Opera’s Origins, Handel’s Vocals, and Bach’s Instrumental Works
The Birth of Opera
Born in Italy, opera has spread throughout the world. It has two primary origins:
- The madrigal, which, when represented, evolved into “drama in music” and later “opera in music.”
- The oratorio, a sacred drama that is not represented. The recitative is a “simple” form found in both the cantata and oratorio.
In Florence, under the Medici family, a group of musicians and poets, including Jacopo Peri (1561-1633), wrote “Daphne,” which premiered in 1597 with text by Ottavio Rinuccini and is considered by some to be the first opera. Characteristics of these early works include:
- A succession of static pictures. The song is more important than the action.
- Each scene is independent of the previous one.
The difference between:
- Action: scene, recitative, and so on.
- Statism: aria, duet, etc. This is more prevalent in early operas.
The slowness of the play is balanced by the melodic quality, costumes, decor, etc. In 1637, Venice opened the first theater for “drama in music.” As a rich trading city, the public could afford the entrance fee and demanded quality.
Handel’s Vocal Music
Handel’s operas feature no formal novelty. They are based on Italian opera seria, to which he adds musical tension where there is dramatic tension. He demonstrates great knowledge of human psychology in his character development. His oratorios are operas that are not represented, with English words that he adapted very well to music, which sets him apart from the Italians and Germans. We can clearly distinguish the main line of the song, and although there is polyphony, homophony makes it stand out. Notable works include Messiah and Samson.
Bach’s Instrumental Music
Keyboard Music
Bach was one of the finest organists of his time and the greatest composer for the organ. He had total command of the instrument’s possibilities. He wrote gigues, fugues, fantasies, etc. These works require large spaces to be fully appreciated. The Well-Tempered Clavier, with its 48 Preludes and Fugues, showcases a range of colors and modulations to demonstrate that all shades were possible.
- English and French Suites
- Partitas
- The Goldberg Variations, written for Count Keyserling. This aria with 30 variations is bound not by a common melody, but by a background of harmonic variations based on the bass line. The melodies may vary, but a constant theme is always present.
Orchestral Music
Bach treated the orchestra like an organ or a harpsichord, employing a contrapuntal style. His music exhibits a characteristic Baroque rhythmic monotony. His orchestra was relatively small, consisting of strings and a small amount of brass. He composed four orchestral suites for Prince Leopold.
- Six Brandenburg Concertos, in the style of Concerti Grossi, which exploit the possibilities of the orchestra. In the 5th concerto, the keyboard has a great cadence and exploits its resources.
- Musical Offering, based on a theme by Frederick II.
- Double Concerto for violin in D minor.
- Suites for solo cello, 1717-23. These contain a variety of technical and emotional states. The sixth suite was composed for a 5-string instrument that was not specified by Bach, but is now played on a standard 4-string cello. The suite is the most freely written formal structure.