Spencer Dawson

Choral Literature
Worksheet #2

Baroque Era: ca.1600-1750

Definitions:

1. Accompagnato Recitative: form of declamatory speech‐like singing used especially in opera or oratorio in which the voice is
accompanied by instrument(s); serves for dialogue or narrative (as a means of advancing the plot), whereas the subsequent
aria is often static or reflective; in 17th‐ and 18th‐cent. opera, especially opera seria, the distinction between recitative and
aria was clear, but with Mozart’s much more expressive and inventive use of recitative (as in Don Giovanni), the convention
began to break up
2. Aria: now understood as a short lyrical work for solo voice, with or without accompaniment, often in a dramatic context,
although may be used for purely instrumental works of a similar character; from late-17th century the term implied a solo
vocal piece in ABA form normally called a da capo aria, of which A. Scarlatti was an important innovator; the singer was
expected to add ornaments in the repeated A section; in 19th‐century the operatic aria became more elaborate and complex
becoming, in 20th century, dramatically blurred and often indistinguishable from surrounding narration
3. Baroque: term applied to the ornate architecture of German and Austria during the 17th and 18th centuries and borrowed to
describe comparable music developments from about 1600 to the deaths of Bach and Handel in mid-18th century; it was a
period in which harmonic complexity grew alongside emphasis on contrast; so, in opera, interest was transferred from
recitative to aria, and in church music the contrasts of solo voice, chorus and orchestra were developed to a high degree
4. Canon: strictest form of contrapuntal imitation; the word means ‘rule’ and, musically, it is applied to counterpoint in which
one melodic strand gives the rule to another, or to all the others, which must, at an interval of time, imitate it, note for note;
simple forms of choral canon are the catch and the round
5. Cantata: in early 17th century, ‘cantata' often referred to a dramatic madrigal sung by one voice, with lute accompaniment or
basso continuo; the form became very popular in Italy later in 17th century, being performed by several voices, some cantatas
being completely of recitative, others of a succession of arias; the cantata da camera was secular, the cantata da chiesa
(developed by Carissimi) sacred; a prolific exponent of the cantata was A. Scarlatti, who wrote 600 for solo voice and
continuo, 60 for voice and instrument, and several chamber cantatas for 2 voices
6. Canticle: a Bible hymn (other than a psalm) as used in the liturgy of a Christian church; in the Roman Catholic Church the
Canticles drawn from the New Testament are called the Evangelical Canticles or Major Canticles, in distinction from those
drawn from the Old Testament, which are called the Minor Canticles
7. Chorale: metrical hymn‐tune characteristic of the German Reformed Church and sung in unison; Martin Luther (1483–1546)
wished to restore the congregation's role in church services and wrote simple devotional words to tunes familiar either as
folk‐songs or as old ecclesiastical melodies (i.e. plainsong chants); the first Lutheran chorales had not the regular rhythms
that they later took on; they had often a mixture of duple and triple time and, indeed, a good deal of the free rhythm of
plainsong; with Lutheran chorales, as with Genevan, English, and Scottish hymn tunes, the melody was at first in the tenor;
during the 17th century it gradually became usual to place it in the treble, as today; 4‐part settings of chorales were made by
many musicians in the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries
8. Chorale Motet: a polyphonic composition based on a chorale melody; at first the melody was treated as a cantus firmus, but
from the end of the 16th century it became more usual to use each line as a subject for fugal imitation; sometimes the organ
may replace one or more of the voice parts
9. Chorus: an ensemble of singers, usually with more than one voice singing each part; the term chorus tends to be used for
secular bodies, but there are many exceptions; some varieties are as follows: mixed voice choir (or chorus) is one of both
women and men; a male voice choir is usually of men only, but may be of boys and men; a double choir is one arr. in 2 equal
and complete bodies, with a view not merely to singing in (generally) 8 parts but also to responsive effects
10. Continuo: a term meaning either the group of instruments (or single instrument) used to provide the bass line in a musical
work or the notated bass line from which those instruments play, in which case it is more accurately called the basso
continuo; the continuo belongs above all to the Baroque era as one of its most important defining characteristics
11. Da Capo Aria: a da capo aria is one in which the first part is repeated, the singer being expected to add ornamentation in the
repeated section; an aria that has two sections, followed by a repetition of the first, thus making a tripartite structure ABA
12. Figured Bass: a bass line with figures indicating the required harmonies; the figured bass was a feature of the Baroque period;
usually a bass instrument, for example the bass violin or cello, would play the single bass line while a keyboard or plucked
instrument filled in the harmonies
13. Fugue: type of contrapuntal composition in which number of parts or `voices' (described thus whether vocal or instrumental)
enter successively in imitation of each other, the 1st voice entering with a short melody or phrase known as the subject; when
all the voices have entered with their statements of the subject, the exposition is over; then (typically) there comes an episode
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Choral Literature
Worksheet #2

