture

Answer 32

Monteverdi–opening tocatta
3 movement FSF (instrumental music reserved for beginning of opera only)
Sinfonia

Question 33

Trace Comic Opera

Answer 33

Coronation of Poppea, Monteverdi (Comedic scenes)
Plots tightened, comic parts removed resulting in Opera Seria
Intermezzo (2 act work sandwiched into an opera that provided comic relief the public missed)