During the Early 1600s a Piece That Uses Continuous Imitation Was Called a
A Reference for Music of the Early Baroque
Early Baroque At the turn of the 17th century, the a huge portion of written music was composed in whatever style the church approved of. These works, composed by greats like Palestrina, were supplemented by secular compositions like madrigals. Forms like madrigal, cantata, and oratorio become much more solidified in the Baroque Era by composers like Monteverdi, Strozzi, and Carissimi. These forms began to incorporate the new styles of theseconda prattica. Coinciding with the rise of opera, these forms would shape musical harmonies and form for centuries.
Prima Prattica
This early style of imitative polyphony (many voices moving separately in imitation of one another), is often associated with Palestrina. It had strict rules regarding dissonance and part writing. Also referred to as the "old style" or the "sacred style," composers in early 1600s moved away from this style because of the way it obscured the text and made the message of the music hard to understand.
Seconda Prattica
As a reaction to the obscured text of the prima prattica, the Florentine Camerata convened and agreed on a "new style" of writing, which promoted hearing the text to music. This style would increase the use of basso continuo (two or more instruments that play bass notes and chordal accompaniment) and monody (a single melody with accompaniment). It got its name when Monteverdi defended his new approach toward dissonances. He stated that he wasn't trying to improve the perfect practice that existed in the church, and that he was merely writing in a second, different style. This swing away from imitative polyphony played a huge role on music composed in the Baroque period.
Madrigal
Madrigals were a popular style of poem from well before the Baroque period, using a free rhyme scheme and meter, such as an alteration of 7- and 11-syllable lines. These poems were set to music and offered people a style of music that was engaging and secular in a time of highly religious music. As the demand for music grew in the cultures of the late 16th and early 17th century, madrigals became very popular and could be heard in the marketplace, court theaters, or in the streets.
Madrigals written in this time are difficult to classify, because aside from their poetic structure there was no set set standard for these songs. They could be written with or without instrumental accompaniment, in strophic verse form, in a polyphonic or monophonic style, or any other way a composer decided.
Monteverdi (1567 - 1643)
The most prominent composer of madrigals was Claudio Monteverdi, whose works a re contained in nine volumes. Monteverdi was a proponent of the seconda prattica , incorporating monody, basso continuo, and new harmonies in his writings. He approached dissonances with a different mind set from those preceding him, and placed the emphasis of his works on the text. Over the course of his nine sets of madrigals, one can see the tr ansformation from the older polyphonic style the newer styles of the time. Monteverdi's own brother, Gulio Cesare Mo nteverdi, defended his works and the new style as making "the words...the mistress of the harmony."
Monteverdi spent the first forty years of his life almost exclusively dedicated to composing madrigals. Monteverdi's fift h book of madrigals was written in 1605, and in it Monteverdi included a basso continuo part. His fourth book, published in 1603, left out any such part, indicating that even in a short span of two years at the beginning of the century, Monteverdi was evaluating his style and searching for new ways to highlight the texts of his works. Ten years later, in 1615, Monteverdi revised his fourth book and added a basso continuo, reflecting his continued belief in the seconda prattica and its value to music.
Later in his life, in 1632, Monteverdi became a priest. Though he continued to compose until his death in 1642, he spent a lot more time on different forms, specifically opera. The operas he composed, including L'Orfeo and L'incoronazione di Poppea, established form and structure that would impact opera for centuries. These structures included heavy use of ritornello (an instrumental interlude between verses of a strophic song) and sinfonia, a notation in the score marking that the orchestra would be playing unaccompanied by singers. Eventually these forms would lead to overtures and played an important role in the development of the symphony and concerto.
