Terms: (some more terms)
Basso Continuo - The underlying harmonic structure of a work, with one (or more)
instruments playing a bass part (e.g. cello or bassoon) and one (or more)
playing the chords (harpsicord or lute). (sometimes just called 'continuo',
'thorough bass', 'figured bass').
Prelude - Not a dance, just an opening introduction, not always included.
Allemande slow 4/4 time (6 minute documentary)
Courante lively 3/2 or 3/4 time (7 minute documentary)
Sarabande slow (or quicker) 3/2 or 3/4 time (9 minute documentary)
Gigue quick, bouncy 3/8 or 12/8 time (8 minute documentary)
Gavotte (Musette) medium, hopping 4/4 or 2/4 time (7 minute documentary)
Minuet medium, aristocratic 3/4 time (10 minute documentary)
Others: Passepied, Hornpipe, Bourée
Concerto - A work for one or more soloists playing with an orchestra
Concerto grosso - A work with a small group of soloists (the concertino)
and a larger orchestra (the ripieno or tutti)
Concerto da camera - The concerto da camera had the character of a suite, being
Trio sonata - A multi-movement work for two solo instruments and continuo.
Partita - A suite for a single instrument, Bach's harpsichord partitas are famous.
Formats (used in many of the genres, above):
Canon - A contrapuntal (counterpoint-based) compositional technique that employs a
leader melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given
duration (one beat, or four beats, etc.). "Row, Row Row, Your Boat" with
one group following another is a canon.
Fugue - A contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a
subject (a musical theme) that is introduced at the beginning in imitation (in
different keys) and which recurs frequently in the course of the composition.
A fugue usually has three main sections: an exposition, a development and
a final entry that contains the return of the subject in the fugue's tonic key.
The fugue is the most challenging musical form of the Baroque era.
Canzona (also canzon, canzone. pl. canzoni) - A lively, rhythmic work with distinct
Chorale - a vocal or instrumental composition based on a Lutheran hymn,
usually in four parts (see especially, Bach)
Chorale prelude - A short, liturgical composition for the organ (especially Bach, again)
Ritornello / Tutti - Passages in music where all musicians play at the same time
(as in passages in concertos where the soloist is not featured).
Viol / Viola da gamba - a family of string instruments now seldom used. The bass
Viol / Viola da gamba - a family of string instruments now seldom used. The bass
viol was the most prominent and superficially resembles a
cello, but is structurally different.
Lute - a family of string instruments roughly resembling a guitar. A theorbo is a
Lute - a family of string instruments roughly resembling a guitar. A theorbo is a
large member of the lute family with a two long necks and additional strings.
Genres:
Suite (orchestra or keyboard) multi-movement work based on French dances (although
Genres:
Suite (orchestra or keyboard) multi-movement work based on French dances (although
several were originally from different countries, e.g. the gavotte from Spain, the
gigue from England.)
The most common are:
Prelude - Not a dance, just an opening introduction, not always included.
Allemande slow 4/4 time (6 minute documentary)
Courante lively 3/2 or 3/4 time (7 minute documentary)
Sarabande slow (or quicker) 3/2 or 3/4 time (9 minute documentary)
Gigue quick, bouncy 3/8 or 12/8 time (8 minute documentary)
Gavotte (Musette) medium, hopping 4/4 or 2/4 time (7 minute documentary)
Minuet medium, aristocratic 3/4 time (10 minute documentary)
Others: Passepied, Hornpipe, Bourée
Concerto - A work for one or more soloists playing with an orchestra
Concerto grosso - A work with a small group of soloists (the concertino)
and a larger orchestra (the ripieno or tutti)
Concerto da camera - The concerto da camera had the character of a suite, being
introduced by a prelude and incorporating popular dance forms. Antonio
Vivaldi and Georg Philipp Telemann were great exponents of this form of
music. Later it became a popular name for any concerto in a chamber music
or chamber orchestra setting.
Concerto da chiesa - (Church Concerto) A concerto of four movements in slow-
Concerto da chiesa - (Church Concerto) A concerto of four movements in slow-
fast-slow-fast order.
Sonata - In every era, a form of chamber music. By 1780 it meant a multi-movement
work for solo piano (piano sonata) or piano and one other instrument (e.g.
violin or cello sonata).
Sonata da camera - A work for one or more instruments with a basso continuo,
Sonata - In every era, a form of chamber music. By 1780 it meant a multi-movement
work for solo piano (piano sonata) or piano and one other instrument (e.g.
violin or cello sonata).
Sonata da camera - A work for one or more instruments with a basso continuo,
formatted as a dance suite.
Sonata da chiesa - (church sonata) - A work for one or more instruments,
usually in four movements in slow-fast-slow-fast order.
Sonata da chiesa - (church sonata) - A work for one or more instruments,
usually in four movements in slow-fast-slow-fast order.
Trio sonata - A multi-movement work for two solo instruments and continuo.
Partita - A suite for a single instrument, Bach's harpsichord partitas are famous.
Formats (used in many of the genres, above):
Canon - A contrapuntal (counterpoint-based) compositional technique that employs a
leader melody with one or more imitations of the melody played after a given
duration (one beat, or four beats, etc.). "Row, Row Row, Your Boat" with
one group following another is a canon.
Fugue - A contrapuntal compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a
subject (a musical theme) that is introduced at the beginning in imitation (in
different keys) and which recurs frequently in the course of the composition.
A fugue usually has three main sections: an exposition, a development and
a final entry that contains the return of the subject in the fugue's tonic key.
The fugue is the most challenging musical form of the Baroque era.
Canzona (also canzon, canzone. pl. canzoni) - A lively, rhythmic work with distinct
sections. Giovanni Gabrieli's brass canzonas and Girolamo Frescobaldi's
keyboard canzonas are emblematic. By the late 1600s, the canzone had
influenced the fugue and sonata de chiesa.
Sinfonia - An orchestral piece used as an introduction, interlude, or postlude to an
Sinfonia - An orchestral piece used as an introduction, interlude, or postlude to an
opera, oratorio, cantata, or suite.
Fantasia - A non-specific work of the composer's imagination. In the Romantic era,
Fantasia - A non-specific work of the composer's imagination. In the Romantic era,
'fantasia' would take on another connotation (fantasy or dream-like).
Toccata - A virtuosic piece of music (e.g. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor).
Prelude - A (usually short) piece of music that precedes another piece of music.
Passacaglia - From Renaissance Spain, the passacaglia was redefined in the late
Toccata - A virtuosic piece of music (e.g. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor).
Prelude - A (usually short) piece of music that precedes another piece of music.
Passacaglia - From Renaissance Spain, the passacaglia was redefined in the late
1620s by Italian composer Girolamo Frescobaldi, who transformed it
varied).
repeated short harmonic progression, often involving a fairly short
for variation, decoration, figuration and melodic invention. In this it
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Chorale - a vocal or instrumental composition based on a Lutheran hymn,
usually in four parts (see especially, Bach)
Chorale prelude - A short, liturgical composition for the organ (especially Bach, again)
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