MUSIC - BAROQUE MUSIC

• What does the term "Baroque" mean in Portuguese?

  Oddly shaped pearl
• What is the time period of Baroque music?

  From around 1600 to 1750
• What period of music came before Baroque music?

  Renaissance music period
• What period of music follows the Baroque music period?

  Classical music period
• What is a Concerto Grosso?

  A musical form that utilizes a group of soloists and a full orchestra
• How does the sound produced in a Concerto Grosso change?

  It grows and swells as it is offered to a larger audience
• What is a fugue?

  A music piece that uses interwoven melodies based on a single musical idea
• What earlier idea did fugues develop from?

  Imitative polyphony
• How were fugues typically written?

  As independent pieces or as parts of a larger work
• What is recitative in Baroque operas?

  A technique of performing in a sing-talk manner
• What is an oratorio?

  A large religious-themed compositional work for soloists, choir, and orchestra
• How does an oratorio differ from an opera?

  An oratorio is simpler and rarely staged, while an opera is extravagant
• What themes do Protestant composers use in their oratorios?

  The Bible for their song themes
• What themes do Catholic composers focus on in their oratorios?

  The lives of the saints
• What is chorale music?

  A melody in which a hymn is sung by a congregation in a Protestant church service
• How is chorale music typically arranged?

  In a four-part setting with soprano, alto, tenor, and bass
• What is the origin of the words in Lutheran chorales?

  Often Latin hymn texts translated into the vernacular
• What type of melodies were used in Lutheran chorales?

  Melodies borrowed from secular songs
• Who was Johann Sebastian Bach?

  A prominent composer from the Baroque period
• What was Bach's family background in music?

  Music was the family business, with many relatives being musicians
• At what age did Bach become an orphan?

  By the age of 10
• How did Bach learn music after becoming an orphan?

  He copied his older brother's music works by moonlight
• What instrument did Bach focus on after his voice changed?

  Violin and harpsichord
• How far did Bach walk to study the works of famous organists?

  280 miles
• Who was George Frideric Handel?

  A composer from the Baroque period
• What was Handel's father's profession?

  A lawyer
• How did Handel pursue his musical dreams despite his father's opposition?

  He sneaked a clavichord to practice in secret
• What nickname was given to Handel and why?

  "The Great Bear" because of his size, nature, and way of walking
• What was notable about Handel's personal life?

  He never married and was known to be a very private person
• When did Handel die and where?

  In 1759, aged 74, in London