Submitted by: Carlito D.
Dumandan Jr
Application:
a. Who is often regarded as the master of Baroque music, known for his prolific output of compositions across
various genres?
Answer: Jean-Baptiste Lully
b. Name one other prominent Baroque composer known for his operas and instrumental works, including "The
Four Seasons."
Answer: George Frideric Handel, German-born English composer of the late Baroque era, noted
particularly for his operas, oratorios, and instrumental compositions.
a. Describe one characteristic of Baroque music in terms of its use of ornamentation.
Answer: It is characterized by complex polyphony (multiple melodic lines occurring simultaneously),
an abundance of ornamentation, and often dramatic contrasts in dynamics, texture and tempo.
b. Explain how the basso continuo contributes to the texture and structure of Baroque compositions.
Answer: Basso continuo parts, almost universal in the Baroque era (1600–1750), provided the
harmonic structure of the music by supplying a bassline and a chord progression
shortened to continuo, and the instrumentalists playing the continuo part are called the continuo
group.
a. Define the term "fugue" and identify one famous example composed by Johann Sebastian Bach.
Answer: Fugue, in music, a compositional procedure characterized by the systematic
principal theme (called the subject) in simultaneously sounding melodic lines (
term fugue may also be used to describe a work or part of a work. In its mathematical intricacy,
formality, symmetry, and variety, the fugue holds the interest of composers, performers, and listeners
of Western art music in much the same way as the sonnet engages English-language poets and their
readers.
b. Name two common Baroque vocal genres and provide a brief description of each.
Answer: Opera- a staged drama set to music in its entirety, made up of vocal
instrumental accompaniment and usually with orchestral overtures and interludes.
Cantata, (from Italian cantare, “to sing”), originally, a musical composition
sung, as opposed to a sonata, a composition played instrumentally; now, loosely, any work for voices
and instruments.
a. Name three instruments commonly used in Baroque orchestras.
Answer:
1. Strings: The violin, viola, cello, and double bass were commonly used in the baroque orchestra.
2. Woodwinds: Instruments like the flute, oboe, bassoon, and recorder were also part of the baroque
orchestra.
3. Brass and Percussion: Trumpets, horns, timpani, and occasionally the harpsichord were used in
baroque orchestras as well.
b. Discuss the significance of improvisation in Baroque music performance, particularly in relation to the
basso continuo.
Answer: Improvisation grew to such importance in the Baroque period because of the emphasis on
personal expression. In this period the composer and the performer became equally important,
working in a partnership, and often were the same person. The performer was expected to take
liberties to make the music more his own, relying on spontaneous expression and improvisation.
a. Name one of Bach's most famous sacred choral works, often performed during the Easter season.
Answer: Among Bach’s sacral works of music, Cantata BWV 147 or Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring was
one of the most popular and often performed works of his time.
b. Identify a well-known Baroque concerto grosso composed by Arcangelo Corelli.
Answer: Concerto grosso in D major, Op. 6, No. 4 , is a composition by Arcangelo Corelli, and was
published as the fourth concerto in his Twelve Concerti Grossi, Op. 6 in 1714. This concerto grosso is
the second most notable of the twelve, after No. 8, the famous Christmas Concerto.
a. Discuss the impact of Baroque music on subsequent musical periods, such as the Classical and Romantic
eras.
Answer: The Baroque music era was a period of music where major developments laid the
groundwork for the classical music of the next few centuries. The orchestra was born, as were
important new musical forms, such as opera and the concerto. The harmonic system that would
dominate Western music throughout the following Classical and Romantic periods was established,
and many pieces were written which remain popular today.
b. Name one modern-day composer or artist who has drawn inspiration from Baroque music in their
compositions or performances.
Answer: Piazzolla’s use of intricate counterpoint and rich harmonies is reminiscent of the Baroque
style, while his incorporation of rhythmic and melodic elements from tango adds a modern twist.
a. Listen to a short excerpt from a Baroque composition provided in the assessment. Identify the composer
and the genre of the piece, and briefly describe one notable musical element or technique present in the
excerpt.
Answer:
Invention No.1 in C Major (BWV 772)
Composer: Bach, Johann Sebastian
Genre/Style: Classical
Description: every motif consists of four notes but has a unique shape. This is significant because no
matter how Bach repeats, transposes, lengthens, shortens and inverts his motifs, they remain familiar
to us.
The structure of the piece is in three parts: Section A establishes the tonic. Section B moves away
from the tonic and towards the dominant. Section C begins in the relative minor of the original key,
and then goes through some other related keys briefly before returning to the tonic.
