Final Exam Review Flashcards
What is cori spezzati?
The polychoral technique that used small groups antiphonally to create a stereo effect, developed by Giovanni Gabrieli while working at St. Mark’s basilica in Venice (“spaced out choirs”)
What are the two types of Basso Continuo?
Type 1: melody instrument+chord instrument (ex.: violin and harpsichord)
Type 2: melody instrument+chord instrument+bass instrument (ex.: viola, piano, and cello)
What is monody?
accompanied solo song; forerunner of modern Italian Aria; Caccini wrote Le nuove musiche, a collection of monodic songs (10 strophic arias and 12 madrigals)
Who was Jacopo Peri?
Wrote the 1st opera: Dafne; also wrote L’Euridice, the first surviving opera; wrote in a more speech-like declamatory style—recitative
Who was Monteverdi?
Wrote the 1st opera masterpiece: L’Orfeo; also wrote The Coronation of Poppea in which he used the arioso style to depict love
When did the first public opera house open?
1637 in Venice
What is oratorio?
A large-scale musical composition that resembles an opera but has:
- subject that is always religious
- little to no staging
- a narrator
- chorus that takes on various roles
- more vocal variety (Recit., aria, duet, chorus, instrumental interludes)
Compare/Contrast Carissimi and Handel.
Carissimi: -one of the 1st oratorio composers -wrote Jepthe (best known work) Handel: -English oratorio -wrote Messiah (best known work)
Who was Lully?
Instrumental composer to Louis XIV; wrote comedies-ballets, a combination of Italian opera and French ballet; wrote tragedies lyriques, a combination of drama, music, and ballet; included laudatory references to the nation of France and its king
What are the French opera styles?
- Simple recitative: written to allow natural flow of French words
- Measured recitative: more songlike with more motion in accompaniment
- Airs: more metrically stable, simple and syllabic, not virtuosic
- French overture: instrumental opening to opera
What is trio sonata?
2 violins and basso continuo #2; used in Schütz’s “Symphoniae Sacarae” (3 sacred works accomp. by trio sonata)
Who was Corelli?
developed Sonata da chiesa (church sonata; 4mvts S-F-S-F; imitative in quality) and Sonata da camera (chamber sonata; set of stylized dances; preludio+dance mvts.) both written for 2 violins and basso continuo
What is concerto style?
Vivaldi wrote in concerto style; standard string orchestra; 3 mvt. F-S-F; developed recurring ritornello
What is Traite de l’harmonie?
developed by Rameau; harmony based on triads
What is masque?
aristocratic entertainment based on allegorical or mythological theme; Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” (Dido’s lament-one of finest recit/aria pairings in opera lit)
What is significant about Bach’s cantatas?
He wrote one for each Sunday service for 5 complete years; text came from
-Lutheran Bible
-Chorales
-Combined Biblical and chorale texts
-Original
Written for solo singers, small choir (up to 12), and small orchestra (up to 20)
What is significant about Handel’s Italian operas?
Wrote 40 on 3 subjects (historical, mythological, romantic);
2 possible recitatives: simple (just basso continuo) and accompanied (orchestral throughout)
Da capo aria structure eliminated excessive repetitions
English opinion changed as they thought Italian opera was artificial, foreign language, and unfamiliar plots (mythology)
What is Galant style?
elegance, charm, clarity, naturalness, pleasing to the ear, light texture, single melodic line in short phrases, major key tonalities, slower harmonic rhythm; D. Scarlatti wrote in Galant style
What is Empfindsamer stil?
Galant style did not satisfy all musicians; more profound emotional statement; exaggerated affective gestures of the Baroque; abrupt change of mood/harmony; chromaticism; flexible rhythms; CPE Bach wrote in this style
What is intermezzo?
separate works performed between the acts of opera to provide comic relief; 2 acts; simple plots with 2 or 3 people in comic situations; alternates rectis/arias; best example is La serva padrona
What is the Beggar’s Opera?
written by John Gay (libretto) and Johann Christoph Pepusch (music); part of the downfall of Royal Academy of Music; Ballad opera-spoken dialogue, popular songs, basso continuo; political satire, contemporary charachers; words in English; simple, catchy music
Who was Gluck?
Greatest opera reformer; wrote Orfeo ed Euridice based on Peri’s opera of the same name; wrote Alceste which combined techniques of French, Italian, and German opera, removed the abuses that had deformed Italian opera and focus on the poetry and advancement of the plot
What is sinfonia?
Developed into symphony; Sammartini well-known composer of sinfonia; Mannheim orchestra developed dynamics (crescendo and diminuendo)
What is significant about Haydn’s compositional process?
- improvised at keyboard
- worked out on keyboard/paper (2 staves)
- wrote complete score
- was difficult for him by his own admission
