MUSI 1000 Lecture 7: DONE Chapter 7 - Baroque Music
Document Summary
Emphasis on emotions (affect: humoural view of body-mind relationship) to the point of exaggeration and distortion. Purpose: to establish a strong bass and make the harmony explicit. Definition: small ensemble of at least two instrumentalists who provide a foundation for the melody or melodies above. One instrument (harpsichord, organ, or a large lute) plays the chord progression. Another sustaining instrument (cello, viola da gamba, bassoon) plays lowest bass line, which doubles the lowest note played by the keyboard. Larger leaps, wider range, and chromaticism reflect influenced virtuosic solo singing. Melodic patterns idiomatic to particular musical instruments. Repetition of a musical motive at successively higher or lower degrees of the scale. First appears in baroque music, but continues to be a standard melodic procedure. Harmony: stable, diatonic chords played by basso continuo support melody, clearly defined chord progressions begin to develop, tonality reduced to major and minor keys. Rhythm: relaxed, flexible rhythms of the renaissance transformed into often motoric, driving rhythms.
