Tis the Seasons Instrumental Music of the Baroque

‘Tis the Season(s): Instrumental Music of the Baroque and Stories without Words

Classical Music Concert

Two Preliminary Ideas #1: Instrumental music peripheral until 17 th century//central after #2: Cutting music free of words has far-reaching implications

I. The Baroque Sonata A. Sonata Defined 1. Early Baroque (1600 -1650) sonata or canzona=any instrumental composition Early sonata tied to vocal models 2. Mid- and Late Baroque (ca. 1650 - ) chamber music for 1 -2 soloists + b. c. B. Types of Sonata 1. Functions Sonata da camera (chamber sonata) Stylized dances: Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue usually in binary form: ||: a : ||: b : || Sonata da chiesa (church sonata) Non dance: often Slow/Fast/Slow/Fast 2. Performing Forces Solo Sonata Trio Sonata

I. The Baroque Sonata A. Sonata Defined 1. Early Baroque (1600 -1650) sonata or canzona=any instrumental composition Early sonata tied to vocal models 2. Mid- and Late Baroque (ca. 1650 - ) chamber music for 1 -2 soloists + b. c. B. Types of Sonata 1. Functions Sonata da camera (chamber sonata) Stylized dances: Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue usually in binary form: ||: a : ||: b : || Sonata da chiesa (church sonata) Non dance: often Slow/Fast/Slow/Fast 2. Performing Forces Solo Sonata Trio Sonata

C. First Major Composer of Sonatas: Arcangelo Corelli 1. Use of modern functional harmony: 2. Driving Force of sequences:

II. The Baroque Concerto A. Origins (mid-Baroque) concertato style: based on contrast of performing forces B. Concerto based on: Systematic contrast of Performing Forces soloist(s) = concertino vs. ripieno (or tutti) Rip. Concertino Rip. Basso continuo Concertino

II. The Baroque Concerto A. Origins concertato style based on contrasts btw. performing forces B. Performing Forces Concertino (solo) vs. ripieno (or tutti) C. Two Types of Baroque Concerto Solo Concerto (e. g. , “our” concerto Vivaldi 4 Seasons) Concerto grosso (e. g. , Bach 5 th Brandenburg Concerto) D. The Contrast Principle

II. The Baroque Concerto A. Origins B. Performing Forces C. Two Types of Baroque Concerto D. The Contrast Principle E. Composers

Antonio Vivaldi The Four Seasons, “Spring, ” 1 st Movement

II. The Baroque Concerto A. Origins B. Performing Forces C. Two Types of Baroque Concerto D. The Contrast Principle E. Composers F. Form of the Baroque Concerto 1. Three Movements: Fast/Slow/Fast 2. Outer movements in Ritornello Form

Ritornello Form: Ritornello= Main Theme Played by Ripieno (full ensemble) Abbreviated Returns Of rit. Episodes (Solo Episodes) Ritornello returns at end

Ritornello Form: Ritornello= Main Theme Played by Ripieno (full ensemble) Rip. Ritornello returns at end Concertino Rip. Concertino

Ritornello Form: Double Contrast 1. Contrast of Performing Forces (Ripieno vs. Concertino) 2. Contrast of Themes: Ritornello Theme vs. Solo Melodies

III. Antonio Vivaldi’s Spring Concerto (1 st Mvmt) Ritornello = AABB 3 1=2 4=3 inverted 3=1 reversed 4=5 6=4 fragmented

III. Antonio Vivaldi’s Spring Concerto (1 st Mvmt) Ritornello = AABB 3 The Logic of “Wordless” Instrumental Music: Delight in play with patterns, Abstract relationships Quasi-mathematical networks Music “talks” about itself

The Logic of Words: Words refer to objects/ideas beyond themselves

Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons: Weds Abstract, Musical logic to The Referential Logic of Words