Notes for Mon 10/1

Apologies for the late notice about class being cancelled. I came in this morning to teach a piano lesson - and was about brought to my knees by my shoulder. I headed home to redose, but apparently my body is telling me to shut down for a day or else..... and I really don't want to know what "or else" means!
Couple of housekeeping things first:
The recital that was supposed to be tonight has been moved to Thursday night. I changed to previous post about it to reflect the new reality - check it for details.

Whoever was supposed to present today - can you do it Wednesday? We'll double up.

Baroque:

Today was supposed to be Baroque instrumental day - and I'm here without my text (so I'm working off my admittedly faulty memory!)

Remember at the beginning of the semester when I said the majority of the learning was going to take place outside the classroom?

Things to check out:
Place of composer in society - how'd they make a living?
2 A-level composers: Bach, Handel
A few B-level composers covered: Vivaldi, Corelli, etc.

Types of instrumental pieces (these all have separate chapters):
Fugue - a fugue always begins with the subject by itself (i.e. MONOPHONIC texture), and then adds in additional voices (all of which ALSO begin with the subject) - i.e. it bocomes POLYPHONIC. After everybody is in, then we get "stuff" - still polyphonic. Eventually, the subject comes back in - could be in one voice, could be in all. The piece alternates subject and "stuff" until it's time to quit. (The book uses other terminology - more official.)

Concerto - piece for solo (solo concerto) or small group (concerto grosso) and orchestra. Vivaldi's 4 seasons is an example - you have a couple of tracks on your CDs. You also have a solo concerto by Corelli - but I may be mistaken there.

Sonata - in the Baroque, it's a piece for a soloist OR a small ensemble. It is generally a multi-movement work. (The definition changes a bit during the Classical era).

There is a 4th genre - but I can't bring it to mind at the moment.

Composers also wrote "Sinfonia"s - which were pieces that served as a prelude to an opera. They generally included themes (melodies) from the opera itself (similar to what you hear at the beginning of a modern American musical).

Remember that vocal was the big thing at the beginning of the Baroque - but by the end instrumental was king.

In the "Hello" category:
I found a youtube video of the aria "Dido's Lament" we listened to. Check it out here, and let me know if it's better to LISTEN to an opera, or SEE it.

Here is a company in Germany (I think) that has done a version of Monterverdi's Orfeo. Does this match your conception of opera?