Academic literature on the topic 'German Baroque Composers'

Abstract The German musical Baroque represents a sum of stylistic diversities, in which the European cultural values were merged with the national ones, resulting in a strongly individualized, but malleable style. The works dedicated to the bassoon by German composers are living evidence of aesthetic unity in the Baroque stylistic diversity, emphasizing the universality of music and its cohesive force. The analyzed concertos approach the aesthetics of each composer, through his relationship with Italian and French music, personalized in an expressive form of the German type: robust, in a clear, dynamic solid structure.

The baroque music is modelled on the language, so the claim of the composers of the time and the report of the musicians and musicologists of today. It is thus national because it always refers to a specific language. Typically, we consider as a proof the work of the composer Jean-Baptiste Lully who, as the saying goes, would have formed his recitatives according to the declamation of the actress Champmeslé. Starting from a specific linguistic material, Baroque music is national: it is French, Italian, German, English ... Numerous studies, in particular musicological, have shown the treatment of language rhythm among composers. In this article we will discuss the subject from a wider angle and try to show by an accentuated and intonational segmentation of the text and the melody composed by the musicians, to what extent the prosody of French and the French Baroque music correspond.We use the prosodic segmentation model proposed by Piet Mertens for French, and we base our study on a body of recitatives, because this genre is considered extremely close to declamation, and therefore to the spoken language. Despite the differences between the language used in the compositions and the standard Parisian French of the 21st century, due to the style and evolution of French, Mertens' approach proves to be convincing in describing the compositional setting of the text by composers French Baroque. The research thus confirms the close proximity between textual and musical prosody for the French Baroque recitative.

Research has used the normalized pairwise variability index (nPVI) to examine relationships between musical rhythm and durational contrast in composers’ native languages. Applying this methodology, linearly increasing nPVI in Austro-German, but not Italian music has recently been ascribed to waning Italian and increasing German influence on Austro-German music after the Baroque Era. The inapplicability of controlled experimental methods to historical data necessitates further replication with more sensitive methods and new repertoire. Using novel polynomial modelling procedures, we demonstrate an initial increase and a subsequent decrease in nPVI in music by 34 French composers. Moreover, previous findings for 21 Austro-German (linear increase) and 15 Italian composers (no change) are replicated. Our results provide promissory quantitative support for accounts from historical musicology of an Italian-dominated Baroque (1600-1750), a Classical Era (1750-1820) with Austro-German centres of gravity (e.g., Mannheim, Vienna), and a Romantic Era (1820-1900) with greater national independence. Future studies should aim to replicate these findings with larger corpora with greater historical representability.

Much recent writing concerning the early eighteenth-century sonata has focused on a subgenre that appropriates stylistic elements from more fully scored works. Thus several of J. S. Bach’s solo and trio sonatas signify the concerto in certain movements by adopting ritornello form and establishing instrumental roles of ‘soloist’ and ‘orchestra’, only to undermine the integrity of these roles during the course of a movement. These Sonaten auf Concertenart, and a number of similar examples by Bach’s German contemporaries, have been viewed as responses to Vivaldi’s solo concertos and especially his so-called ‘chamber concertos’, which feature similar kinds of role playing. This study, by re-examining the phenomenon of the sonata in concerto style from a number of perspectives, shows that the genre was more widespread and its origins and meanings more complex than previously recognized. Evidence for this revised view takes the form of generic titles on manuscripts and prints; music by German, Italian and French composers spanning much of the eighteenth century, from Molter to Mondonville to Mozart; some three dozen sonatas by Telemann, who exhaustively explored the genre over several decades and was perhaps its originator in Germany; and literary amalgamations of genre indicative of a broader eighteenth-century fascination with mixed types.

