NOTE: Free essay sample provided on this page should be used for references or sample purposes only. The sample essay is available to anyone, so any direct quoting without mentioning the source will be considered plagiarism by schools, colleges and universities that use plagiarism detection software. To get a completely brand-new, plagiarism-free essay, please use our essay writing service.
One click instant price quote
Baroque Composers Still Being Played Frequently Monteverdi Lully Corelli Pachelbel Scarlatti Purcell Couperin Albinoni Vivaldi Telemann Rameau Bach Handel Gluck Baroque and Classical Orchestras Differences
| Baroque Orchestras | Classical Orchestras |
| String section and basso continuo central to the orchestra. Other instruments are occasional additions. | Standard group of four sections: strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion. Different instruments treated individually. |
| Fairly small; generally 10 - 40 players. | Larger than baroque; great variation to the numbers of players. |
| Flexible use of timbres, e. g. Timpani and trumpets used generally just for festive music. | Standardised sections. Most sections used regularly. |
| Tone colour is distinctly secondary to other musical elements. | Greater variety of tone colour and more rapid changes of colour. |
| Timbre is unimportant and therefore a piece written for harpsichord could easily be rearranged for a string section. | Each section of the classical orchestra has a special role. And each instrument is used distinctively. |
| Wind instruments mainly used as solo instruments or as part of the basso continuo. | The wind section had become a separate unit capable of contrast and distinct colour. |
| The harpsichord generally plays an obstinate under the orchestra. Piano not invented. | The piano introduces a third colour-tone to be contrasted with the orchestra |
| Baroque Concerto Form | Classical Concerto Form |
| Concerto grosso (use of string orchestra set against a number of solo instruments) is the most popular concerto form of this period. Other forms include The ripieno concerto and the solo concerto. | Symphony form develops from baroque concerto forms and becomes the new form. |
| Shorter movements than classical form. | Concerto longer than baroque from. |
| Fairly strict structure and prerequisites, e. g. Traditional ritornello form, virtuosic displays etc. | More freedom and experimentation with traditional form. |
| First movement has solo passages extending into long sections; alternated between four or five ritornello sections. | First movement constructed in a variant of ritornello form with a double exposition. |
| Violin is preferred concerto solo instrument although the harpsichord becomes more and more popular throughout the century. | The newly prominent piano takes over as the most popular solo instrument. |
| Composers rely heavily on ritornello form. | More freedom in the form although a sinfonia proper is later developed. |
| The melody is made up of long, drawn-out phrases. | The melodies are shorter motifs. |
| Minuet and trio third movement. | Minuet and trio is left out of the dramatic symphonic form. |
For example, World War I and II in the first half of the century lead to the rapid development of technology and communications as well as, eventually, political and social freedom, all aspects which have created changes and growth. The great advances in technology were in part responsible for globalism, although nationalism was also partly a product of the wars. The advent of the Great Wars also produced great emotion. The father of 20 th Century music is often said to be Claude Debussy, although he began composing in 1894. Debussy was an Impressionist composer and to create his impressionistic sounds, Debussy had to let go of the traditional chords and chord patterns of previous centuries. He failed composition at the Paris Conservatory because of his irregular harmonies and different style.
One of Debussy's major innovations was his use of the whole-tone scale. This particular type of scale is said to have a surreal quality, and lacks the sound of a specific key. This keyless quality was described as atonal or pastoral meaning respectively, without key or in all keys at once. The exhaustion of tonal music was possibly one of the greatest expansions of music in the 20 th Century. It was developed from a state of total disregard for keys to an alternative system that Schoenberg described as Composition with twelve notes related only to one another. This method is now commonly known as Serialism as the technique has developed further.
Serialism was extended after World War II to include note lengths and dynamics as well as tone. Although this idea was used strictly at first, it is used freely today with less emphasis on complete unpredictability. It was at this time that electronic machines became available that would enable serial music to be created by machines alone, without need for Human sentiment. The first synthesised music was composed in Paris in 1948 by Pierre Henry and Pierre Schaeffer, who recorded onto discs ordinary sounds like dustbins being collected and heartbeats etc. and manipulated the dynamics and tempo of the sounds to create what they called Concrete Music. When tape recorders and synthesizers became readily available after the 1950 s, much more sophisticated music could be created and studios of electronic music were set up all over the world.
In the aftermath of World War II, most of Europe and many other countries found resuming civilised peace-time activity difficult with the lack of resources like records and sheet music and the apparent lost time which the war had taken up. Many musicians were ignorant of 20 th century masterpiece like Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring and Bartok's string quartets. Radio broadcasters and International music schools helped to re-educate the generation that had missed out on progressive 20 th Century music. Stravinsky is sometimes considered the most important 20 th Century composer because of his wild experimentation with sounds and timbres and his development of a number of musical styles, including the Neo-Classical style. His ballet masterpiece, The Rite of Spring, caused a huge uproar when it premiered in 1913.