or connecting passage (usually a development of something that has appeared in the exposition) leading to another entry or
series of entries of the subject, and so on until the end of the piece, entries and episodes alternating
14. Full Anthem: Anglican church anthem sung by full choir throughout, as opposed to verse anthem; an anthem entirely of
chorus parts
15. Gloria: “glory to god in the highest”; the second movement of the Ordinary of the Mass
16. Libretto: the name generally given to the book of the words of an opera, or other vocal dramatic work, and consequently to
the text itself; the earliest were over 20 cm in height, and the Italian diminutive refers to the reduced measurement of 14 cm,
introduced when the first public opera houses opened in Venice
17. Magnificat: Canticle of the Virgin Mary (‘My soul doth magnify the Lord’) as it appears in St. Luke's Gospel; the Latin name
is first word of Vulgate translation (Magnificat anima mea Dominum); part of Roman Catholic Vespers and of Anglican
Evensong (where musical setting is followed by Nunc Dimittis); sung to plainchant in Roman Catholic service and to
Anglican chant in latter, but there are many compositional settings for church and concert performance
18. Mass – Baroque Mass: during the early Baroque, the mass tended to be a conservative musical form, similar in style to the
Franco-Flemish mass of the sixteenth century; as the 17th-century progressed, masses began to incorporate concertato style
and to have instrumental accompaniments; these developments led to the five masses of J.S. Bach, whose B Minor Mass is
one of the towering monuments of Western music; unlike his other masses, the B Minor Mass is two hours in length and
divides the ordinary into twenty-five separate movements characterized by a wide range of expressive and musical devices
19. Matins: the first of eight hours of the Divine Office in the medieval Roman rite, originally called Vigils and sung after
midnight (often about 3 a.m.); later it was sometimes moved to the previous evening; its structure varied according to the day
and usage (cathedral or monastic) but consisted in outline of an introduction, a series of nocturns (each comprising a group of
psalms with antiphons and lessons with responsories), and a conclusion
20. Motet – Baroque Motet: in the 17th-century the motet was re-born in the increasingly secularized format which became
popular during the baroque period; instruments and solo voices were employed, forms more reminiscent of opera and cantata
came into common usage, and the final result was that it was difficult to differentiate between secular and sacred forms - the
motet had become a sacred cantata in effect, and this sacred cantata (cantata spirituale, Kantate, Anthem) was the next phase
in its logical evolution
21. Oratorio: a musical setting of a religious libretto for solo singers, chorus, and orchestra, in dramatic form but usually
performed without scenery or costumes in concert‐hall or church; the form originated in plays given in the Oratory of S.
Philip Neri, Rome, in the mid‐16th century, the music form developing c.1600; examples include Handel’s Messiah and
Mendelssohn’s Elijah
22. Passion: settings to music of the account of Christ's Passion, as recorded in the four gospels; in its simplest form, perceptible
from the late Middle Ages, the story is presented in plainchant ‘Passion tones’ by the priest (alone, or with two assistants)
officiating at Mass during Holy Week—St Matthew's account on Palm Sunday, St Mark's and St Luke's on Tuesday and
Wednesday respectively, and St John's on Good Friday; characterization is achieved by variations in pitch and tempo,
indicated by letter symbols: S (sursum, ‘raised’) for the high-pitch (alta vox) utterances of all crowd groups (turbae) and
individuals, except Christ; C (celeriter, ‘rapidly’) for the delivery, at medium pitch, of the Evangelist's narration; and T (from
