A Fictional Historical Account Analysis free essay sample

Being able to break it down theoretically through music analysis and then looking at the piece in its historical context has truly deepened my appreciation for this piece and, inconsequently, for keyboard concertos on a larger scale, along with a stronger desire to touch a harpsichord. I hope this paper portrays my love of this piece and how it has enriched my growing relationship with Bach and his repertoire (especially keyboard pieces) together with an understanding of Baroque performance practice so that I may come closer to the kind of proper technique Bachs pieces Insist on using.Zimmermann Cafe. As the spread of the popularity of coffee spread through Europe, the coffeehouse was quick to follow and rocketed throughout Europe, fueling the intellectual life of territorial cities and giving fire to the sharing of musical styles and artistic interests and philosophies. Part One Dear Father, We TLD have a chance to converse before I left for my Journey to Berlin. As you know I decided to leave behind my education as a lawyer and pursue that of our family and my passion: music. Vive accepted a position with this dude.I also wanted to I wanted to tell you about my evils there. Part Two Through Bachs superhuman technical craftsmanship (Buzzer), he achieved a very refined realization of the Baroque style of music. Baroque music has a certain kind f character and quality that can be broken down into an analysis of terms and techniques of which there are many. Perhaps the best way to look at the Bow 1056 from this view is to look at both Baroque qualities within the composition and in performance. First a general analysis and then a seaway into Baroque qualities. Behind the traits that mark music as baroque, then, are their reason for being: the passions, or as they were more often called then, the affections (Papilla). It is important to establish that the very first thing to ask when listening to or analyzing he Bow 1056 or any Baroque music is how are my affections being moved by this piece? Although it isnt entirely correct to assume the affections being referred to are also the emotions, for sake of simplicity, we will refer to the affections as emotions in the context of this paper, and briefly discuss how each of the Baroque qualities of this piece moves the emotions.The genre of the piece is solo concerto, specifically for keyboard. Thus it has three movements with the varied tempos of fast, slow, fast; or Allegro, Largo, and then a fabulous Presto. This is especially important when understanding the piece for performance, as, according to Dominations book on performance practice: The most important element in performing baroque mus ic is tempo. Why is this? It creates contrast, of course, and through contrast a general evolution of moving the affections via something kind fast, something kind slow, and then something fast again; and maybe one or a few of those with a nice danceable triple meter.Next to key, tempo truly sets up a piece, or a section of a piece, in terms of performance, genre, style and what general affections will be moved: the basic binary of Joy and melancholy. Yet, in the scope of arouse performance, we have a striking need to play all the ornamentation and detailed style of Baroque with correct nuance and articulation, and to be able to hear all of it too. This is why these movements of this piece, although Allegro, Largo, and Presto; are performed by the Seattle Baroque Orchestra not too fast, not too slow, and not too, too fast.Matter of fact, in listening to the recording, the tempos of each movement seem to actually be relatively quite near each other compared to the difference of what I expect, and the perception of fast, slow, fast is partly due to how TTS played and how I perceive it. I found this quite interesting. The most valuable Morning rule for baroque tempos is not to take the fast movements too fast or the slow movements too slow (Domination, 28). .. . He outer movements of Bow 1056 are closely related in terms of dimension, form, and content were clearly conceived as complementary (Darkies, 29). Ere first and third movements are in a basic retooling form with retooling and tutu alternating. Yet the first movements form isnt as precise in retooling form as the third, its more of a call and response dialogue. The third movement is more of a strict retooling form, four solo episodes framed by five retooling sections. F course), so much so that the melody glides along, smooth and connected, riding over a minimal continuo, very much like a singing voice in an aria. Really, this movement could easily be transcribed to voice or another solo instrument with the continuo pieces the harpsichord fills in with the left hand being given to another continuo instrument, such as a cello. Throughout the piece, a number of Baroque techniques resound. Perhaps the most basic technique is the use of continuo.The USIA for the continuo, in Bach fashion of blending technique, is a healthy mix of basso continuo and style Lethe Staccato, Legato, and Articulation By incisive articulation I mean using crisp accents and sharp attacks rather than explosive accents or massive attacks (Domination, 167). Trills are used intentionally. However, they arent Just used to extend a notes duration! Bach uses carefully placed trills within the piece to heighten harmonic Intensification during peak moments of musical ideas, such as at measures , and also uses them to add Baroque flavor to specific cadence, such as at measureIndeed, trills may have been used at one time to extend the duration of notes, but as they continued to be used in composition there were many more reasons to use a trill: No ornament has had a more varied or interesting history [than the trill]; but much of its complication disappears when it is understood that the trill has not one main function to perform, but two. One is melodic and rhythmic decoration and coloration; the other is harmonic modification and Intensification (Domination, 125).Dynamic Contrasts swelling of sound Echoes and Humps Articulation of Notes he performing forces are, of course, a solo instrument, such as the harpsichord, and continuo consisting of.. Although Telltale violin concerto stuff It should be noted at this point, in order to emphasize the historical importance of the Bow 1056, Just how the keyboard concerto is different than other instrument solo concertos, which is something we can see directly in the score. The harpsichord The use of the harpsichord in tutu and in retooling passages.Doubling of continuo during retro Today we view the keyboardist primarily as the continuo player in a Baroque ensemble. Thus it seems reasonable