Revision Notes
Baroque (1600-1750) → Classical(1750-1810) → Romantic (1810-1910)
Baroque (1600-1750)
● Composers
○ Mozart
○ Vivaldi
○ Handel
○ Bach
● Basso Continuo
○ Continuous bass
○ Accompanied soloists and singers
○ Performed with small instrumental ensembles
○ Aim: Strong bass line and melody - composers would write the bass and
melody but NO harmony
○ To indicate which chords should be played composers used figured bass
○ Harpsichord+Cello
■ Numbers written under the stave that would indicate intervals
● If it has a harpsichord it is baroque
Name Image Use
Mordent Rapid alternation of a
note immediately above it
in the scale.
Lower mordent Rapid alternation of a
note immediately below it
in the scale.
Anacrusis A note or sequence of
notes, a motif, which
precedes the first
downbeat in a bar in a
musical phrase.
Turn Going down and then
backup
Arpeggiated chords Playing one note at a time
Trill Rapid alternation between
two different notes
● Consisted of :
○ Strings
○ Brass
○ Bass
○ Woodwinds
○ Timpani
○ Harpsichord
● The sonata
○ Played rather than sung
○ Uses movements
○ Small ensemble
○ Bass Continuo
○ Sonata de camera - Chamber sonata
■ Piece for secular performance
Classical(1750-1810)
● 1750-1810
● Composing for nobility
● Parts of the stave
● Composers
○ Chopin
○ Wagner
○ Tchaikovsky
Name Image Use
Clefs - Treble/bass/C Can now go lower
Key signatures Shows what key the piece
is in
Orchestral groupings Showed what instrument
was playing what
Tonic and Dominant The 1st and the 5th
Time signature Shows how many of what
beats are in a bar
Appoggiatura Smushing the note above
into the other
Trill Rapid alternation between
two different notes
Following scores Following the music
Minuet and Trio
Section A Section B Section A
Section A Section B Section A Section B Section A Section B
Key - G major Key - G major Key - D major Key - D major Key - G major Key - G major
This is the This is the DOMINANT
DOMINANT (V) of G (V) of G major
major
Dynamic - F Dynamic - P Dynamic - F Dynamic - F Dynamic - P
Dynamic - P
Repeated Repeated Repeated Not Repeated Not Repeated
Repeated
Binary, Ternary, Rondo
● Binary
Section A Section B
Key - Tonic Key - Dominant
Modulates to the dominant - sounds
unfinished Modulates back to Tonic
Repeated Repeated
Longer than A section
Contrasting features
● Ternary
Section A Section B Section A
Key - Tonic Contrasting features Sometimes exactly the
same
Introduction to musical MADTSHIRT Sometimes not the
ideas exact same -
ornamentation/embellis
Ends with perfect hments
cadence
(Da Capo (DC) - repeat
the exact same
Fine - to indicate the
DC form)
● Rondo
Section Section Section Section Section Section Section
A B A C A D A
Section Contrasti Key - Contrasti Key - Contrasti Key -
A ng Tonic ng Tonic ng Tonic
features Introduct features Introduct features Introduct
ion to to A and ion to to A, B ion to
Related musical B musical ad C musical
key ideas Related ideas Related ideas
New key key
themes New New
themes themes
Badinerie
● Background Details
○ Composed by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750)
○ One of the main composers of the Baroque period
○ Last of seven movements from Orchestral Suite No.2.
○ The piece was composed between 1738-1739.
● Form and Structure:
○ Binary
○ AABB
○ Section A is 16 bars long
○ Section BB is 24 bars long
● Dynamics
○ Mostly forte throughout (No markings)
○ On some recordings there are terraced dynamics
● Tonality
○ Section A begins in B minor (tonic) and ends in F# minor (dominant minor).
○ Section B begins in F# minor (dominant minor) and ends in B minor (tonic).
○ Section A modulates from B minor through A major before arriving at F#
minor.
○ Section B modulates from F# minor through E minor, D major, G major and D
major before arriving at B minor.
● Harmony
○ Diatonic; mixture of root position and inverted chords;uses V7 chords and a
Neapolitan sixth chord.
○ Both sections end with a perfect cadence.
● Metre and Rhythm
○ Simple duple time – 2/4 – with two crotchet beats in every bar.
○ Uses ostinato rhythms which form the basis of two short musical ideas (X and
Y), consisting almost totally of quavers and semiquavers.
● Instrumentation
○ Flute
○ String Orchestra
○ Harpsichord
● Melody
○
○ Both motifs begin with an anacrusis. Motif X is entirely disjunct whilst motif Y
combines disjunct and conjunct movement.
○ Typical ornaments and compositional devices of the period are used including
trills, appoggiaturas and sequences.
● Texture
○ Homophonic: Melody and accompaniment
○ The flute and cello provide the main musical material
○ The 1st violin participates occasionally
○ The 2nd violin and viola provide harmony with less busy musical lines
● Tempo
○ Allegro (quick, lively, bright)
○ Not marked on the score
Musical Theatre
● Musical types
○ Disney
○ Musical drama
○ Classic
○ Film to stage
○ Romantic
○ Comedy
○ Sung through
●
Texture Structure Instrumentation Timbre
How the instruments The parts that make up a The quality of the sound
Typical instruments used
interact piece or show produced
Monophonic Prelude Orchestral Soprano
Polyphonic Overture Alto
Homophonic Large choruses Tenor
Melody and Instrumental Bass
Accompaniment interludes Chest voice
Call and response Solo Head voice
Imitation Recitative Falsetto
Canon Sung-through
The ensemble
Vocals
●
Male Female
Bass Alto
Tenor Soprano