Listening Example
Cruda Amarilli
Evident from the voicing and lack of instrumentation, this madrigal was written in more of the traditional style of the older period. Even so, Monteverdi uses dissonances in his own new ways, and forces the text to the front of the piece so that it can be focused on by the listener. This madrigal was composed around 1600. Translation: Should I, poor wretch, speak out or hold my tongue? If I keep silence, will death easy my troubles? If I speak, will boldness be forgiven? Stay silent! For a smothered flame is clear indeed to he who lit the fire; I heed the promptings of mercy, she heeds the promptings of beauty, and the handsome face says to the stony heart: who can see me and not pine for love? In the spirit of Monteverdi, the text is present here to highlight its importance. Again, Monteverdi was writing with the intent of transmitting a message through music. The text reigned supreme in his world and would continue to as the seconda prattica grew in popularity. Oratorios are unstaged operas of sacred material. These productions grew in popularity during the 17th century, as the church sought new ways to incorporate music in its ceremonies and services. In the early 17th century, when the form was new, it provided musical entertainment for those that were observing Lent during the Christian calendar. The church forbade performances of opera during Lent, and oratorios were some of the only viable other options. In its early form, oratorios were written for soloists and chorus, with instrumental accompaniment. They incorporated recitative and aria, as well as foreshadowing the opera tradition of overtures with parts written for sinfonia. Though the early works were on a much smaller scale, eventually the form would culminate with the great oratorios of J.S. Bach and Handel, with works like TheMessiah. In the 1660s, Bolognese composers began to structure their oratorios in two parts, divided by a sermon. The first part would be based on subject matter from the Bible, and the second would be based on the lives of saints. This form was particularly popular in Bologna, showing again the centrality of Italy at the time to developments in musical form and structure. Gradually, the dramatic element to the oratorio grew, and the meditative elements and use of the narrator decreased. This coincided with the rise of opera in all of its forms. Over the course of his life, Carissimi composed sixteen oratorios. Most of the subjects for his works are taken from the Old Testament, and consist of strong choral sections, detailed rhythmic writing, and a surprisingly simple harmonic form. These works would provide inspiration in France and Germany, and Handel himself would be aware of Carissimi's writings when he composed his great works. Carissimi lived to see secular music begin to rise in Italy, though his works remain staples of the religious music at the time. He was held in high esteem by his contemporaries, and Ptoni, who succeeded him as the maestro at Colegio Germanico in 1686, described him as "very noble in his manners to his friends and others." He devoted his entire life to composing in Italy, never leaving despite the fact that he had offers made in other areas. This oratorio provides an example sinfonia, in the opening, as well as attention to monody, basso continuo, and the presence of a narrator. The narrator's role is switched between a male, female, and chorus over the course of the production. The simple monody is evident throughout the production, and the aria/recitative form is clearly an important component of this work. The story of this work is Jonah and the Whale. Perhaps the most well-known oratorio ever written, Handel composed this work in 1741. Handel developed this form far past where Carissimi had taken it, as is evident by the far more complex orchestral accompaniment, idiomatic writing, and presence of polyphony. Despite the increasing complicated textures, it is important to note that the ideas behind the seconda prattica are still relevant here, as the text of the work, for the most part, comes through notably clear. Literally a work to be sung, cantatas came to be known in Italy as short scenes with alternating recitative and aria for soloists or chorus, with basso continuo and/or orchestra. These picked up on the style of the seconda prattica and incorporated monody, text painting, and a new importance of the text. Often secular, this works were set to poems that tended to be either pastoral or love-related, with few that were inspired by myth or politics. Starting in the early 17th century, these works became the primary form of vocal chamber music all the way through the 18th century. Outside of Italy, cantatas gained some popularity in France, Germany, and England. In France, the form wasn't picked up more until the 18th century, and there are few remaining copies of the style. They maintained a French style of elegance, but never grew to any elaborate heights. German cantatas, on the other hand, developed in a very different way from their Italian counterparts, mostly as sacred works. These works split into various forms of cantata and led to serve a very religious purpose, unlike their Italian counterparts. The English cantata did not last long, only remaining popular as long as Italian opera did in England. This short time period did not provide much time for growth. That leaves most historically significant cantatas to the Italian tradition, where they achieved most popularity. Barbara Strozzi remains a significant composer today as one of the few female composers to produce significant works in the early Baroque period. One reason she was able to achieve success during this time was because of her social standing. Her father was a wealthy nobleman of Florence, and through his notoriety she was able to enter her own works into a more public arena than many women had the chance to. Some of her cantatas were set to her own poetry, while sometimes she used others' works. They were often from the perspective of a hero, though. These heroic songs were written for soprano voice, to be sung by a woman or by a castrato. Many of her cantatas were longer works, and consisted of alternating sections of cantata and aria. In addition to cantatas, Strozzi composed madrigals, ariettas, and arias. These shorter pieces were often written for just voice and basso continuo. This simple arrangement fits perfectly in line with the ideals of the seconda prattica. Her style was very lyrical, and well suited for vocalists. Many of her works have been destroyed since their publication, but there are remaining copies of some arias, ariettas, and cantatas from a few of her eight publications. Score: IMSLP Score This cantata is a perfect example of the ease that Strozzi had writing for vocalists. The piece is lyrical, flowing, yet not too virtuosic. The accompaniment is simple basso continuo, fitting perfectly into the seconda prattica ideals. There are bits of this work that feel like aria, and others which fit more into the category of recitative. She also incorporates the compositional technique of a ground bass, that is, a repeated figure in the bass line that does not change, while the melody and phrasing change over it. Buelow, G. J. (2004).A History of Baroque Music. Indianapolis, IN: Indiana University Press Carter, T., & Butt, J. (Eds.). (2005). The Cambridge History of Seventeenth Century Music. United Kingdom: Cambridge University PressParlo Miser O Taccio
Oratorio
Giacomo Carissimi (1605 - 1674)
Listening Examples
Jonah
Messiah - Hallelujah Chorus
Cantata
Barbara Strozzi (1619 - 1677)
Listening Example: L'eraclito Amoroso
Sources
Stauffer, G. B. (2006).The World of Baroque Music: New Perspectives. Indianapolis, IN: Indiana University Press
Source: https://sites.google.com/site/musicfrom16001800/home/madrigal-cantata-and-oratorio
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