4 minute read
LISTEN UP
The Roots of Baroque Opera
Claudio Monteverdi, 5th Book of Madrigals, Cruda Amarilli (1605) recorded by Concerto Italiano Monteverdi was considered a transitional figure between Renaissance and Baroque music. The madrigal was a popular form of music in the Renaissance era and highlighted moving harmonies between several voices. Compare this piece with Handel’s Messiah below. How is the voice used differently? Do you hear similarities? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKTQQ28sSNo
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The Master of Oratorios
George Frederic Handel, Messiah (1741), recorded by Mormon Tabernacle Choir Written over a hundred years after Monteverdi’s madrigal, the Messiah is Handel’s most famous oratorio performed across the globe each year. The “Hallelujah” chorus that you hear in this clip, is something you’ve likely heard before. Oratorios tell a story. What part of the story does this feel like? What in the music helps you know that? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VI6dsMeABpU
The Baroque Orchestra This playlist features professional musicians demonstrating instruments from the Baroque era. How do these instruments sound different to you than instruments you are familiar with hearing in a modern orchestra? Do you prefer one or the other? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQC4mglx5uE&list=PLa0I2f4DpWlonE2ESxBKRg8Ft-ttK4_Eh
Male High Voices Compare and contrast these two recordings. The first is Alexander, the second is Michael. What feelings does it evoke for you when you hear a male voice singing those notes?
Michael Karow, Countertenor, Dorian Vocal Festival Grand Concert, 2006. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3Kn78Fb50U
Alexander Moreschi, the last known castrato, singing “Ave Maria”, recorded in the early 20th century. How does this make you feel differently than a typical male voice? How does his countertenor voice compare to the castrato? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLjvfqnD0ws
“Va tacito,”Act 1, Sarah Connelly as Caesar, Glyndenbourne, 2018 Listen closely for the da capo aira from Act One Giulio Cesare. What aspect of Caesar do you think this aria is portraying, a more logical side of Caesar, or more passionate one? Does it feel like the Julius Caesar you imagine in your head? Why or why not? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fieBT98DCLc
LISTEN UP!
Cleopatra’s arias from Giulio Cesare These two Cleopatra arias follow each other in the opera. What emotions, or aspects of Cleopatra’s character can you hear in the music? What change in Cleopatra’s feelings do you sense from “venere bella” to “se pieta”? How does the orchestration accompany what she is feeling? Is the aria or recitative part more interesting to listen to?
“Blue Skies,” (1958), Ella Fitzgerald Thinking about the arias you’ve heard above, listen to this classic Jazz standard. How does the vocalist use her voice in similar ways? Does the structure of the piece remind you of da capo aria, or does it stray from it? How does Ella ornament her vocal line? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB-xqDZbEVQ
Baroque Then, and Now
Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Spring (1716), Itzhak Perlman conducts Israel Philharmonic One of the most enduring examples of Baroque music, as beloved now as it was when it was written. Vivaldi wrote this set of four concertos, one of the new forms that emerged during the era, as a musical interpretation of a season. What do you hear in the orchestration that makes the listener experience the sense of “spring?” What elements of Baroque music catch your attention most? The bass line? Or certain ornamentations? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKthRw4KjEg
Philip Glass, Harpsichord Concerto (2002), San Francisco Conservatory of Music New Music Ensemble Now listen to Philip Glass’ Harpsichord Concerto written in 2002. What elements of Baroque music do you hear in this piece? What other influences do you hear? How is it similar, or different from Vivaldi’s Four Seasons? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PveH9SNHKq4
GENERAL QUESTIONS TO GUIDE YOUR LISTENING
• What instruments do you hear? • How fast is the music? Are there sudden changes in speed? Is the rhythm steady or unsteady? • Key/Mode: Is it major or minor? (Does it sound bright, happy, sad, urgent, dangerous?)
• Dynamics/Volume: Is the music loud or soft? Are there sudden changes in volume
(either in the voice or orchestra)?
• What is the shape of the melodic line? Does the voice move smoothly or does it make
frequent or erratic jumps? Do the vocal lines move noticeably downward or upward?
• Does the type of voice singing (baritone, soprano, tenor, mezzo, etc.) have an effect on
you as a listener?
• Do the melodies end as you would expect or do they surprise you?
• How does the music make you feel? What effect do the above factors have on you as
a listener?
• What is the orchestra doing in contrast to the voice? How do they interact?
• What kinds of images, settings, or emotions come to mind? Does it remind you of anything you
have experienced in your own life?
• Do particularly emphatic notes (low, high, held, etc.) correspond to dramatic moments?
• What type of character fits this music? Romantic? Comic? Serious? Etc.
