Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Structure in
Western Classical
music 16001899
This first Area of Study takes in just under three hundred years of
music history during which time musical styles and conventions
changed radically.
In the course of this period, the invention and evolution of instruments
took place along with the formation of standard musical ensembles
such as the orchestra, string quartet and so on. Large scale musical
structures became standard too, such as the orchestral symphony, the
solo sonata, concerto for soloist and orchestra, as well as several large
scale vocal forms of opera, oratorio and cantata all became standard.
Set-works
The three set works you will explore in this Area of Study are in
different musical forms, each one drawn from one of the three
principal musical periods:
The Baroque Era (c.1600-1730)
Set work 1: Chorus And the Glory of the Lord from the oratorio
Messiah by G .F .Handel (1685-1750)
The Classical Era (c.1750-1830)
Set work- Symphony no. 40 in G minor (1st movement) by
W. A. Mozart (1756-1791)
The Romantic Era (c.1800-1900)
Set work- Piano prelude Raindrop Prelude in Db major by
F. Chopin (1810-1849)
Glossary
diatonic notes belonging to
or literally of the key
homophonic a musical
texture comprising a melody
part and some form of
accompaniment
monophonic a musical
texture of a single melodic
line with no accompaniment
polyphonic a musical texture
featuring two or more parts,
each having a melody line
and sounding together
What is an oratorio?
This fourth movement scored for a four part SATB choir plus orchestral
accompaniment is taken from a type of work known as an oratorio.
This form developed at roughly the same time as opera. It took its name from
St. Philip Neris oratory or hall of prayer situated in Rome, where the first
oratorios were performed. These works were essentially made of operatic
forms such as the recitative, aria and chorus and acted out with scenery and
in full costume dress. The key difference between the opera and oratorio was
that the oratorio used only texts for the story taken from the bible. By the time
of Handel however, the acting element to the oratorio had ceased.
Messiah is probably the most well known and loved of all oratorios. The
libretto is in three main parts telling the story of the birth, death and
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Part 1 consists of prophecies foretelling the annunciation (or coming of the
Messiah) with texts taken from the Old Testament as well as the story of His
birth from the New Testament.
Part 2 is the passion music of the suffering and crucifixion of Jesus, set
mainly to words from the Old Testament.
The final part of the work, Part 3, tells of His resurrection from the dead.
Recitative
In the recitative, the fundamental idea is to concentrate on getting the words
of the narration over with a minimal use of music. In the case of Messiah
, the scene is set and we are told of the coming of the lord in the words
prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for
our God.
Aria
The aria is essentially a solo song which often reflects on a mood or
emotion. The music is much more elaborate to display the vocal qualities
and expertise of the singer to the full. In Messiah the mood of the aria is
uplifting and joyful: Evry valley shall be exalted.
Chorus
The aria leads directly into the first main chorus, and the Glory of the Lord.
Generally, the chorus has the function of summing up the action of the story
at that particular point in the drama. In Messiah, not much has happened
yet in the unfolding of this great story, so the chorus simply consolidates
the positivity of the mood in the preceding two movements and the looking
forward to the coming of the Lord. The text of the chorus sums up this
mood: And the Glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it
together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it.
This chorus, like most of the other choruses in Messiah, is built up on a series of musical
ideas each relating to a separate line of the text. Handels practice was to state each idea as
a single line then to develop the idea in various ways. In this chorus, we can identify four
ideas.
1 Listen to the music and follow the four ideas as follows.
1 And the glory of the Lord
This short theme has two characteristic features, namely the first three notes outline a
triad (A major) and the second feature is a stepwise scale ending. The setting of the words
is syllabic (one note per syllable).
2 Shall be revealed
This is built up using two one bar descending sequences and is a melismatic (several
notes to a syllable) setting of the word revealed.
3 And all flesh shall see it together
This is a repetitive idea consisting of three statements of the descending fourth idea.
Because it is repeated like this, it gives the impression of a firm statement!
4 For the mouth of the Lord has spoken it
The fourth idea is characterised by long (dotted minims) repeated notes. They have a
theatrical feel, hammering home the conviction that the Lord has spoken it. To achieve
the strength of the statement, Handel doubles the part with tenors and basses!
All four of these short ideas are contrasted, so that when Handel combines them together,
each melody with its own character and shape can be clearly heard.
2 Now follow the close analysis of this piece on pages 5-9 of the student book before
tackling the listening and appraising questions that follow on page 10.
Musical features
Keys used
1-11
Orchestral introduction in which the first two melodic ideas are stated.
The lively triple time dance tempo gives the feeling of one-in a bar.
Several features to note in the introduction:
! MAJOR TONIC KEY
s
s
s
EXAMPLES OF A ONE BAR DESCENDING SEQUENCE AT BARS
TOP PART
AND
MIDDLE PART
HEMIOLA RHYTHMS AT BARS
THIS WAS A VERY COMMON PRACTICE AT
THE APPROACH TO A CADENCE
SUSPENSIONS AT BARS
s
s
s
s
s
s
BEAT
s
!LTO ENTRY WITH MELODY MF 4HE SETTING OF THESE WORDS IS
SYLLABIC ONE NOTE PER SYLLABLE
0ERFECT CADENCE IN ! MAJOR AT BEAT
BEAT
A major
@&ORTE CHORDAL RESPONSE BY THE SOPRANOS TENORS AND BASSES
4EXTURE IS HOMOPHONIC AND THE MELODY BARS
IS NOW HEARD
in the bass part.
)T IS OFTEN THE CASE THAT THE BASS HAS THE MELODY IN THE CHORDAL
HOMOPHONIC SECTIONS
0ERFECT CADENCE AT BAR BEAT TO BAR BEAT 6B
)
A major
)MITATIVE ENTRIES OF MELODY STATED FIRST BY THE TENOR B THEN
BASS B AND THEN SOPRANO B 4HIS MUSICAL IDEA IS BUILT ON
two, one bar descending sequences on the word revealed.
A major modulating at
BAR
TO % MAJOR
using chords