What is this written for
Production of Dryden and Lee play Oedipus on 1692 - BAROQUE PERIOD
Story: tragic tale where Oedipus accidental fulfils the prophecy that he will kill his father and marry his mother. When the truth is discovered, he gouges his eyes out and commits suicide. The character aleco is one of the furies filled with anger and persecuted Oedipus, with this music to calm her down
Intro 3 bar DR C SMITH
- no tempo marking but chosen ‘largo’ as a slow, lament solemn metre used to calm Alecto
- always a three bar loop which consists of quavers. These have a rising pattern and ground bass usually a slow tempo
- BAROQUE PERIOD
- uses de capo aria which means play from beginning and ternary form of ABA
- melody is decorated with ornaments to mirror the intricate architecture. Also use of ascending moving sequences to mirror the ‘resurrection’ and coming out of king
- soprano has a ninth range. Harpsi used during BP and plays figured bass and realisation based on chords. Bass viol used which resembles a modern day cello but bowed and fretted with 6 strings
- MDH and follows melody but sometimes harpsichord is solo virtuosic playing contrapuntal texture
- starts in Aminor to reflect solemn tone. Broken chords played ascending chromatic movement but always drop of octave on end of 3rd as a common feature of baroque
Melody of main part
- mixture of syllabic and melismatic
- many use of sequences: ascending is above a 5th but descending indicates grief
- use of ornaments
Rhythm of main part
- ## complex rhythm begins which contrasts the simplicity of the ground bass
Harmony of main part
- arpeggio shaped ascending and use of semitones to create dissonance and pain which is played by harpsi and bass viol
Texture of main part
- mainly MDH but use of call and response in B9 creating antiphonal texture similar to subject and countersubject in branden
Wondering starts
- use of word painting which captures the mood of wondering through melisma however this is also repeated thought harpsi which plays in imitation
- vocals start on an E than on F which was common feature of baroque to ascend in sequence
PAINS were eased
- use of word painting which turns dissonant showing the pain and turmoil
- this is done through use of E with melodic D in bass creating a clashing feel and mood
- cadential 64 is used at the end of every 3bar
What was often used for laments
- descending phrasing
- minor key
- dissonance
- slow tempo
- quiet dynamics (not possible here)
Eased and ‘freed the dead’
- eased also uses word painting as the suspension and dissonance is resolved and itself ‘eased’ in a descending sequence
End of eased..
- starts to modulate into E minor which is dominant minor of A minor
- once again use of cadential 64 but ground bass is heard 4 and half times before modulating asw through motif
How does section b start
- with an anacrusis ‘till Alecto’
- word painting used for ‘free the dead’ in a positive and bright key of g major as a rising melody
Eternal
- use of word painting through melismatic melody and even imitation used for contrapuntal texture
Section B drop
- use of word painting where words themselves are onomatopoeic like dropping sound
- melodic line also descends
- descending pattern is also off beat to represent the unusual sense of time
Where did double dotted notes come from
Influence from Italian writing and capo aria
Section A starts through
De capo aria but répétition is decorated for interest and development
Features of ground bass
- ascending pattern
- 3 bars long
- use of semiquavers
- end and drop on perfect cadence through octave of cadential 64
- slow tempo
- minor key and solemn mood with chromatic notes
What baroque ornamentation used
- trills
- turns
- mordents
- appoggiaturas
- grace notes
Why is word painting used
Reflects general solemn and lament nature of the piece
Aka
Incidental music which is performed for dramatic effect in between parts
How does it end
Final chord is spread out as the harpsi cannot sustain chords so the slow spreading maintains length of a semibreve ends with cadential 64 as a common feature of baroque and functional harmony
Functional harmony
A minor - E minor - G major - C major
Voice
Tenor with 9th range from lowest note of E above middle C to F an octave higher
How was bass viol played
Flat rather curved back and C rather than F holes and frets which would use an underhand to play rather than overhand bow grip
