Topics To Research

Concerto Grosso
Trio Sonata
Sonata/Concerto da Camera
Sonata/Concerto da Chiesa
Binary Form
Functional Harmony
Concertino
Ripieno
Continuo Homophony
Establishment of diatonic tonality
Modulation - cycle of fifths - transient modulation
Sequence
Characteristics of Corelli's style
Corelli's influence
Importance of the string family - esp. violins
Melodic regeneration

Bibliography

Grout - pp.386-401
Bukofzer, "Music in the Baroque Era" - pp.136-140 + 219.....
Hutchings, "The Baroque Concerto" - chapters 5 + 6
Classical Music Guide - p.177

Questions

1. Identify one example of each of the following:-
   1. suspension
   2. phrygian cadence
   3. sequence
   4. modulatory sequence
   5. perfect cadence

2. Identify, and where appropriate illustrate, key features of the middle Baroque concerto that are evident in this movement.

3. "Corelli is responsible for establishing diatonic tonality." What evidence do you find in this movement to justify this statement.

Identify, and where appropriate illustrate, features of the middle Baroque concerto that are evident in this movement.

You will not have time to say all this in an examination, but these are the main points to consider.

This is a concerto grosso and it is therefore scored for ripieno strings (2 groups of violins, violas, cellos and basses) with continuo, and concertino (2 violins and continuo). The texture changes are typical of the genre, swapping between tutti, and concertino only. Unusually, the concertino play throughout, and the ripieno only reinforce at key moments. The role of the ripieno, then, is to produce the terraced contrasts often found in this genre. It would be possible to play this movement as a Trio Sonata, and the texture of two high violins a good distance from the bass line (i.e. a firm bass and florid treble) is described as 'polarised' .

Syncopation is used extensively (between the 2 solo violins) and the running bass line drives the music forward.

The solo violins share the same material in this monothematic movement (although there are motives which can be identified). Bars 2-3 are a sequence of bars 1-2. These bars are developed with a dotted rhythm in bars 21-22 and onwards. Leaps in the violin parts are idiomatic to the instrument and typical of the period.

The harmony is tonal and there are frequent cadences. Cadential formulae are evident such as in bar 2-3:-

ii 7 b - V - I

Suspensions are everywhere and all are prepared, struck and resolved correctly; e.g. a 9-8 suspension in bar 10. The D in violin 1 is prepared on 9 ⁴ , sounded on 10 ¹ and resolved on 10 ² . The 'leapfrog' suspension in bars 9-11 and the interlocking suspensions of bars 15-18 are highly typical of the period. Harmonic sequences are important. Bar 16 is an harmonic sequence of bar 15.

The key scheme is entirely logical. Section A (bars 1-21) visits B flat major though it returns to the home key frequently, ending with a phrygian cadence in G minor. (A baroque cliché.) Section B (22-36) has the key scheme g-F-d-c-Bb-g; these are all closely related keys . The movement ends with 36-42, which is essentially an A' section.

 

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