The imperial history playOctavia, transmitted among the corpus of Senecan drama, has suffered from uncertainty about its date, author, literary genre and intended audience as regards its appreciation in modern criticism. Although the majority of scholars will agree nowadays that the play was not written by Seneca himself, there is still a certain degree of disagreement about its literary genre and date. Anyway, such scholarly quibbles seem not to have affected poets and composers in the early modern era: they recognised the high dramatic potential of the story of Nero and his love relationships in 62 CE along with the involvement of the historical character and writer Seneca.Indeed, this phase in imperial history was apparently quite popular in Italian and German opera of the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The earliest of a number of operatic treatments of the emperor Nero (also the first opera presenting a historical topic) and arguably the best known today is an Italian version:L'incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppaea)to a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello (1598-1659) and music attributed to Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), first produced in Giovanni Grimani's ‘Teatro di SS Giovanni e Paolo’ in Venice during the carnival season of 1643. Among the latest operas on this subject is a German version, which is hardly known and rarely performed today:Die Römische Unruhe. Oder: Die Edelmütige Octavia. Musicalisches Schau-Spiel (The Roman Unrest. Or: The Magnanimous Octavia. Musical Play)by the librettist Barthold Feind (1678-1721) and the composer Reinhard Keiser (1674-1739), first performed in the ‘Oper am Gänsemarkt’ in Hamburg on 5 August 1705. In this period German opera was generally influenced by Italian opera, but at the same time there were attempts, particularly in Hamburg, to establish a typically German opera.

The purpose of the article is to study the baroque principles ofplaying the organ and the advantages of authentic performance of works ofthe Baroque era in our time. The methods, which are used into therepresented work, are historical, comparative, structurally analytical,axiological as well as generalizing. Scientific novelty consists in revealingthe features and specifics of authentic performance on a modern organ andcomparing the authentic and modern interpretation of works of theBaroque era. Conclusions. The organ has a long history of its evolution.The path of its formation began in the 7th century BC. with the advent ofPan's flute. Over the centuries, the instrument that we know today has beenshaped. The peak of the evolution of the organ is the period of the Baroqueera (XVII – the first half of the XVIII century). At that time, many organmasters worked on improving the instrument, including the North German master Arp Schnitger, whose organs are directly connected with the workof Dietrich Buxtehude and his contemporaries. In the second half of the18th century, organ art lost its primacy to symphonic and chamber music.Only at the beginning of the 19th century did composers and masters againturn to the organ. The instrument acquires new qualities, in connectionwith which the performers' attitude to the interpretation of baroque worksis changing. The main task of the performer is to achieve maximum soundeffect, behind which the true meaning of Baroque works is lost. Therefore,at the same time, supporters of an authentic interpretation appear whoadvocate baroque principles of performance on authentic instruments.Authentic sounding on a modern organ is possible due to following certainrules and using only those features of a modern organ that are inherent in abaroque instrument.

17th century German clavier music presents a capacious stratum of culture of the Baroque period, which is of enormous interest. Frequently it is perceived as an enormous transition to J.S. Bach’s musical legacy, but upon more assiduous examination it turns out that this stratum has its own value, although, obviously, it could not do otherwise than create the footing for the musical culture of the following 18th century. The present article has an overview character and is meant to summate the most important phenomena which could give an overall perception of the chronological order of the formation of clavier genres and forms of the pre-Bach era, about the outstanding composers of clavier music, and of the intersection between various national styles in their heritages.