tenere; ‘held’) for the bass register and measured declamation of the words of Christ
23. Postlude: a composition played as an afterpiece; in organ music, the postlude is the voluntary concluding a church service
24. Prelude: a comparatively brief instrumental composition intended (in principle) as an introduction to something further; the
term is often used for the overture or introductory scene of an opera; more important, however, the term ‘prelude’ refers to a
genre of music for soloistic instruments, especially the keyboard; the earliest examples occur in 15th-century German organ
manuscripts, which include many short praeludia as examples of improvisation to set the key for the singers in church
25. Primma Practica: the standard musical practice of 16th-century polyphony in Europe; ‘primma practica’ most notable refers
to the practice of approaching and leaving dissonances
26. Ritornello: ‘Ritornello form’ is a term used to describe the first and often the last movements of the Baroque concerto,
especially the concerto grosso; such movements were characterized by the alternation and contrast between solo and tutti
sections, the tuttis being based always on the same material; thus, these sections were equivalent to ritornellos
27. Secco Recitative: “dry recitative”; sung with a free rhythm dictated by the accents of the words; accompaniment, usually by
continuo (cello and harpsichord), is simple and chordal; the melody approximates speech by using only a few pitches
28. Secundo Practica: the counterpart to prima pratica and is more commonly referred to as Stile modern; the term "Seconda
prattica" was coined by Claudio Monteverdi to distance some of his music from that of Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina and
Gioseffo Zarlino and describes early music of the Baroque period which encouraged more freedom from the rigorous
limitations of dissonances and counterpoint characteristic of the prima pratica
29. Stile concitato: “agitated style”; a term used by Monteverdi in the preface to his Madrigali guerrieri ed amorosi (1638), in
his discussion of the three main styles (generi) of music; Monteverdi named these three styles as concitato, molle, and
temperato, which he equated with ‘anger, moderation, and humility or supplication’ respectively; he aimed to recreate the
least common of these, the genere concitato, referring to Plato's definition of it as a style that would ‘stir people to war’; his
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musical realization of this style, in such works as Combattimento di Tancredi, e Clorinda, involved using high vocal ranges
and repeated semiquavers (representing ancient Greek pyrrhic rhythms); after Monteverdi, later Baroque composers
including Alessandro Grandi and Handel made occasional use of this style to set passages of text describing battles or
fighting.
30. Te Deum: the long hymn that constitutes the supreme expression of rejoicing in the Roman Catholic, Anglican, and other
Christian Churches; the Roman Catholic Breviary calls it the canticle of Ambrose and Augustine, from the legend that at the
baptism of Augustine by Ambrose it was sung in alternation, extempore, by the two saints; in the Roman rite the Te Deum
finds a place as the outpouring of praise at the moment of climax of the service of Matins on Sundays and festivals
31. Verse Anthem: an anthem in which one or more solo voices are contrasted with the full choir, as opposed to a ‘full anthem’
for choir without soloists; the earliest examples date from the later 16th century; Byrd, Gibbons, Purcell, Greene, and S. S.
Wesley all contributed fine specimens; the sections for soloists are often headed ‘Verse’, while those for the whole choir are
headed ‘Full’
32. Vespers: originally the seventh of eight hours of the Divine Office in the medieval Roman rite; it is known in English as
Evening Prayer; Famous large‐scale setting by Monteverdi (1610)