that the elevation of the keyboard player from accompanist to soloist would have raised the questions whether there should be a separate continuo part and how the latter should be realized when the soloist is Matter of fact it was Bachs development of the Bow 1056 and its family of compositions that had a tremendous impact on the development of the keyboard concerto as a genre.I would speculate that Bach used his keyboard concertos from that time, the Bow 1050-1057 during the sasss, in order to test different harpsichord arrangements to discover their sonic properties. For example, if the main continuo strumpet is pulled out of the continuo and made the featured soloist, how does one compensate for this in the continuo? Bach used the Bow 1052-1059 to test out different combinations of performing forces, from using the left hand of the solo harpsichord to maintain the continuo to having a second dedicated harpsichord.Of course, he wasnt the only one to be tes ting these waters at the time. His son Carl Emmanuel was, Handel, as well as a handful of other composers. Indeed, it was time for the harpsichord, and by association the other keyboard instruments, to come out of the role of underdog and be the hero of the show. But Bachs concertos, especially Bow 1052-1059, demonstrate how technical refinement and new idiomatic conception of the solo part could provide the basis for genre that held promise of a great future (Wolff, 365). The role of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) and his sons in the development of the keyboard concerto has long been recognized (Sulzberger, 29). The harpsichord concertos Bow 1052-59 reflect not only the emerging solo role of the harpsichord but also the early evolution of the keyboard concerto. This development, transmitted by Bachs sons Carl Philipp Emanuel and Johann Christian, eloped shape a new genre that was fully realized in the keyboard concertos of Mozart and Beethoven (Galloway). So, Just how are my affections being moved, and what does this piece mean to me on meaningful level?I did my best to convey this through the fictional letter I wrote above. Yet, now that I have more language, I can hopefully be more specific in this context. The first movement Through historical research, trying to understand this piece through the context of performance and actual composition; to theoretical analysis of the piece in order to discover the qualities of the piece that make it both Baroque and unique; a much ore comprehensive understanding of the piece has been woven together for me, along with a greater ability to realize the keyboard concerto in general.This also helps me understand the big question, why am I writing this paper in the first place? Which is, why do I like the Bach Bow 1056. It all comes down to me enjoying the piece, having my affections moved, and wondering why this is so, and then being able to communicate the nuances when I want. Why do I like this piece? And, by putting words to sounds and manipulations of them, Im able to understand why and hopefully convey to others why I really love this piece. Its truly a fun process and I Leipzig Town Plan, 1720. Start at the bottom right-hand corner.Here you have the Vesting Pelvises-burg, built as a fortification. Burg means fortress, and the Plisse is the river on which Leipzig sits. A little to the left is the Atmospherics; Just on the right of it, the ramshackle. Bach looked out over the moat to the Promenade; he also had ready access through the little Thomas Gate. Moving upwards from the Atmospherics we find the Market Place in the center, with the Town Hall. To the left is the Catcher Stresses with Zimmermann Coffee House. Carrying on upwards and slightly right from the Market is Grammar Street leading to the Grammar Gate.To the left of it is the Neckerchief. Outside the Grammar gate was a garden in which Bachs Collegial Music played in summer (Sertorius). Zimmermann Cafe. On the left is the architectural drawing of the with much improvement rebuilt aromas School Ann. 1732. Bachs living conditions thereafter were much improved! On the right is a part of the Catcher(nine) Street. Zimmermann Cafe which hosted Bachs Collegial Music was located in the center building labeled 2 (Sertorius). Coffee garden in Leipzig. Leipzig eight Coffee Shops played an important role in the social and musical life of the city.We end this brief tour of Bachs Leipzig with an idealized view of Erecters Coffee garden which nonetheless captures the lively cultured atmosphere of the city in 1736 when this frontispiece to the Song Collection The Singing Muse by the Plisse was published. Note the variety of activities: conversation, spinet-playing, cards, and yes, bottom right snooker! Elegant, cultured, sophisticated, commercially prosperous, cosmopolitan This was the city in which Bach and his family were ordinate in spending twenty-seven years (Sertorius). Norms Cited Bach, Johann S.BACH, J. S. : Harpsichord concertos BOW 1052, 1053, 1055, 1056. Schumann, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, Matthews. Centaur, n. D. Nanas Music Library. N.B. . 8 Cot. 2012. http://Elmhurst. Nationalistically. Com. Proxy. Elmhurst. Dude/ . Very good modern recording of the Bow 1056 concerto using a harpsichord and period instruments. Bach, Johann Sebastian. Clavier-Concert V (Harpsichord Concerto No. 5), Bow 1056. University Music Editions (collection). Bach Shillelaghs Edition, Leipzig, 1926. Http:// . This s the score I used to analyze.Its missing some ornamental material played by the harpsichordist, though considering the period thats expected, but other than that this score works well. Buttercup Music Library. Leipzig: Composers manuscript, n. D. (ca. 1738). Http:// buttercup. Muss. Auto . Gar/innings/using/a/al /lampposts-PMLP110821- bow_1056 suffer , Manfred. Music in the Baroque Era: From Monteverdi to Bach. New York, N. W. Norton Co. , 1947. Print. A general book on music in the Baroque Era. Great overview. Period history. David, Hans T. , and Arthur Mendel. The Bach Reader: A Life of Johann Sebastian Bach n Letters and Documents.New York: W. W. Norton, 1966. 168-72. Print. Insight into Bachs personal life during the years of the composition of Bow 1056. Darkies, Petite. J. S. Bachs Concerted Ensemble Music, the Concerto. Edited by Gregory Butler. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois, 2008. 21-54. Print. Fantastic analysis of the Bow 1056. Butler also argues that the 1056 was taken from a lost violin concerto and shows evidence. However, note that Zoon below partially refutes this and shows evidence of 1056/2 taken from Telltale. Domination, Robert. Baroque Music: Style and Performance: A Handbook. New York: Norton, 1982.