Musical components such as melody, harmony, and musical texture also hold importance in musical composition. Harmony consists of consonance and dissonance, triads, and broken chords. The musical texture consists of monophonic, polyphonic, homophonic, and changes in texture. These components allow the audience to capture a better understanding of the composition. Melody can be described as a series of tones that make up a whole, and the melody of Trio Op. 1 No 1 can be specifically described as E flat major. Harmony, or the way that the chords are built and followed by each other, adds support and richness to the melody. Consonance, a stable tone combination, and dissonance, an unstable tone combination, are points of either rest or peacefulness, …show more content…
Dissonance can be found in the fourth movement where the keys seem offbeat and resembles conflict, however, the dissonance has its resolution when it moves back into a consonance. Another component of harmony includes the triads; they are the most basic chord that has three tones. Triads can be heard throughout the composition, mostly through the piano. Broken chords or arpeggios are found when the individual tones of a chord repeat after one another. Both the triads and broken chords can be inspected closer by reading the sheet music for the composition. Musical texture can be described in one of many ways. Monophonic texture has a single melodic line without accompaniment, polyphonic texture has two or more melodic lines, and homophonic texture is one main melody being accompanied by chords. This composition is polyphonic because of its three melodic lines. Composers often create variety and contrast by changing textures throughout there …show more content…
The baroque period was known for its “unity of mood” and lasted from 1600 to 1750. The classical period was known as the “age of enlightenment” and lasted from 1750 to 1820. Music in the baroque period was composed to order for specific events and important dates while music in the classical period was created for freelance musicians. Rhythm between both periods differs greatly, in the baroque period the rhythm was steady, regular, and constant, while in the classical period the rhythm provided variety and contrast with its unexpected pauses and frequent changes between notes. Dynamics between both periods are vastly different as well, during the baroque period the dynamics would change suddenly rather than gradually and during the classical period they could change either gradually or suddenly. Tone color of the baroque period consisted of the use of the basso continuo, however, in the classical period, the basso continuo ended and instead, wind and brass instruments were used to provide contrast. Melodies of the baroque period were often complex and hard to remember, unlike the classical period where they were the melodies were tuneful and easy to remember. In both, the harmonies were based on major and minor scales, however, in the classical period dissonance was used to provide
The melody is described by whether it is conjunct or disjunct. Conjunct means that the ascending or descending scale of notes progresses in small steps at a time.
A human being begins from one of the smallest cells in the body. We then, grow and evolve into extremely complex mechanisms made up of individual parts, such as the brain, the bones, and the heart. However, no matter how complex, a human is only one work, with individual parts working together to make it functional. Similarly, a work of art is composed of individual elements collaborating to create the overall work. Beginning with the colors chosen, to the way the artist swipes their brush in specific directions creating distinct textures, the work would not be complete without its most minute component. The same concept can be applied to musical pieces. A great musical work would not be complete without the original combinations of musical instruments, voices, lyrics, and meaning. Two examples of this idea are “Classical Gas” by California Guitar Trio and “Cat’s in the Cradle” by Harry Chapin.
As the late Baroque period morphed into the new period known as the classical period, technological advances and new compositional techniques and ideas created new opportunities for the musicians of the period. The changes allowed for new performance techniques, forms, performance venues, and newly available compositional orchestrations to be improved and evolved into something new and improved for the new period.
This book by John Rupert Martin is a good introductory book in the understanding of Baroque artists and their tremendous variety. Martin defines the Baroque characteristics, but only very broadly leaving a significant amount of room for the reader to make his own deductions. In general, Martin believes that the typical definitions of the Baroque are "too restrictive and hence likely to create more problems of classification and interpretation than it solves." Even the time of the Baroque is left open to the reader when Martin says the Baroque is roughly comprehended by the seventeenth century. It is important to note at the outset that this is only a convenient approximation; for epoch as a whole can certainly not be fitted into such a strait-jacket." This helps to define the Baroque much more generally as a gradual change which can much easily be noticed from the present than the past.
Classicism of the Renaissance has been replenished during the Baroque period. During the Baroque artistic period, the exploration of the fundamental components of human nature and the realm of senses and emotions were very crucial. The Baroque era was a very dynamic time that showed an abundance of radiance and color. Artists of this time are passionate and sensual. Their works were many times considered to have an overpowering emotional effect.
