Listening Assignment 7
Late Baroque Masters
Final Exam Listening—Parts 1a and 1b
For this section we will play excerpts from
the Exam List below, which includes both mid and late Baroque works from Encounters 6 and 7. The list divides into two sections: the first section includes opera and other vocal genres; the second consists entirely of instrumental genres. (For further information on vocal genres, please see the Baroque
Vocal Genres Listening Guide.) We will test you on each list separately. For each work you hear, please identify the following:
- Composer & title (and section, where necessary)
- Genre
- Part 1a—church cantata, intermezzo, opera, oratorio, or tragédie lyrique
- Part 1b—chorale prelude, concerto grosso, fugue, solo concerto, prelude, solo sonata (da chiesa or da camera), toccata, trio sonata (da chiesa or da camera), or solo concerto
- Appropriate vocal or instrumental category
- Part 1a—accompanied recitative, chorale, chorus, da
capo aria,
French overture, ground bass aria, simple recitative, or verse-refrain aria
- Part 1b—allemande, canzona-like, courante, French overture, fugue, gigue, passacaglia, ritornello form, sarabande
- Country of origin—England, France, Germany, or Italy
- Two additional features—possible things to describe include:
- Performing forces (solo voice(s)? chorus? solo instrument? continuo or orchestra accompaniment? etc.)
- Examples of word painting
- Recurring rhythmic or metric patterns (describe them, please)
- Texture (melody & accompaniment? chordal? imitative? for which phrases?)
- Use of ritornello, ground bass, or other distinctive formal features
- Melodic style and use of ornamentation
- Etc.
NOTE: We will also include one excerpt from a Baroque sonata that is NOT on the Exam List—you will need to identify the correct Baroque dance form and sonata type (church or chamber? solo or trio?)!
All recordings are from NRAWM unless otherwise noted.
Exam List
Part 1a—Vocal Works
- Lully, Armide (Tragédie lyrique—French
opera)
- Ouverture (French overture)
- Enfin il est en ma puissance (Simple recitative)
- Purcell, Dido and Aeneas (English opera)
- When I am laid in earth (Ground bass aria)
- Scarlatti, La Griselda (Italian
opera)
- In voler ciò che tu brami (Da capo aria)
- Rameau, Hippolyte et Aricie (Tragédie lyrique—French
opera)
- Act IV conclusion (Chorus with simple recitative & accompanied recitative)
- Handel, Giulio Cesare (Italian opera)
-
V’adoro pupille (Da capo aria)
-
Handel, Messiah (English oratorio) RESERVE DVD
- Sinfonia (French overture)
-
There were shepherds (Simple recitative & accompanied recitative)
-
Glory to God (Chorus)
- Gay, The Beggar’s Opera (Ballad opera—English comic opera)
- Scene 13: Aria XVI (Verse-refrain aria)
- Bach, Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland, BWV 62 (Church cantata)
-
Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Chorus)
- Lob sei Gott, dem Vater, ton (Chorale)
Part 1b—Instrumental Works
- Froberger, Suite XXII in E Minor (Keyboard dance suite)
- Jacquet de la Guerre, Suite No. 3 in A Minor (Keyboard dance suite)
- Couperin, Vingt-cinquième ordre (Keyboard dance suite)
- La visioinaire (French overture)
- Corelli, Trio Sonata Op. 3 No. 2 (Trio sonata da chiesa)
- Handel, Trio Sonata Op. 5 No. 6 (Trio sonata da chiesa)
- Corelli, Violin Sonata Op. 5 No. 1 (Solo sonata da chiesa)
- Corelli, Violin Sonata Op. 5 No. 11 (Solo sonata da camera)
- I. Preludio Adagio (Allemande)
- Corelli, Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 6, No. 8 (Concerto grosso da chiesa)—Blackboard
RESERVE
- III. Adagio–Allegro–Adagio (Canzona-like movement)
- Vivaldi, Concerto in A Minor, Op. 3, No. 6 (Solo concerto)
- I. Allegro (Ritornello form)
- Vivaldi, Concerto in G Major, Op. 4, No. 12 (Solo concerto)
- II. Largo (Passacaglia form)
- Bach, Brandenburg Concertos RESERVE DVD
- Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 (Concerto grosso)
- III. Allegro assai (Fugue)
- Bach, Toccata in D Minor (Toccata)—RESERVE MCD B118/565tk (track 1)
- Bach, Das wohltemperirte Klavier—DWMA RESERVE CD
- Fugue in C Minor (Fugue)—CD6, track 19
- Bach, Durch Adams Fall (Chorale prelude)
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Final Exam Listening—Part 2
For the second listening section of the Final Exam you will hear three
musical works, one each from the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Baroque eras.
