Transcript The Baroque Era

THE BAROQUE ERA Carmel Charles
GEORG PHILLIP TELEMANN
Telemann was a German Baroque composer who became a musician against
his family’s wishes as they wanted him to study Law
He played many instruments such as the recorder and the violin
He was a friend of Bach’s and Handel two other famous Baroque composers
Telemann incorporates several musical nationalities into his music such as
French, Italian and Polish
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmUjd_WwS8M
Telemann was also the first composer to compose a piece for Solo Viola and
Orchestra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yMpzPMkrALM
STRING INSTRUMENTS IN THE
BAROQUE ERA
Being of course the best family in the orchestra, (!) the whole string family
was being used at the time after the development of the Violin in Italy at the
end of the Renaissance Era
As well as being used as solo instruments in chamber orchestras (Bach
Brandenburg concertos) They were sometimes used as unaccompanied solo
instruments
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNiKx8yHp1w
This is probably the most famous out of all the Brandenburg concertos using
a string orchestra, harpsichord basso continuo and the four solo instruments.
UNACCOMPANIED STRING
INSTRUMENTS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KaYzgofHjc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCicM6i59_I
The music was usually virtuosic and made to show off what the instrument
could do without being clouded by an accompaniment.
Both of these examples use the whole range of the instrument by use of
techniques such as double stopping, harmonics and string crossings.
OPERAS IN THE BAROQUE ERA
Baroque Opera was a mix of comedy blended with tragic elements. Handel’s
Opera, Julius Cesar was taken from Roman myth and history
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orfVtWfHs2Q
It tells the story of Cesar in Egypt with Cleopatra. It ends with him and
Cleopatra declaring their love for each other and Cesar proclaims Egypt as a
free nation and he promises to help her make Egypt a prosperous country
under Roman rule
CONCERTO GROSSO
A musical composition for a group of solo instruments accompanied by an
orchestra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAboao_peJQ
This is Corelli’s Christmas Concerto for string orchestra with two violins and a
cello solo. The rest of the orchestra are playing an obbligato or
accompaniment for the three instruments with some tutti (together) passages.
SECULAR MUSIC
EXPLANATION ON THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BAROQUE STRING
INSTRUMENTS AND MODERN INSTRUMENTS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lhg30Un7dKY
In addition to the Baroque bow, Baroque instrumentalists also used to hold
the bow at the balance point rather than the tip of the bow which is where
string players now hold it.