MUSI 2730 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Castrato, Libretto, Henry Purcell

• School: Auburn University
• Department: Music
• Course: MUSI 2730
• Professor: Chapel Mc Cullough

Document Summary

Composers wanted to enhance emotional qualities of music: expression in words, purely instrumental music. Early baroque: musical extremes and intense expression. Time of change, adventure, and discovery (new world conquests, galileo, newton, etc. ) Baroque (cid:373)ea(cid:374)s (cid:862)(cid:373)isshape(cid:374)(cid:863) or (cid:862)distorted,(cid:863) or so(cid:373)eti(cid:373)es (cid:862)e(cid:454)cessivel(cid:455) e(cid:454)travaga(cid:374)t(cid:863) Artistic society found in middle class: comic opera and the novel. Composers employed by royalty, churches, and city administrations. Baroque music: early baroque: shift from polyphony to homophony, florentine camerata- group of writers, artists, and musicians, basso continuo- improvising chords over a figured bass, equal temperament- new system of tuning; possible to play in any key. Creativity for women found in the 17th century, italian convents. Chiara margarita cozzolani from a benedictine convent in milan: choir director, renowned composer, magnificat (1650) Opera- large-scale drama that is sung; combines elements of vocal and instrumental music, poetry, acting, scenery, and costumes. Overture- played at beginning of opera; introduces main themes. Libretto- text of the opera, written by librettist.