You can prepare for this sections by reflecting on the differences between
these eras and making a list of the most important style features for each
one. Consider the following musical elements in your preparation.
- Texture types favored in each era—monophonic? melody & accompaniment? chordal?
imitative? fugal? etc.?
- Nature of musical expression in each era—what did composers try to express? text
painting or not?
- Important genres in each era—plainchant? organum? motet? madrigal? chanson? recitative?
aria? chorus? era?
- Other important style features associated with each era—rhythm and meter? chromaticism?
melodic shape & length?
melismatic/syllabic? performing forces? dramatic features? etc.
- Important composers and dates for each era?
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Encounter 7 Listening
Before you listen, do the Burkholder readings above to familiarize yourself
with the composers, their works, late Baroque genres, and significant style
features. The listening
examples and questions below will give you practice recognizing these
works, genres, and their style features . As always,
you really want
to read the NAWM notes and follow the score for every work from NAWM.
Each cluster of works listed below is accompanied by a set of Study Questions. The Study Questions and recordings together are designed to help you prepare for the final exam (Baroque Unit Exam) and require no written report.
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Late Baroque Opera and Oratorio in England
Italian Opera in
England
A) NAWM 99—George Frideric Handel, Giulio Cesare (Italian
opera)
- Act II, scenes 1-2
- a) Eseguisti (Recitative, aria introduction, & recitative)—NAWM
CD6, tracks 67-69
- b) V’adoro pupille (Da capo aria)—NAWM CD6, tracks
70-72
Handel & the English Oratorio
B) NAWM 100—George Frideric Handel, Saul (English
oratorio)
- a) No. 66,
The Time at length is come (Accompanied recitative)—CD6, track 73
- b) No. 67,
Where is the Son of Jesse? (Simple recitative)—CD6, track 74
- c) No. 68, O Fatal Consequence Of Rage (Chorus)—CD6, tracks 75-78
C) Messiah DVD—RESERVE VIDEO 781.7 H236m
- George Frideric Handel, Messiah (English oratorio)
- Sinfonia (French overture)—DVD track 1
- There were shepherds (Simple recitative & accompanied recitative)—DVD
track 14
- Glory to God (Chorus)—DVD track 15
- Rejoice greatly (Modified Da capo Aria)—DVD track 16
-
Alternate Recording: Naxos Music Library 8.550667-68—Handel, The
Messiah—tracks 1, 14-16
Study Questions on A-C:
- 1. As you listen to A-C, how would you describe the differences
do you hear between Handel’s
operas and his oratorios?
- 2. Based on examples A-C, what are the
primary differences between between simple (continuo) recitative, accompanied
recitative, and arias in the late Baroque? How does Handel combine these types
effectively in his “scene complexes” (see textbook p. 459)? In
what ways does Handel alter the “recit-aria-recit-aria-etc.” formula
of previous Baroque operas?
- 3. How effectively do these late Baroque arias express the text? How much
ornamentation in the da capo sections? What is the effect
of the da capo section?
- 4. What role
does text painting play in the choruses from Saul and Messiah?
- 5. Why does Handel use a French overture to begin Messiah? What similarities and differences do you find when you compare
Handel’s
Sinfonia from Messiah with the Lully
Overture from Encounter 6?
