Intermezzo and the baroque period
In the early 18th century, comic operas were often short, one act interludes that were performed in between acts of opera seria, these were known as intermezzi. Later these led to the creation of the full-fledged opera buffa that were performed and enjoyed in their full length glory. Opera buffa is an informal labeling of Italian comic opera that emerged in the early 18th century as a reaction to the so called first reform of Zeno and Metastasio. It manifested as a parallel development to opera seria and was intended to be a genre that the common man could relate to more easily. While opera seria was an entertainment created for and portraying the lavish lives of kings and nobility, opera buffa was created for and portrayed the lives of the lower class. Opera buffa mostly avoided the use of extravagant language and instead was often written in a dialect used by the local commoners with dialogue that the lower class could relate to. Also, the characters often have roots in the Italian commedia dell’arte. The first major composers of the opera buffa genre were Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, Nicola Logroscino, Baldassare Galuppi, and Alessandro Scarlatti, all of whom were based in Naples or Venice.
The term Baroque era describes the style or period of European music between the years of 1600 and 1750.With new stress on the use of vocal and instrumental color, Baroque music separated from the harshness of the Medieval and early Renaissance style. Compared to previous music, Baroque music can be considered to be highly ornate, extravagantly texturized, and intense. Unlike the music of the late Renaissance, rich counterpoint, texture, the use of crescendo and decrescendo, pace in the music, and highly decorated melodic lines characterize the music of the Baroque period. Other defining characteristics of this time period include the use of the basso continuo and the belief in the doctrine of the affections, which better allowed composers to communicate emotion in their compositions. Secular music was now widely used as that of the liturgical musical styles. While the homophonic method was becoming more prominent, Imitative polyphony was still a very important factor in the writing and playing of music.
The homophonic musical style played a significant role in opera and solo vocal music because it focused the listener’s concentration on the poetic melody of the singer and eventually became dominant in instrumental forms of music as well.
Opera and the orchestra were both conceived during the Baroque era. Around 1600, Italian people of intellect hoped to recapture the spirit of ancient Greek drama, in which music played a key role. Thus, opera was born. Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo (1607), was the first great opera. In addition to the development of opera, the orchestra evolved. By the mid- 1600’s it grew into it’s own entity. This led to one of the most popular genres of performed music, the concerto, which included a featured solo instrumentalist or a small group of soloists that played against the orchestra. This created riveting contrast of texture and volume. Also, composers found that they could portray natural phenomena and express human emotion through their compositions, making the Baroque period an extremely influential time of growth and inspiration for the musical world at large.
The term Baroque era describes the style or period of European music between the years of 1600 and 1750.With new stress on the use of vocal and instrumental color, Baroque music separated from the harshness of the Medieval and early Renaissance style. Compared to previous music, Baroque music can be considered to be highly ornate, extravagantly texturized, and intense. Unlike the music of the late Renaissance, rich counterpoint, texture, the use of crescendo and decrescendo, pace in the music, and highly decorated melodic lines characterize the music of the Baroque period. Other defining characteristics of this time period include the use of the basso continuo and the belief in the doctrine of the affections, which better allowed composers to communicate emotion in their compositions. Secular music was now widely used as that of the liturgical musical styles. While the homophonic method was becoming more prominent, Imitative polyphony was still a very important factor in the writing and playing of music.
The homophonic musical style played a significant role in opera and solo vocal music because it focused the listener’s concentration on the poetic melody of the singer and eventually became dominant in instrumental forms of music as well.
Opera and the orchestra were both conceived during the Baroque era. Around 1600, Italian people of intellect hoped to recapture the spirit of ancient Greek drama, in which music played a key role. Thus, opera was born. Claudio Monteverdi’s Orfeo (1607), was the first great opera. In addition to the development of opera, the orchestra evolved. By the mid- 1600’s it grew into it’s own entity. This led to one of the most popular genres of performed music, the concerto, which included a featured solo instrumentalist or a small group of soloists that played against the orchestra. This created riveting contrast of texture and volume. Also, composers found that they could portray natural phenomena and express human emotion through their compositions, making the Baroque period an extremely influential time of growth and inspiration for the musical world at large.