Composers:
1. Antonio Caldara (c.1670-1736, Italy): composed 87 operas, over 40 oratorios, masses, and other church music, including
Christmas Cantata, and songs, of which Come raggio di sol is well known; among his many operas was the first setting of
Metastasio's libretto La Clemenza di Tito (Vienna, 1734)
2. Antonio Lotti (c.1667-1740, Italy): wrote 24 operas between 1693 and 1717; stayed in Dresden 1717–19, writing 3 operas
there, and Constantino for Vienna; composed only church music (of high quality) after 1719; book of madrigals (1705)
3. Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741, Italy): published trio sonatas, Op.1, 1705 and vn sonatas, Op.2, 1709; first opera, Ottone in
villa, produdced Vicenza 1713; first Venetian opera, Orlando finto pazzo, 1714; was also operatic impresario in Venice and
conducted and played violin in opera performances; spent 3 years in service of Landgrave of Hesse‐Darmstadt in Mantua,
probably 1719–21; between 1722 and 1725, wrote operas for Mantua, Vicenza, Milan, and Rome; his famous Op.8, incl. Le
quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons), was published 1725
4. Claudio Monteverdi (c. 1567-1643, Italy): his own first opera, La favola d'Orfeo was produced in 1607, notable in history of
music because for the first time the accompaniment was for a full (by the standards of the time) orchestra; his sacred music
veered between elaborate traditional polyphony and an advanced concerted style in which elements from his secular
madrigals and operas lend color and drama to the text, as in the famous Vespers composition for Mantua in 1610
5. Dietrich Buxtehude (c.1637-1707; Denmark): in 1673 reinstated practice of giving ambitious music perfs in associated with
church services; known as Abendmusiken (evening concerts), they were held annually on the 5 Sundays before Christmas; his
vocal music, most of it to sacred texts, is as important as his organ works; he wrote 20 cantatas, of which the cycle of seven,
Membra Jesu Nostri (1680) is highly regarded; his other vocal compositions. may be categorized as concertos, chorales, and
arias; his arias suggest the influence of Monteverdi, with a strong preference for strophic form over the da capo aria
6. George Frideric Handel (1685-1759, Germany): after studying law at Halle University, Handel turned to music full time after
his father’s death; in 1706, Handel went to Italy meeting Corelli, the Scarlattis, and other leading figures, and rapidly
attaining mastery of Italian style in opera, chamber music, and vocal music; in 1737 Handel's health cracked under the strain
of his operatic labors and he had a stroke; following his recovery, he wrote a series of oratorios, including Messiah, produced
in Dublin, 1742, the work by which his name is known throughout the world; it is something of an oddity since Handel was
not a religious composer in the accepted sense, but its power, lyricism, sincerity, and profundity make it one of the supreme
musical creations as well as an outstanding example of devotional art
7. Georg Phillipp Telemann (1681-1767, Germany): extremely prolific composer, skilled in counterpoint and of great facility,
but his music has surface charm rather than depth; the best of it, however, is delightful; among his voluminous output, which
includes 44 Passions (St. Matthew Passion and St. Luke Passion), 12 complete services and 40 operas
8. Giacomo Carissimi (1605-1674, Italy): one of early masters of oratorio form; Oratorios include Lucifer, Job, Baltazar, Jephte
(1650), Judicium Salomonis; motets, and recitatives (e.g. Abraham and Isaac); adapted Monteverdi's operatic innovations to
sacred drama; his Missa ‘L'Homme armé’ was last of its kind
9. Giovanni Gabrielli (1554-1612, Italy): one of the great Venetian compsosers of motets with instrumental accompianments;
his music made use of the special antiphonal effects of violin and brass obtainable in St Mark's; compositions include
Canzone for various combinations; 2 sets of Sacrae symphoniae (1597 and 1615), the first set containing the celebrated
Sonata pian' e forte alla quarta bassa; concertos and many motets including Angelus ad pastores, O magnum mysterium,
Exaudi Deus, Hodie Christus natus est, Jubilate Deo, Regina coeli, Sancta et immaculata virginitas; also wrote many secular
madrigals
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10. Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652, Italy): Italian priest, tenor, and composer of a celebrated Miserere in 9 parts, long kept as
exclusive possession of Sistine Chapel, where he served for the last part of his life; also composed several concertini, 2 books
of motets, and 4‐part sonata for strings
11. Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672, Germany): composed first German opera, Dafne, 1627 (music destroyed by fire 1760); revisited
Italy 1628–9; his special importance lies in his grafting of Italian choral and vocal style on to German polyphonic tradition;
wrote magnificent settings of Passions and his Christmas oratorio, 7 Words from Christ on the Cross