Curiosity is a concept that has lingered in people’s minds for centuries. Defined as “a strong desire to know or learn something,” curiosity often leads people to question concepts and ideas that are bestowed upon them (Oxford Dictionary, 2017). Music is a subject that people often strive to learn more about. In the realm of composing music, there are certain thoughts that go through the composer's mind that they want to showcase in their piece. When a composer writes, one can assume that their mood is often portrayed in their song, giving that song a distinct emotion. For example, love songs are usually written in two different tones: happy or sad. It is up to the listener to determine which tone it is being portrayed. The act of performing
Baroque era covers the period between 1600 and 1750 beginning with Monte Verdi (birth of opera) and ended with deaths of Bach and Handel. The term baroque music is borrowed from the art history. It follows the Renaissance era (1400-1600). It was initially considered to be a corrupt way of Renaissance by conservatives. The dominant trends in Baroque music correspond to those in Baroque art and literature. Some features of Baroque art included a sense of movement, energy, and tension (whether real or implied). Strong contrasts of light and shadow enhance the effects of paintings and sculptures. Opera is one of the types of music in the Baroque era. It represented melodic freedom. Baroque era was usually referred to as the thorough-bass period. In early Baroque era no tonal direction existed, but experiments in pre-tonal harmony led to the creation of tonality. [1] Baroque genre included instrumental suite, ritornello, Concerto grosso and chant. There were important composers of the Baroque period such as Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi William Byrd Henry Purcell and George Phillip Telemann. Starting in northern Italy, the hierarchical state -- led by either the urban bourgeoisie or despotic nobles -- replaced the fluid and chaotic feudal system of the middle Ages. [2] For this reason, some historians refer to the Renaissance as the Early Modern Era. Sculptors, building on the techniques of artists such as Giovanni Bernini (1598-1680), found ways to create the illusion of energetic and even violent movement in their works. Painters created larger and more crowded canvases. Virtuosity was used in all the arts. The arts became an important measure of learning and culture. Music moved from the science of number to an expressive art viewed as an equal to rhetoric.
...ic landscapes. The baroque marked the time in which painters considered using subjects other than scenes from the Bible and from classical traditions. The baroque period also was the period in which artists painted portraits, and everyday life scenes. Baroque artist broke away from trying to make the calm balance known to the renaissance artists. Artists from the baroque era were interested in no longer tried in the extreme. They wanted to paint subjects possessing strong emotions; they wanted to capture those emotions and feelings in their work. Instead of just extremes of feeling sometimes, these strong emotions were personal. More often artists tried to portray intense religious emotions. Baroque art attempted to explain how and why their subjects fit as strongly as they did by representing their emotional states as vividly and analytically as possible.
The Baroque era contains three phases: early, middle, and late. During the early phase of Baroque, harmony became the central idea to music. The Florentine Camarata reinvigorated this style and were the ones who opposed their contemporary music. This group started in Italy and influenced composers in France. Baroque music would help create the popular form of music known as opera. Since it focuses on the soloist rather than a group of people singing simultaneously. It also focuses on the harmonic aspect of music (Palisca, 25).
The texture is polyphonic. It has a slow tempo and there is no presence of accelerando or ritardando. Harmony is a consonant of the word. Melody is conjunct and peaceful. Has a lot of repetition.
Mozart, Beethoven and Joseph Haydn are considered the three main composers of this time. The Classical Period took place from 1750-1820. During this time, scientific advances changed the world view. People gained faith in the power of reason and began undermining traditional authority. Music and visual arts stress balance and structure. String, woodwind and some keyboard and brass instruments were used in this era. Classical music shows a contrast in mood, both between and within movements. It also shows flexibility in rhythm, by using multiple rhythmic patterns in a piece. Classical music is mostly homophonic, but with frequent shifts. Classical music also has a tuneful, easy to sing melody. Emotions were expressed in shades of dynamics, which was related to the development of piano. In the Classical era, orchestras grew in size (though they’re still smaller than today’s). Instruments worked in four movements: fast (first), slow (second), dance-related (third), and fast (fourth). Public, ticket buying concerts became common and the rise of the music instrument manufacturing industry began. Vienna became a place where musicians came to study and seek recognition. The most common compositional forms during this time were sonatas, concerti, and
‘Do not forget that the melody is the Idea, the outline; as much as it is the form and the subject matter of a work. The harmony is an illumination, an exhibition of the object, its reflection…’(3)
The Baroque era was the age of magic. Flat surfaces became three-dimensional and paint on plaster became alive. It was the age of masterful illusion. Nothing exhibits this mastery better than Baroque ceiling paintings.
being played. The story that the music is trying to tell really depends on the instruments being
This era is recognized by the creation of tonality, as well as the establishment of the opera, cantata, and concerto. Different from the classical era, this era featured a unity of mood, a continuous rhythm and melody, and a predominantly polyphonic texture, meaning that there were two melody lines, each fighting for the listener 's attention. The composers from the Baroque period were well-known for their extravagant, frivolous and bizarre usage of their instruments and their performances. The most notable influence from this era is in modern music especially rock music, because in rock music emotions are intense and the mood are usually unified just like the music from the Baroque period. Some artists and rock bands have adopted this bizarre style, for example Prince and Lady Gaga. Many rock bands were inspired by composers of this era such as Bach because of the intensity of his