Background. In today’s performing arts, more and more musicians are turning to the trends of historical performance. Therefore, musicology is actively searching for new approaches to the detailed study of authentic performance, to the reproduction of the most adequate ways of interpreting the music of previous eras. Among such methods of interest is the correlation of methods of reconstruction and deconstruction considered in this study. The object of the study is historically oriented performance of music works. The aim of the article is to determine the basic approaches of a number of modern scientific works to the reproduction and interpretation of old music and to identify the research position, which will play the role of methodological key to the analysis of the phenomenon of Early music. The methodology of the research based on analytical and comparative approaches applied to historical-stylistic phenomena, and emphasizes the methods of deconstruction and reconstruction for ancient music interpretation. Research results. The study identifies various approaches to studying the specificity of performing early music and to the interpreted compositional object of authentic performance. The latest scientific publications of musicians-researchers are analyzed: N. Sikorska, V. Kachmarchik, E. Kruglova. N. Sikorska (2016) have identified different approaches to musical Baroque legacy, implemented in nonauthorial editions of the Romanticism era. She presents in the form of a hierarchical system the stylistic parameters of the authentic performance of the Baroque style in the works for clavier of the late 16th – early 18th century. V. Kachmarchik (2003), in his scientific work, studied the historiography of flute art and determined the main stages of development of the flute design, also noted the basic principles of the formation of German flute pedagogy and determined the role of outstanding personalities in German flute art of the 18th – 19th centuries. E. Kruglova (2007) in her doctoral dissertation summarizes the artistic principles of Baroque vocal art: the vocal tradition of the Baroque era, the specifics of musical expressive means (dynamic, tempo, vocal-language articulation, ornamentation) and vocal technique (breathing, sound emission). She also conducts a comprehensive study based on the cultural-historical method that represent a culture as the key to interpreting a work of art and helps to understand comprehensively the bel canto singing tradition in the Baroque era. Also, she uses the theoretical and analytical methods, which provides a deep analysis of documents to identify the essence of the singing tradition, a thorough study of the means of musical expressiveness that make up its basis; the method of comparative analysis for determination the features of the most important parameters of performing interpretations of music by G. F. Handel in the period under review. However, these works did not pay due attention to the difference in the basic definitions of the very phenomenon of authentic performance: firstly, of the authentic performance as an instrumental accompaniment of vocal music, and secondly, of the ideas about the essence and nature of the instrumental version of historical performance itself. The author of the article formulates the methodological principles of studying the phenomenon of authentic performance, explains the attributes of the methods of “reconstruction” and “deconstruction” – in relation to the recreation of the historical interpretation of early music. Thanks to the methods of reconstruction and deconstruction, the historical image and meaning of the musical culture of the Baroque and the Renaissance may be recreated adequately. Need to take in account the uniqueness of each historical situation and the importance of the context of the era, in correlation with which the corresponding instruments, canons of musical writing and performance occur, are determined. The use of the reconstruction method led to the comprehension of the change of all means of expressiveness: tempo, motion, instrumentation, touch and strokes – even the tasks and meaning of music as an art form. Note that such an approach as deconstruction involves a “focus shift” to identify small details that will decipher the meaning of the work. The use of this method by authenticity scientists clarifies the incorrectness of the ideas about early music, helps the modern listener to improve the ideas about the relevant cultural era. With the help of scientific discourse, researchers and performers reconstruct the real meaning of early music, a new vision of historical performance as an artistic phenomenon is gradually emerging. Conclusions. The presented analysis of various approaches to the study and authentic reproduction of music by ancient composers reveals, from the author’s point of view, as a fundamental and promising approach based on the correlation of deconstruction and historical reconstruction methods. The Baroque era is characterized by the huge role of conventions and the careful study of details that are inextricably linked with canon and tradition. In this case, the use of the method of deconstruction destroys, first, the incorrect achievements and ideas about ancient music, which prevent the modern performer and listener from reaching its understanding. For an adequate restoration of ancient music, many factors must be taken into account, the main of which is the experience and achievements of pioneers of an authentic direction. The artistic practice of authentic performers should also be based on the achievements and conclusions of the relevant research work. Prospects for further research in this matter are a detailed study of works of ancient musical heritage and ways of their modern reproduction by talented musicians.