12. Henry Purcell (1659-1695, England): from 1680 Purcell began to compose the long series of ‘welcome odes’ and other
official choral pieces, his music by far transcending the doggerel of the words; in that year, too, he composed the first of the
incidental music he wrote for the London theatre, for plays by Dryden, Congreve, Shadwell, Brady, Behn, etc; Purcell was
increasingly prolific, composing some of his greatest church music such as the Te Deum and Jubilate in D; in 1695, for
Queen Mary's funeral, he composed an anthem (Thou knowest, Lord, the Secrets of our Hearts), 4 canzonas for brass, and 2
elegies, which are among his most masterly works and were used for his own funeral later the same year
13. Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687, Italy): having assimilated both Italian and French styles and tastes, from 1673 he turned to
opera composing and obtained from the King exclusive rights to arrange operatic performances in Paris; for the next 14
years, working with the poet Quinault, he not only wrote about 20 operas and ballets, but produced and conducted them and
trained the singers with firm discipline; he developed the formal ‘French Ov.’ and replaced the Italian recitativo secco with
accompanied recitative, placing special emphasis on a style of declamation suited to French language; he introduced
professional female dancers into the ballet; a supreme courtier and intriguer, he nevertheless made French opera a popular art
14. Johann Christoph Bach (1735-1782, Germany): 18th child and 11th (youngest) son of J. S. Bach; his first London opera,
Orione, was produced in 1763; on this occasion clarinets were first used in an English orchestra; on visits to Germany, Bach
produced his Temistocle in 1772 at Mannheim and his Lucio Silla, which Mozart had already set, in 1774; composed an opera
for Paris, Amadis de Gaule, in 1779, and his last London opera, La Clemenza di Scipione, was successfully performed in
1778
15. Johann Hermann Schein (1586-1630, Germany): one of first German musicians to benefit from Italian influence; wrote
nearly 100 chorale melodies and harmonizations, sacred songs in Italian style, villanelles, madrigals, Venus Kräntzlein (new
secular songs, 1609), motets, dance suites, and wedding‐songs
16. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750, Germany): one of the greatest composers in all music; he wrote masterworks in every
genre of his day, except opera; his immense contribution to religious music in particular has no equal; composed more than
250 church cantatas, the St Matthew Passion, Mass in B minor, Christmas Oratorio, Goldberg Variations, and many other
works including his last, the unfinished Die Kunst der Fuge (The Art of Fugue)
17. Marc-Antoine Charpentier: (1605-1704, France): composer of 10 Magnificats, 4 Te Deums (one of which, composed c.1690,
has become popular), 37 antiphons, 84 psalms, and over 200 motets, some of them as extensive as oratorios; his early style
was Italian-based, but he soon adopted a French tone of voice; his music is noted for harmonic richness and color contrasts,
also for the vividness of his word‐painting
18. Michael Praetorius (1571-1621, Germany): prolific composer and important music historian; began career as organist in
1604, to Duke of Brunswick; his Syntagma musicum (1614–20, 3 vols.) is a wide survey of music, the 2nd vol. being a prime
source of information on musical instruments of the time
19. Samuel Scheidt (1587-1654, Germany): best known in his day for his vocal works, including cantiones sacrae for 8 voices
(1620) and 70 Symphonien auf Conzerten‐Manier with 3 voices and basso continuo (1644); most important was his book of
organ music, Tabulatura nova (1624, 3 vols.) proposing staff notation for organ instead of tablature

