Baroque Orchestral Music
Baroque Orchestral Music
Baroque music is characterised by:
- long flowing melodic lines often using ornamentation (decorative notes such as trills and turns)
- contrast between loud and soft, solo and ensemble
- a contrapuntal texture where two or more melodic lines are combined
- terraced dynamics - sudden changes in the volume level, sometimes creating an echo effect
- the use of harpsichord continuo.
Listen to the second movement from Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 4. Notice the solo group of violin and two flutes and the ripieno (accompanying) strings. |
|
Instruments in the Baroque Orchestra
An orchestra is a large instrumental ensemble with sections of strings, brass, woodwind and sometimes percussion. It is usually directed by a conductor. A Baroque orchestra was sometimes directed from the harpsichord.
The continuo (or basso continuo) part was usually played the harpsichord or organ (filling in the harmonies and holding the ensemble together) plus a bassline often played by the cello or bassoon. The harpsichord is a keyboard instrument where the strings are plucked rather than hammered.
The Baroque orchestra was relatively small (a small orchestra is known as a chamber orchestra). The orchestra was still evolving during the Baroque period. At first there were no set instruments, but as the 17th century progressed the orchestra began to take shape. Instruments usually included:
The continuo (or basso continuo) part was usually played the harpsichord or organ (filling in the harmonies and holding the ensemble together) plus a bassline often played by the cello or bassoon. The harpsichord is a keyboard instrument where the strings are plucked rather than hammered.
The Baroque orchestra was relatively small (a small orchestra is known as a chamber orchestra). The orchestra was still evolving during the Baroque period. At first there were no set instruments, but as the 17th century progressed the orchestra began to take shape. Instruments usually included:
- strings - violins, violas, cellos and double basses
- woodwind - recorders or wooden flutes, oboes, and bassoon
- brass - sometimes trumpets and/or horns (without valves)
- timpani (kettledrums)
- continuo
Forms of Baroque Orchestral Music
Orchestral pieces commonly found during the Baroque period include concertos and suites.
Concertos
A concerto is a large-scale composition for an orchestra plus a soloist or a group of soloists. Read this revision bite to learn more about the concerto.
Baroque composers who wrote concertos include Vivaldi (who wrote over 500, around half of them for violin), Bach and Handel.
There were two types of Baroque concerto - the concerto grosso and the solo concerto. Concertos of both types generally have three movements – fast, slow, fast.
The concerto grosso:
The Baroque solo concerto:
The orchestral suite is a collection of dances. Handel's Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks are suites. Bach wrote four orchestral suites. The first movement of each is an overture (an opening movement) and this is followed by a number of dances often including:
Most of the dances were in binary form. Binary form has two sections (A and B). The music moves to a new key at the end of the A section and returns to the home key (the tonic) in the B section.
A concerto is a large-scale composition for an orchestra plus a soloist or a group of soloists. Read this revision bite to learn more about the concerto.
Baroque composers who wrote concertos include Vivaldi (who wrote over 500, around half of them for violin), Bach and Handel.
There were two types of Baroque concerto - the concerto grosso and the solo concerto. Concertos of both types generally have three movements – fast, slow, fast.
The concerto grosso:
- is written for a group of solo instruments (the concertino) plus a larger ensemble (the ripieno)
- Bach’s six Brandenburg Concertos are well-known examples of the Baroque concerto grosso.
The Baroque solo concerto:
- is written for one solo instrument plus orchestra
- often has brilliant and technically demanding passages for the soloist to play
- Vivaldi’s Four Seasons is a well-known example of the Baroque solo violin concerto
The orchestral suite is a collection of dances. Handel's Water Music and Music for the Royal Fireworks are suites. Bach wrote four orchestral suites. The first movement of each is an overture (an opening movement) and this is followed by a number of dances often including:
- courante - three in a bar, moderate speed
- gavotte - 2/2 or 4/4 time, often with each phrase beginning halfway through the bar
- minuet - 3/4 time, moderate speed
- gigue - lively and in compound time (6/8, 9/8 or 12/8)
Most of the dances were in binary form. Binary form has two sections (A and B). The music moves to a new key at the end of the A section and returns to the home key (the tonic) in the B section.
Listen to the gigue from Bach's Orchestral Suite No. 3. Notice the 6/8 time signature and the scoring which includes oboes, trumpets and basso continuo. |
|
Listening...
|
|
|