Music 343—Encounter 9             Name:

Due Date: Friday, December 10, 2004

Readings—

• K Marie Stolba, The Development of Western Music
• Chapter 13: Renaissance Instrumental Music, p. 218-223
• Chapter 15: Baroque Vocal Music, p. 250-260
• Chapter 16: Baroque Instrumental Music, p. 270-272, 274-275, 275-280, 293-295
• Chapter 17: Eminent Composers of the Early 18th Century, pp. 299-302, 305-326
• Claude V. Palisca, Norton Anthology of Western Music, Vol. 1 (NAWM)
• NAWM 55-57, pp. 306-329
• NAWM 65-66, pp. 393-398
• NAWM 68-72, pp. 403-429
• NAWM 76-84, pp. 453-614
• David and Mendel, The Bach Reader (RESERVE)

The Bach Reader

Go to the Reserve Desk in Buehler Library. Ask for The Bach Reader by David and Mendel. This book is a documentary biography; that is, it contains the “raw material” a biographer would have to consult in order to write a biography of Bach—important legal documents, letters, and so on. Browse through the table of contents (pp. 7-11) for Section Two to get a feel for the kinds of documents this book contains. Choose any document on pp. 46-198 that interests you. Once you have selected a document, do the following:

• Log onto the Music 343 Discussion Board for Encounter 9 (click here to enter Blackboard—then go to the Discussion module)
• Browse through the Encounter 9 discussion to make sure no one has reported on your chosen document. If another student has already reported on that document, you must find another one.
• Read your document, the questions I posted in the Encounter 9 discussion, and several student replies.
• Click “Reply” in the Encounter 9 discussion and answer the questions I posted there.
• In your reply, respond to at least one other student reply that either confirms or contradicts what you found in your chosen document. What kind of person is Bach?

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Listening Report 9

Late Baroque Opera, Oratorio & Bach

For the first listening portion of the Final Exam, I will play excerpts taken from Mid and Late Baroque operas and oratorios. For each excerpt, you must describe the following:

• texture (melody & accompaniment? chordal? imitative? for which phrases?)
• performers (solo voice(s)? chorus? orchestra? type of accompaniment: continuo or orchestra?)
• other features (rhythm? ritornello? ground bass? melodic style? use of words? ornamentation? etc.)
• type of work (aria? da capo aria? continuo recitative? accompanied recitative? chorus? French overture?)
• style (mid Baroque or late Baroque? why?)
• possible composer
• possible date

Some additional features that can help you distinguish aria, continuo recitative, and accompanied recitative include:

• rhythm (clear meter or free speech rhythms? dotted rhythms?)
• melody (tuneful or speechlike melody?)
• words (once through or frequent repetition?)
• embellishment/ornamentation (present or absent? amount?)
• accompaniment (continuo or orchestra?)

Before you listen, do the Stolba readings above to familiarize yourself with the style features, composers, and types of works associated with Mid and Late Baroque operas and oratorios. (You may also want to revisit the chart on Recitative, Aria, Chorus, and Arioso from the Listening Report in Encounter 7.) The listening report examples and questions under the Mid & Late Baroque Opera and Oratorio (Nos. 1-6) and Bach Vocal Music (Nos. 17-18) headings below will give you practice recognizing the features and types listed above. 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 questions. Your listening report consists of your answers to these questions. Listen as many times as necessary to provide complete answers to each question. Organize your report so that you discuss each work separately.

Mid & Late Baroque Opera and Oratorio

Mid Baroque Opera in Italy

1) L’incoronazione di Poppea DVD—RESERVE VIDEO 782.1 L741

• Claudio Monteverdi, L’incoronazione di Poppea (Mid Baroque Italian Opera)
• Act I, scene 3 (Recitative with arioso passages)—DVD track 5
• Alternate Recording: NAWM 55—Monteverdi, L’incoronazione di Poppea—CD4, tracks 16-20

2) NAWM 56—Marc’ Antonio Cesti, Orontea (Mid Baroque Italian Opera)

• Act II, scene 17: Intorno all’idol mio (Bel canto Aria)—CD4, tracks 21-22

Questions on Nos. 1-2:

• As you listen to each number above, describe its overall mood and identify important style features, such as the use of tempo, meter, melody, texture, and so on.
• Based on the examples above, what are the primary differences between between recitative, arioso, and aria in the mid Baroque?