Baroque Listening:

Baroque Motet: d. Thematic rhythm patterns (ex: opening lines

1. Regina Coeli Giovanni Gabrieli of each part)
a. 12 voices (AATTBBBBBBBB), a cappella 3. Miserere Gregorio Allegri
b. Polychoral, homophonic a. SSATB (mostly), a cappella
c. Understandable text, dissonances always b. Homophonic with polyphonic moments
lead to resolutions c. Plagal cadences, driven by the melodic line
d. Call-and-response idea between the two d. SSAB choir joins in at the end
choirs
2. Crucifixus Antonio Lotti Baroque Sacred Music
a. SSAATTB, a cappella 1. Messe de Minuit (Mass) Marc-Antoine
b. Homophonic Charpentier
c. Dissonances always resolve, text is clear
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a. SATB (with soli), organ, 4-part strings, 3. Wachet Auf, ruft uns die Stimme (Chorale
and bass continuo Motet from the Cantata Wachet Auf Wachet
b. Homophonic and polyphonic Auf, ruft uns die Stimme BWV 140)
c. Choral music accompanied by a. SATB, oboe, violin, viola, bass continuo
instruments with bass continuo b. Polyphonic
d. Mass for Christmas with various French c. Fugue, bass continuo
carols cited within d. Soprano has static line, other three parts use
2. Magnificat (Sacred Cantata-like work, non- rhythm patterns
liturgical) Diectrich Buxtehude 4. Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light
a. SSATB (with soli), organ, 2 violins, and (Christmastide Chorale)
bass continuo a. SATB (a cappella or with bass continuo)
b. Homphonic b. Hompohonic
c. Choral music accompanied by c. Chorale
instruments with bass continuo d. Beginnings of the hymn
d. Call-and-response theme between soli
and chorus G. F. Handel:
1. He Gave Them Hailstones for Rain (Oratorio
Claudio Monteverdi: Chorus From: Egypt in Israel)
1. Kyrie (Primma Practica Mass From: Missa da a. Double choir (SATB), flutes, oboes,
capella a sei vocie sopra il motetto In illo timpani, organ, harpsichord, bassoons,
tempore del Gomberti) trumpets, trombones
a. SSATTB, a cappella b. Homophonic
b. Polyphonic c. Oratorio, lyricism
c. All dissonances resolve, music driven by d. Text painting
melodic line 2. Messiah Sequence Oratorio Recitative and
d. Bass 2 required for the Agnus Dei Chorus
2. Domine Ad Adjuvandum Me Festina (Motet  There Were Shepherds Abiding in the
From: Vespro della Beata Virgine of 1610) Field (Secco Recitative)
a. SSAATTBB, cornetts, trombones, violins, a. Soprano soli, Orchestra,
violas, organs, and recorders Harpsichord
b. Homophonic b. Homophonic
c. Choral music accompanied by instruments c. Secco Recitative
with bass continuo d. Expertly moves into Glory
d. Choir mimics the instruments to God
3. Si Chio Vorrei Morire (Madrigal)  And Lo, The angel of the Lord Came
a. SATTB, a cappella Upon Them (Accompagnato Recitative)
b. Hompohonic and polyphonic a. Soprano soli, Orchestra,
c. Dissonances always resolve Harpsichord
d. Secular b. Homophonic
c. Accompagnato Recitative
J.S. Bach: d. Orchestral music mimics
1. Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen (Chorus the text
from a Passion From: St. Matthew Passion)  And the Angel Said Unto Them (Secco
a. Double choir (SATB), double orchestra, and Recitative)
soli a. Soprano soli, Orchestra,
b. Homophonic Harpsichord
c. Bass continuo, secco recitative b. Homophonic
d. Choirs will work in a call-and-response c. Secco Recitative
form, but will also sing unison parts d. Text painting
2. Singet Dem Herrn (Chorale Motet)  And Suddenly There Was With the
a. Double choir (SATB), soli, trumpets, Angel (Accompagnato Recitative)
timpani, oboes, violins, violas, bass continuo a. Soprano soli, Orchestra,
b. Polyphonic Harpsichord
c. Bass continuo, fugue b. Homophonic
d. Thematic rhythmic patterns found in all c. Accompagnato Recitative
parts of both choirs d. Vivid accompaniment
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 Glory to God (Chorus)

a. SATB, Orchestra,
Harpsichord
b. Homophonic
c. Text painting, bass
continuo
d. Trumpets, especially,
accompany the text well
3. Zadok the Priest (Coronation Anthem) G. F.
Handel
a. SSAATBB, orchestra,
harpsichord
b. Homophonic
c. Bass continuo
d. Melismic line heard in all
parts throughout piece