Chapter Eight:Early Baroque Vocal Music

Baroque • Opera emerged in Italy around 1600

– Sought to re-create the emotive powers of classical Greek theatre

• Opera: A stage play in which the drama is expressed through music; opera drammatica in musica– Libretto: The text of an opera– Overture: Opening instrumental piece– Use of Monody

Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)• “The father of opera”• Composed operas, madrigals, Masses, motets• 1590: Worked as singer and performer on string

instruments for Duke Vincenzo Gonzaga in Mantua– 1601: Appointed court director of music – Composed the operas Orfeo (1607) and Arianna

(1608)• Became maestro di cappella at Saint Mark’s basilica in

Venice– Important later operas: Il ritorno d’Ulisse (1640) and

L’incoronazione di Poppea (1642)--Died in Venice in 1643

Orfeo (1607)• The first important opera in the history of Western music• Based on the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice• Use of Monody: Expressive solo singing to simple

accompaniment • Recitative: Musically heightened speech, narrates the plot

– Usually only accompanied by basso continuo– Simple Recitative: Sparsely accompanied recitative

Orfeo (1607)• Aria: “Song;” Passionate, expansive, tuneful– Lyrical type of monody

– Expression of feelings and emotions

– Accompanied by full orchestra and basso continuo

– Self-contained unit, both textually and musically

• Arisoso: Manner of singing halfway between aria and recitative

• Tocatta: Instrumental pieces requiring great technical dexterity; an instrumental show piece

Chamber Cantata• For solo voice and a few accompanying instruments

• Intended to be performed at home or a private chamber (chamber music)

• Subjects usually described the worldly exploits of the heroes and heroines of classical mythology or takes of unrequited love

Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677)

• Steeped in the traditions of Claudio Monteverdi

• Wrote chamber cantatas for herself to sing

• Cantata L’amante segreto (The Secret Lover): “Voglio morire” (I Want to Die)– Use of figured bass (numerical shorthand in the bass)

and ostinato (melody, harmony, or rhythm that continually repeats)

Opera in London

• Opera spread from Italy to German-speaking countries, to France, then to England

Henry Purcell (1659-1695)• Has been called the “greatest of all English

composers”

• 1679: Position as organist at Westminster Abbey

• By 1682, organist for the king’s Chapel Royal as well

• Dido and Aeneas (1689): One of the first operas written in English– Written for performance at a private girl’s boarding school

– Libretto from Virgil’s Aeneid

Dido’s Final Aria

• Introduced by “Thy hand, Belinda” – Simple recitative

• “When I am laid in earth” – Aria– Built on a basso ostinato (or ground round) – Purcell used

a chromatic step-wise descending line with a two measure cadence returning to tonic