January 24, 2011 in Dance by admin
Popular Baroque Dance Forms
Baroque dance is closely associated with Baroque music since most pieces of composition are based on dances from France, England and Germany. In fact, one of the main characteristics of baroque music is that it almost always is dance music or inspired by upper class social and theatrical dances of the post renaissance era. It is still performed today, of course, and whether you are a patron of the arts or a professional player at www.poker.de with a taste for local culture, it’s worth attending a Baroque event or two. The Baroque suite is performed with and without soloist, using a highly decorative instrumentation.
The Baroque suite commences with a French overture, which is a musical form which is split into two parts enclosed by repeat signs and double bars. Both styles are slow and complement each other well.
The allemande, which is usually the first dance piece, was originated during the Renaissance and forms an integral part of the Baroque music. It can commence on any beat and is played at a reasonably slow tempo. The allemande is usually preceded by a prelude or a short, introductory dance movement which sets the tone for following dances.
The courante comes next. It is a fast paced triple meter dance of France and has the slowest tempo of Baroque dances. However, the subsequent movements of this suite are majestic and lively. During the Renaissance, courante was performed with running steps.
The Sarabande is another popular Baroque dance form. It is also one of the slowest of all triple meter dances. Like the allemande, it can start on any beat of the bar. However, the second beat gets greater emphasis.
The Gigueis a fast-paced baroque dance performed in compound meter. It can also commence on any beat and can be identified using its lively rhythm. It precedes Gavotte, which always commenced on the third beat despite giving the impression that it begins on the first beat. The gavotte is usually done in a relaxed tempo.
Bourrée comes next, and begins on the second part of the final beat. This is played at a moderate pace and lends a unique texture to the dance. This is why it considered as the second most popular baroque dance form after Minuet. The Minuet is a triple meter dance which can begin on any beat of the bar. It is played in succession, with each part escalating the tempo.
The two fastest baroque dances are Passepied and Rigaudon. Passepied is in binary form while the rigaudon is a duple meter French dance. It can be compared to the Bourrée although its rhythm is much simpler. It comprises of a series of regular but hopping steps.
January 19, 2011 in Baroque Music by admin
Essential Components Of Baroque Music
Baroque is a wonderful style of music characterized by elaborative ornamentation. The word derives its origin from Portuguese word ‘Barocco’, which means bizarrely shaped pear. Although this kind of polyphonic music is special because of a number of reasons, the one factor which distinguishes it from other forms of music is its contrasting elements. The immense popularity of baroque music between 1600 and 1750 was not without a reason. It was, and continues to be a potent communication tool capable of breaking the barrier of language and arousing a range of emotions in a human being.
Contrast is an unusually integral part of a baroque composition despite the fact that music is generally synonymous with synthesis and harmony. Baroque music treats soft, loud, solo and chorus songs with varying degrees of subtlety. Although it does give importance to instruments like violin and trumpet, the main emphasis is placed on melody and vocals. In fact, it would not be far-fetched to conclude that baroque began as a voice-based music which allowed performers to improvise uninhibitedly on stage. Improvisation means to modify the style and mode of music as you proceed. Baroque musicians used to improvise frequently to display their skills.
Another distinct feature of baroque music is its dependence on precision and intricacy. It is akin to listening to five or more people talking at the same time in different pitches. It is for you to identify what everybody is saying. While making music, the composer prepares a layout, also known as form. A ‘fugue’ is a good example of this wherein a series of voices follow each other as in a round. However, amidst all this confusion lies a deceptively coherent message which is distinct and ethereal.
Since another meaning of baroque is highly decorated, this brand of music uses ornamentation more than any other style. It is hardly surprising to know that Opera, which is known as ‘controlled scream’, appeared during the baroque era. Yet another important aspect of baroque music is counterpoint, which is listening to multiple lines of music. All lines are unique and of equal importance.
Although most of the instruments used in a baroque composition are known to us, there are a few which are missing from contemporary ensembles. For instance, the main keyboard instrument in the form of harpsichord is no longer used in modern performances. However, instruments like lute and viol continue to be played even today.