Mid Baroque Opera in France and England

3) NAWM 68—Jean-Baptiste Lully, Armide (Tragédie lyrique—Mid Baroque French Opera)

• Ouverture (French overture)—CD5, tracks 1-3
• Act II, scene 5
• Enfin il est en ma puissance (Recitative)—CD5, tracks 4-5
• Venez, venez, seconder mes désirs (Aria)—CD5, track 6

4) NAWM 69—Henry Purcell, Dido and Aeneas (Mid Baroque English Opera)

• Act III, scene 2
• Thy hand, Belinda (Recitative)—CD5, track 7
• When I am laid in earth (Aria)—CD5, tracks 8-9
• With drooping wings (Chorus)—CD5, track 10

Questions on Nos. 3-4:

• As you listen to each number above, describe its overall mood and identify important style features, such as the use of tempo, meter, melody, texture, and so on.
• How do these mid Baroque French and English examples of recitative and aria differ from each other? Do you notice any qualities that seem particularly French or English? Explain.
• How do these mid Baroque French and English examples of recitative and aria differ from the Italian recitative and aria examples in Nos. 1-2?

Late Baroque Opera & Oratorio in England

5) George Frideric Handel, Giulio Cesare (Late Baroque Italian Opera)

• NAWM 83—Act II, scene 2—CD6, tracks 20-24
• Eseguisti, oh Niren (Continuo Recitative)—NAWM CD6, track 20
• V’adoro pupille (Da capo Aria)—NAWM CD6, tracks 21-24

• Development of Western Music (DWMA)—RESERVE MCD D489 1998
• DWMA 118—Act III, scene 7—CD6, track 21
• Voi, che mie fide ancelle (Accompanied Recitative)—DWMA CD6, track 21 (at 0:00)
• Forzai l’ingresso a tua salvezza (Continuo Recitative)—DWMA CD6, track 21 (at 2:36)
• Da tempeste (Da capo Aria)—DWMA CD6, track 21 (at 4:13)

6) Messiah DVD—RESERVE VIDEO 781.7 H236m

• George Frideric Handel, Messiah (Late Baroque English Oratorio)
• Sinfonia (French overture)—DVD track 1
• There were shepherds (Continuo & 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

Questions on Nos. 5-6:

• As you listen to each number above, describe its overall mood and identify important style features, such as the use of tempo, meter, melody, texture, and so on.
• Do you hear any clear differences between Handel’s late Baroque operas and his oratorios? Explain.
• Based on examples Nos. 5-6 above, what are the primary differences between between continuo recitative, accompanied recitative, and arias in the late Baroque?
• How do these late Baroque examples of continuo recitative and accompanied recitative differ from the mid Baroque examples of recitative in Nos. 1-4?
• How do these late Baroque aria examples differ from the mid Baroque aria examples in Nos. 1-4?
• How does Handel’s late Baroque chorus differ from Purcell’s mid Baroque chorus in No. 4? What role does text painting play in each of these choruses?
• Compare Handel’s Sinfonia with Lully’s Ouverture (No. 3). How are these French overtures similar? How are they different?

The Late Baroque Concerto

7) NAWM 76—Antonio Vivaldi, Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 3, No. 2, RV 578 (Late Baroque Concerto Grosso)

• I. Adagio e spiccato—CD5, track 33
• II. Allegro (ritornello form)—CD5, tracks 34-40

8) Antonio Vivaldi, Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons) CD—RESERVE MCD V855/8h

• Concerto in F Major, Op. 8, No. 4: L’inverno (Winter) (Late Baroque Solo Concerto)—tracks 10-12
• I. Allegro non molto—track 10
• II. Largo—track 11
• III. Allegro—track 12
• Alternate Recording: Naxos Music Library 8.225955HDCD—Vivaldi, The Four Seasons—tracks 10-12

9) Johann Sebastian Bach, Brandenburg Concerto DVD—RESERVE VIDEO 784.2 B817f

• Concerto No. 2 in F Major (Late Baroque Concerto Grosso)—DVD tracks 5-7
• I. [no tempo marking]—track 5
• II. Andante—track 6
• III. Allegro assai—track 7
• Alternate Recording: RESERVE MCD B118/1046n—Bach, Brandenburg Concertos—CD1, tracks 5-7
• Alternate Recording: Naxos Music Library 8.554607—Bach, Brandenburg Concertos, Vol. 1—tracks 5-7