After the 20 th Century's complete liberation from traditional musical styles and methods, including everything from tonality to notation there is no longer a common musical language between composers, although traditional style composers are still quite common as well as the more experimental composers. Elements of Baroque, Classical and 20 th Century Music
| Baroque | Classical | 20 th Century | |
| Melody | Often spun out into long, flowing lines with many ornaments. | Melody often above chordal accompaniment. An emphasis of grace and beauty. | The long, winding melodies of the romantic era are abandoned. There is an irregular, open style. |
| Texture | At first a switch to lighter homophony but polyphony soon returns and is dominant. | At first thin in texture. Lighter, clearer texture, less complicated. | Sometimes thick and deep and used in place of harmonies etc. Texture is a fundamental element. |
| Rhythm | Energetic, pulsing rhythms drive the music. | More variety and contrast. More experimentation with different note lengths. | Brought into the foreground of musical elements. Industrial, urban feel. Jagged, staccato rhythms. |
| Style | Monody-recitative, basso continuo. Contrapuntal style- stile antico. | Importance given to instrumental music- serenades, string quartets, symphonies etc. | Serialism and synthesised as well as traditional styles and revivals like neo-classicism. |
| Harmony | Beginning to use unexpected harmonies, Mode system is disused in the 17 th Century. | Balanced, graceful and fairly simple. Homophonic. | Use of polytonality, pan-diatonic system and atonality as well as simple pop-music harmonies. |
| Structure | Invention of opera, oratorio, fugue, suite, sonata, concerto and concerto grosso. | Freer use of form, still formal. Symphony form evolves from concerto form. | Innovative. Forms like fugue, rondo and sonata-allegro are popular during first half. Alleatoric. |
| Dynamics | Terraced dynamics, echo effects, loud dynamics, contrasted with soft. | Use of crescendos and sforzandos. More variety and contrast. | Like texture and rhythm, dynamics become an integral part of 20 th Century music. Complete contrasts. |
| Timbre | Use of contrasts (especially concertos) of few instruments against many. Harpsichord. | Piano revolutionise's keyboards. Orchestra divided into four distinct sections. | Rapid advance of technology. Electric instruments, synthesizers, computer-produced sounds etc. |
| Bach | Mozart | Bartok | |
| Structure | Fugal ritornello. One of the very earliest keyboard concertos. Has a length cadenza before the final tutti of the first movement. | Concerto. Sonata form. Linked by clever passages like scales and arpeggios or orchestral tutti. Very subtle relationship between piano and orchestra. | Concerto: First movement. Sonata form with slow introduction. Introduction, exposition, development, recapitulation and coda. |
| Rhythm | Pulsing. Very straight. | Lyrical. Quite clear cut. Only minims are dotted. | Complicated rhythms. Strong and driving Fundamental element of Concerto. |
| Style | Baroque. Early keyboard concerto. No introduction. | Classical with a hint of romanticism. Symphonic. Contrasting balance of keys and thematic material. | 20 th Century. Elements of Serialism. Atonal. |
| Tempo | Allegro. A crotchet = 200. | Lilting and quite fast although it sounds quite relaxed. | Begins slowly. Accompaniment in low strings gradually speeded up to launch first subject of allegro. There is a return to the tempo of the second subject in the development. |
| Texture | Polyphonic. In the solo sections there is the soloist and orchestral backing. | ||
| Harpsichord provides a continuo harmony when not playing solo. | Tutti quite full with piano accompanying softly underneath. Then orchestration is often quite sparse with solo as a musical conversation takes place. | Polyphony, at times monophony. Cellos and double basses begin in octaves and play a pentatonic arch which is expanded before a powerfully orchestrated theme begins. Low strings play obstinate. | |
| Timbre | Concertino: Violin, flute, harpsichord. | ||
| Ripieno: Strings, continuo. | Piano soloist and modest classical orchestra. Use of clarinets instead of oboes although originally. | Main instruments in triplets, eg. Flutes / piccolo , oboes/ English horn, bassoons, trumpets. Use of percussion, strings, winds, brass. |
| Beethoven: Emperor Concerto | Bach: Brandenburg Concerto 4 | |
| Melody | Simple, fairly short, several themes incorporated. Scale passages. | Short melodic lines. Melody not most important. |
| Har... Free research essays on topics related to: td tr tr td, concerto, string quartets, width, td td Research essay sample on Td Tr Tr Td Td Td Writing service prices per page
Our guarantee
With EssayChief you get
EssayChief can handle your
Stay with EssayChief! We offer 10% discount to all our return customers. Once you place your order you will receive an email with the password. You can use this password for unlimited period and you can share it with your friends! © 2002-2024 EssayChief.com Need a unique, 100% original paper, which follows your EXACT instructions?? Our writers can do it for you! |
