Concerto Grosso Ritornello Fugue Concerto Grosso Consists of

Concerto Grosso & Ritornello Fugue

Concerto Grosso • Consists of several movements that contrast in tempo and character • Small group of soloists against large group (Tutti): 2 -4 soloists vs. 20 or more musicians (Strings and basso continuo) • 3 movements : fast, slow, fast; 1 st movement vigorous, showing contrast between tutti and soloists • Slow movement quiet and lyrical; last movement lively, dance like • 1 st and last movement are usually in ritornello

Ritornello Form • The refrian: repeated section of music played by the tutti, alternated by soloists playing new material • Played in different keys throughout movement; returns in fragments throughout movement. • At the end, entire ritornello in home key

Solo section • New melodic ideas, softer dynamics • Lots of notes!!! • Expansion of short melodic ideas from tutti

Fugue • Polyphonic composition based on one theme: subject • One of main forms of baroque music/composition • Written for a group of instruments or single keyboard instrument • Different melodic lines (voices) imitate the subject

Fugue • Top line-soprano, bottom line-bass • Texture can be 3 -5 voices; subject remains constant throughout; shifts to different keys or combined with different musical material • Form extremely flexible; only thing constant is how they begin: with subject • Subject imitated in other voices after introduction in soprano voice (usual technique)

Fugue • Subject can be announced in ANY voice; order of imitation can be changed • Example: Row, Row your boat (exact imitation) • After presentation of subject, goes its own way with different melodic material

Fugue • In opening of fugue, subject presented in two different scales: 1 st time on tonic key or scale • 2 nd voice presents subject, dominant scale, becomes answer • Alternation between subject and answer creates variety

Fugue Many fugues, there is a countersubject: melodic idea that accompanies the subject constantly Countersubject always appears with subject; above or below After subject present, composer free to choose direction of music

Fugue • Between subjects, transition music: episodes • Episode brought new musical material, or fragments of subject or counter subject. • Episodes don’t present subject in full; add variety and freshness

Fugues • Other musical features • Stretto: subject imitated before its completed; one voice trying to catch the other • Pedal point: one tone in the bass (usually) is held while the other ovices produce a series of changing harmonies against it; AKA organ point

Fugues • Subject varied in 4 main ways • Inversion: subject turned upside-down, intervals in subject reversed • Retorgrade: beginning with the last note of subject and preceding back to the first note • Augmentation: original time values are lengthened • Diminution: time values shortened

Fugues • Sense of mood and continuous flow • Written as independent works or single movements within larger composition • Most independent fugues are introduced by shorter pieces: preludes