Questions on Nos. 7-9:

• As you listen to each movement above, describe its overall mood and identify important style features, such as the use of tempo, meter, melody, texture, and so on.
• Do you hear any similarities between these concerto movements and any movements in the four-movement plan for the sonatas you listened to in Encounter 8? Explain.
• Which movements of these concertos seem to use ritornello form: I, II, and/or III?
• Outside of tempo, what differences do you hear between slow movements and fast movements in these concertos?
• Do you hear any differences between the Bach concerto and the two Vivaldi concertos? Explain.
• This Vivaldi concerto is an early example of programme music, music that “tells a story.” Take a moment to read about the “story” of this concerto in the Vivaldi CD booklet. In your opinion, does Vivaldi express what sets out to express? Explain. What aspects of winter can you hear in each movement of this Winter Concerto?

The North German Organ School

Quasi-Improvisatory and Imitative Works

10) Development of Western Music (DWMA)—RESERVE MCD D489 1998

• DWMA 100—Jan Pieterzoon Sweelinck, Fantasia chromatica (Early Baroque Imitative Fantasia)—CD5, track 3

11) NAWM 65—Girolamo Frescobaldi, Toccata No. 3 (Early Baroque Toccata)—CD4, track 45

12) NAWM 71—Dieterich Buxtehude, Praeludium in E Major, BuxWV 141 (Mid Baroque Toccata)—CD5, tracks 12-16

13) 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 (Late Baroque Prelude and Fugue)—CD6, tracks 18-19

14) NAWM 79—Johann Sebastian Bach, Praeludium and Fuga in A Minor, BWV 543 (Late Baroque Prelude and Fugue)—CD5, tracks 43-44

Questions on Nos. 10-14:

• As you listen to each fantasia, toccata, prelude, and fugue above, describe its overall mood and identify important style features, such as the use of tempo, meter, melody, texture, and so on.
• What important differences do you hear between the quasi-improvisational works (toccatas and preludes) and the imitative works (fantasias and fugues)?
• As you listen to Nos. 10-14, how do the late Baroque works differ from the early and mid Baroque works?
• Early Baroque imitative works such as the fantasia or ricerare eventually evolved into the late Baroque fugue. As you compare the Bach fugues above with the Sweelinck Fantasia, what similiarities do you hear? What differences do you hear?

Chorale-Based Works

15) Development of Western Music (DWMA)—RESERVE MCD D489 1998

• Two Chorale Preludes on Vater unser im Himmelreich
• DWMA 104a—Samuel Scheidt, Vater unser im Himmelreich (Early Baroque Imitative Chorale Prelude)—CD5, track 7
• DWMA 104b—Dietrich Buxtehude, Vater unser im Himmelreich (Mid Baroque Ornamental Chorale Prelude)—CD5, track 8

16) NAWM 80—Johann Sebastian Bach, Durch Adams Fall, BWV 637 (Late Baroque Figural Choral Prelude)—CD5, track 44

Questions on Nos. 15-16:

• As you listen to each chorale prelude above, describe its overall mood and identify important style features, such as the use of tempo, meter, melody, texture, and so on.
• How are imitative, ornamental, and figural chorale preludes different from each other? In which type is it easiest to hear the original hymn tune?
• Do you hear any clear differences between early, mid, and late Baroque chorale preludes? Explain.

Bach Vocal Music

17) NAWM 81—Johann Sebastian Bach, Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 140 (Late Baroque Church Cantata)—CD6, tracks 1-12

1. Wachet auf (Chorus)—CD6, tracks 1-5
2. Er kommt (Continuo Recitative)—CD6, track 6
3. Wann kommst du, mein Heil? (Duet—in abbreviated da capo aria form)—CD6, track 7
4. Zion hört die Wächter singen (Chorale—in the form of a “gapped” chorale prelude)—CD6, track 8
5. So geh herein zu mir (Accompanied Recitative)—CD6, track 9
6. Mein Freund ist mein! (Duet—in full da capo aria form)—CD6, tracks 10-11
7. Gloria sei dir gesungen (Chorale)—CD6, track 12

18) NAWM 81—Johann Sebastian Bach, Mass in B Minor, BWV 232 (Late Baroque Mass)—CD6, tracks 13-19