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Early Classic Opera before 1750
D) NAWM 101—Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, La
serva padrona (Intermezzo)—Blackboard RESERVE
- Ah, quanto mi sta male/Son imbrogliato
io (Simple & accomponaied recitative/da
capo aria)—CD7, tracks 1-6
E) NAWM 102—Johann Adolf Hasse, Cleofide (Italian opera seria)—Blackboard RESERVE
- Act II, scene 9: Digli ch’io son
fidele (Da capo aria)—CD7,
tracks 7-11
F) NAWM 103—John Gay, The
Beggar’s Opera (English ballad opera)—Blackboard RESERVE
- Aria XV: My heart was so free (Aria)—CD7,
track 12-13
- Aria XVI: Were I laid on Greenland’s
coast (Aria)—CD7, track 14-15
Study Questions on D-F:
- 6. How is Uberto’s aria (D) typical of Italian comic
opera? How is the aria from Hasse’s Cleofide (E)
typical of opera seria? Which would you rather listen to?
- 7. How are the first two arias (D-E) different
from Handel’s late Baroque arias above (in A & C)?
- 8. How are the Gay examples (F) different from the arias
in A & C-E?
Do the instruments merely accompany
the singers? Why do you think The Beggar’s Opera nearly put
Handel out of business?
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The Mid-Baroque Concerto
G) Corelli Concerti Grossi Op. 6 Nos. 7-12 CD—Blackboard
RESERVE
- Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 6, No. 8, Fatto per la notte di natale (Written for Christmas
Eve) (Concerto grosso da chiesa)
- I. Vivace–Grave (Canzona-like form)
- II. Allegro (Allemande - fugue?)
- III. Adagio–Allegro–Adagio (Canzona-like form)
- IV. Vivace
- V. Allegro (Gavotte)
- VI. Pastorale ad libitum: Largo (Siciliano)
The Late Baroque Concerto
H) NAWM 93—Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto for
Violin and Orchestra in A Minor, Op. 3, No. 6 (Violin concerto)
- a) I. Allegro (Ritornello form)—CD6, tracks
13-20
- b) II. Largo—CD6, track 21
- c) III. Presto (Ritornello form)—CD6, tracks
22-30
- Alternate Recording: L’estro armonico CD set, Fabio Biondi & Europa Galante—Blackboard RESERVE
I) Listen CD set—RESERVE
- Violin Concerto in G Major, Op. 4, No. 12 (Violin concerto)
- I. Allegro (Ritornello form)
- II. Andante (Passacaglia form)
- III. Allegro (Ritornello form)
- Alternate Recording—La Stravaganza, Op. 4 CD set, Rachel Podger & Arte dei Suonatori—Blackboard RESERVE
J) Johann Sebastian Bach, Brandenburg Concertos DVD—RESERVE
VIDEO 784.2 B817f
- Concerto No. 2 in F Major (Concerto grosso)—DVD tracks
5-7
- I. Allegro (Ritornello form)
- II. Andante
- III. Allegro assai (Fugue)
-
Alternate Recording: RESERVE MCD B118/1046n—Bach, Brandenburg Concertos—CD1, tracks 5-7
-
Alternate Recording: Six Concertos for the Margrave of Brandenburg CD set, European Brandenburg Ensemble, Trevor Pinnock, cond.—Blackboard RESERVE
Study Questions on G-J:
- 9. Why is the Corelli concerto so different from the later concertos by Bach and Vivaldi?
How did the concerto change as we move from mid to
late Baroque?
- 10. Which movements of these concertos appear to use ritornello form: I, II,
and/or III?
- 11. Outside of tempo, what differences do you hear between slow movements
and fast movements in these concertos? Consider form, performing forces, and
any other features that stand out.
- 12. What are the most important differences between Bach’s concerto and Vivaldi’s?
Any style features are fair
game in your comparison.