January 14, 2011 in Baroque Music by admin
Distinct Features of Baroque Music
Baroque Music comprises of highly decorative yet complicated composition which is steadily finding its way back into people’s hearts after being forgotten for nearly three hundred years. This European classical form of music preceded the Classical Era, involving drastic changes in notation and intricate ornamentation. Baroque music is probably the only style of music which explores all the different facets of instruments as well as vocals. It even led to the formation of a new genre of music in the form of an Opera.
Baroque musicians put a lot of emphasis on counterpoint, which involves playing a couple or more lines of music at a go. All parts of such a piece are equally important. To the listeners, it is like hearing two or more people talk at the same time in different tones/pitches. In addition, the musicians decorate the composition heavily either with instruments or a strategic use of vocals.
The fugue is the most significant attribute of baroque music. It is part of a ‘form’, which is simply a plan followed by a composer while creating music. Most baroque musical forms which were used during the years starting 1600 till 1750 continue to be used even now. A fugue is akin to a musical round where one voice enters the scene and is followed by a series of successive voices. However, voices within this form start on high pitches and end on lower ones. In addition, they keep on playing new pieces even as distinctly different voices continue to emerge. This is the main reason why baroque music is known to have a polyphonic texture.
Baroque music is also unique in nature because it can be played with or without a soloist, although it is credited with the introduction of trend. Earlier, most baroque musical pieces were developed in a choral structure. However, musicians are now blending choral arrangements with solo pieces on a regular basis.
A harpsichord is the most famous instrument synonymous with baroque although other instruments like violin and flute are also common. The different components of instrument suites derive their names from dances from the Renaissance era. One or more instrument can be used to play a particular suite. It begins with a prelude and includes the following dance phases: Allemande, Courante, Hornpipe, Sarabande, Gigue, Menuet, Gavotte, Air, Pavane, Galliard and Bouree. Most of these pieces are based on lively French and German dances.
January 13, 2011 in Composers by admin
Famous Baroque Composers
Many renowned musicians and composers have been associated with baroque music. The most prolific composers are Johann Sebastian Bach and George Friederich Handel. Bach is one of the most well known among all classical composers and has made invaluable contribution to baroque music. As baroque music spanned across entire western Europe, there are many notable composers from many different countries. The most notable among them are: Francois Couperin – France, Unico Willem van Wassenaer – Holland, Giovanni Battista Bononcini – Italy and John Stanley – England. These composers belong to the 17th and the 18th centuries, a period known as late baroque.
George Friederich Handel, born in 1685 – incidentally the same year Johann Sebastian Bach was born, was a renowned baroque composer who is best known for his English oratorios and Italian operas. Handel in addition to being a composer was also a opera impresario and a virtuoso organist. Some of the best known oratorios of Handle include Joshua, Messiah, and Israel in Egypt. Handel’s oratorios were based mostly on the Old Testament, with Messiah being set to Charles Jennings’ compiled texts from the Old Testament. Handel in his lifetime produced 42 operas, 29 oratorios, over 120 cantatas, large number of arias, chamber music, many odes and seranetas and 16 organ concerti.
Johann Sebastian Bach is a very familiar name even for the people who are not learned in classical music. The popularity of Bach can be attributed to the fact that he has created masterpieces in every form of baroque other than opera. Some of his best known compositions are: Brandenburg concertos, the Canonic Variations, the Goldberg Variations, the Well-Tempered Clavier, the Musical Offering, the Mass in B minor and the Art of Fugue. The Art of the Fugue is his last great work and completely summarizes his skill in fugue and counterpoint. In his last days, Bach composed his last chorale fantasia based on the chorale “Before Thy Throne O Lord I Stand”. Also, he started working on a fugue featuring subject B-A-C-H (B is B Flat and H is B natural in German notation), which remained unfinished.
There are quite a few similarities between the two great composers. Not only were the two born in the same year, but both were born in Germany. Handel though later became a British citizen. Both of them suffered from illnesses that influenced their musical styles. However, their style of music was quite distinct. These two composers along with other baroque composers helped popularize baroque music. Their music influenced later artists of renown such as Beethoven and Mozart.