• Credo: Symbolum Nicenum
  • Et in Spiritum sanctum Dominum (Ritornello Aria)—CD6, tracks 13-14
  • Confiteor (Chorus in stile antico with cantus firmus)—CD6, tracks 15-17
  • Et expecto resurrectionem (Chorus)—CD6, tracks 18-19

Questions on Nos. 17-18:

• As you listen to each number above, describe its overall mood and identify important style features, such as the use of tempo, meter, melody, texture, and so on.
• What are the most important differences between this Bach cantata (No. 17) and the opera excerpts in Nos. 1-6 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 do settings of the chorale melody Wachet auf play in this cantata?
• Compare the fourth movement of the cantata (Zion hört die Wächter singen) with the three organ chorale preludes above (Nos. 15-16). How are they similar? How are they different?
• Compare the three Bach choruses here (Wachet auf, Confiteor, and Et expecto resurrectionem) with the Handel chorus (Glory to God) from No. 6 above. How are they similar? How are they different? Which composer is more obvious in his use of text painting? Which composer relies more heavily on contrapuntal textures? Which composer is more dramatic in his use of contrasting textures and dynamics?

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Extra Credit Listening—

Messiah Extra Credit Listening Option

Elmhurst College Choral Union will perform Handel’s Messiah in Hammerschmidt Chapel on Saturday, December 4 at 7:30 pm and again on Sunday, December 5 at 3:00 pm. If you attend one of these performances of Messiah and write a listening report on the music (written comments about each musical number in Messiah!), you can count it in place of Nos. 5, 6, and 18 for the Worksheet 9 Listening Report and you will earn two hours of extra credit listening. Of course, Messiah contains examples of everything you need to prepare for Part I of the Final Exam listening—a French overture, arias (some da capo), recitatives (simple and obbligato), choruses, and arioso passages (usually embedded in a recitative, but one even appears as an independent number!).

Buehler Library RESERVE

• VIDEO 782.1 L741—Monteverdi, L’incoronazione di Poppea DVD (Jacobs)
• MCD H236/016j—Handel, Giulio Cesare—Highlights (Jacobs)
• VIDEO 781.7 H236m—Handel, Messiah DVD (Cleobury)
• MCD V855/8h—Vivaldi, The Four Seasons CD (Hogwood)
• MCD B118/1046n—Bach, Brandenburg Concertos (Pickett)
• VIDEO 784.2 B817f—Bach, Brandenburg Concertos DVD (von der Goltz)
• MCD B118/565tk—Bach Organ Works (Koopman)
• VIDEO 786.5 B118o—Bach, Greatest Organ Works, Volume One DVD (Stamm)
• VIDEO 786.2 B118j—Bach, 48 Preludes and Fugues: The Well Tempered Clavier DVD (Gavrilov, MacGregor, Demidenko, and Hewitt)
• MCD B118/248k—Bach, Weinachts-Oratorium (Christmas Oratorio) (Koopman)
• MCD B118/244k—Bach, Matthäus-Passion (St. Matthew Passion) (Koopman)
• MCD D489 1998—Development of Western Music recordings (DWMA), 3rd edition, Volume I, CD5-CD6
• DWMA 101—Anonymous, Canzona per l’epistola (Canzona)—CD5, track 4
• DWMA 103—Girolamo Frescobaldi, Il secondo libro di toccate: Toccata nona (Toccata)—CD5, track 6
• DWMA 104d—Johann Sebastian Bach, Vater unser im Himmelreich (Figural Chorale Prelude)—CD5, track 9
• DWMA 105—Girolamo Frescobaldi, Messa della Madonna, Ricercar dopo il Credo (Ricercare)—CD5, track 10
• DWMA 114—Johann Sebastian Bach, Cantata No. 80: Ein’ feste Burg ist unser Gott, Mvmt. I (Cantata excerpt)—CD6, track 15
• DWMA 119a—George Frideric Handel, Messiah, “Comfort ye” (Accompanied Recitative—Oratorio excerpt)—CD6, track 22
• DWMA 119b—George Frideric Handel, Messiah, “Every valley” (Aria—Oratorio excerpt)—CD6, track 23
• DWMA 119c—George Frideric Handel, Messiah, “And the glory of the Lord” (Chorus—Oratorio excerpt)—CD6, track 24

Created 11/18/03 by Mark Harbold—last updated 12/01/04