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The North German Organ School
Quasi-Improvisatory and Imitative Works
K) NAWM 92—Dietrich Buxtehude, Praeludium in E Major (Mid Baroque organ prelude)—CD6, tracks 6-12
L) Johann Sebastian Bach, Toccata & Fugue CD
(Koopman)—RESERVE MCD B118/565tk
- Toccata & Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565
(Organ toccata and fugue)—tracks 1-2
-
Alternate Recording: RESERVE VIDEO 786.5 B118o—Bach,
Greatest Organ Works DVD
- Alternate Recording—See Assignments module/Encounter
Listening/Encounter 7/Bach Toccata & Fugue
M) Development of Western Music (DWMA)—RESERVE MCD D489 1998
- DWMA 116—Johann Sebastian Bach, Das wohltemperirte Klavier, Prelude
and Fugue in C minor, BWV 847 (Keyboard prelude and fugue)—CD6, tracks
18-19
-
Alternate Recording: RESERVE VIDEO 786.2 B118j—Bach,
48 Preludes and Fugues: The Well-Tempered Clavier—DVD 1
- Alternate Recording—See Assignments module/Encounter
Listening/Encounter 7/Bach Prelude & Fugue
Chorale-Based Works
N) NAWM 97—Johann Sebastian Bach, Durch
Adams Fall,
BWV 637 (Chorale prelude)—CD6, track 51
Study Questions on K-N:
- 13. Why did Buxtehude write just a prelude and not a prelude and fugue? Are there any fugal
sections in this work? How would you describe the use of imitation here?
- 14. Late Baroque composers frequently paired improvisatory works (toccatas,
preludes, fantasias, etc.) with fugues. Compare Bach’s organ toccata with his keyboard
prelude above. How similar or different are the toccata and the prelude? How similar or different
are the two fugues that follow them? What effect is created by pairing an improvisatory
work and a fugue?
- 15. Which term best describes the Bach chorale prelude, Durch Adams Fall—imitative,
ornamental, or figural (see Burkholder, pp. 407-408)? What is the effect of the descending 7th
motive in the pedals? How does this piece symbolize the central image of the title, Adam’s
fall from grace (“original sin”)?
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Bach Vocal Music
O) NAWM 98—Johann Sebastian Bach, Nun
komm, der Heiden Heiland,
BWV 62 (Church cantata)
- Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Chorus—in the form of a “gapped” chorale
prelude)—CD6, tracks 52-59
- Bewundert, o Menschen (Full da capo aria)—CD6, tracks
60-61
- So geht aus Gottes Herrlichkeit und Thron (Recitative)—CD6,
track 62
- Streite, siege, starker Held! (Full da capo aria)—CD6,
tracks 63-64
- Wir ehren diese Herrlichkeit (Accompanied recitative)—CD6,
track 65
- Lob sei Gott, dem Vater, ton (Chorale)—CD6, track 66
Study Questions on O:
- 16. What are the most important differences between this church cantata and the opera & oratorio
excerpts in A-C above?
Pay special attention to the types of musical numbers used (aria, recitative,
chorus, chorale) and the way Bach uses them. Can the differences be explained
by the fact that Bach is writing this cantata for use in church? What role
does the chorale melody Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland play
in this cantata?
- 17. Study Bach’s opening chorus. Bach often combines features of contrasting
genres in his choruses, and this one is no exception. Here he fuses the chorale motet with
the ritornello form typical of a concerto. How
is this an example of ritornello form? Where are the ritornello statements?
Where are the episodes? How does Bach present phrases from the cantus
firmus (Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland) in this chorus? In what
ways does his use of the cantus firmus resemble the structure
of Renaissance (Josquin, e.g.) Masses or motets? What similarities and differences do you
find as you compare this chorus with the Handel chorus (Glory to God)
from Messiah?
- 18. As you compare uses of different vocal types (chorus, simple recitative, accompanied
recitative, and da
capo aria) by Bach (O) and Handel (A-C),
which composer is more obvious in using text depiction? Which one relies more heavily on
contrapuntal textures? Which one uses contrasting textures and dynamics more dramatically?
Where can you find good examples of these features?
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