The present article is devoted to the general characteristics of the historical process of the formation of the sonata for the trombone (or with the participation of the trombone) in the European music of the Renaissance – Early Classicism era. A particular attention in the research has been paid to the study of the national stylistic, which was the main driving force in the evolution of the trombone at the level of the chamber instrumental and concert genres. It has been noted that since the time of A. Willaert and A. and J. Gabrieli brothers, the trombone and trombone consorts have been the permanent components of the concerts da chiesa, and later – da camera. Due to its construction and melodic-declamatory nature of the sounding, the trombone was in good agreement with both the voices of the choir and other instruments. Gradually, along with collective (concert) varieties of trombone sonatas, solo sonatas with bass began to appear, and they reflected the practice of the Baroque-era concert style. The article reviews a number of trombone sonatas of the Italian, Czech, Austro-German schools, which later became the model for composers of the Newest Time, who fully revealed the possibilities of the trombone semantics and techniques in the sonata genre. The article has noted that the formation of the instrumental sonata in Europe was associated with the practice of concerts in the church, which was for a long time practically the only place where academic music could be performed. The term “sonata” was understood then as the music intended for the instrumental performance, which, however, was closely connected with the vocal one. Therefore, the first samples of sonatas with the participation of the trombone were mixed vocal-instrumental compositions created by the representatives of the Venetian school of the second half of the 16th century – A. Willaert and A. and J. Gabrieli brothers. It has been noted that the key and largely “landmark” composition opening the chronicle of a concert sonata with the participation of trombones was the sonata called “Piano e forte” (1597), where the functions of trombone voices are already beginning to the counterpoint independence, rather than to duplicating the vocal ones. G. Gabrieli is the creator of one of the most large-scale, this time exclusively trombone compositions – “Canzon Quarti Toni” for 12 trombones, cornet and violin – one of the first trombone ensembles based on the genre of canzone as the progenitor of all the baroque instrumental-concert forms. It has been emphasized that among Italian masters of the subsequent period (the early Baroque), the trombone received a great attention from C. Monteverdi, who in his concert opuses used it as the substitute for viola da brazzo (three pieces from the collection called “Vespro della Beata Vergine”). It is noted that in the era of the instrumental versioning, when compositions were performed by virtually any instrumental compound, the trombone was already distinguished as an obligate instrument capable of competing with the cello. Sonata in D minor Op. 5 No. 8 by A. Corelli is considered a model of such a “double” purpose. It has been proved that the Italian schools of the 16th – 17th centuries, which played the leading role in the development of the sonata and concert instrumentalism, mainly the stringed and brass one and the brass one as well, were complemented by the German and Austrian ones. Among the masters of the latter one can distinguish the figure of G. Schütz, who created “Fili mi, Absalon” for the trombone quartet and basso-continuo, where trombones are interpreted as instruments of cantilena sounding, which for a long time determines their use in opera and symphonic music, not to mention the sonata genre (introductions and slow parts). Along with the chamber sonata, which was written in the Italian style, German and Austrian masters of the 17th century turn to “tower music” (Tower music), creating their own opuses with almost obligatory participation of one or several trombones. Among such compositions there are the collection by G. Reich called “Quatricinua” of 24 tower sonatas (1696) for the cornet and three trombones, where, modelled on A. Corelli’s string-and-bow sonatas, the plays of a homophonic and polyphonic content are combined. The article notes that the creation of a solo sonata with bass for the trombone was historically associated with the Czech composing school of the second half of the 17th century. The first sample of such composition is the Sonata for the trombone and the thorough-bass (1669), written by a certain monk from the monastery of St. Thomas in Bohemia, where the instrument is shown in a wide range of its expressive possibilities. A significant contribution to the development of a trombone sonata was made by the Czech composer of the late 17th century P. Y. Veyvanovsky, who created a number of sonatas, which, despite the typical for that time performing versioning (trombone or viola da brazzo), were a milestone in the development of the genre in question. The traditions of the trombone sonata-quality genre in its three main expressions – da chiesa, da camera, “tower music” – have been preserved for a certain time in the era of Classicism. This is evidenced, for example, by F. Schneider’s 12 “Tower sonatas” for 2 pipes and 3 trombones (1803–1804). In general, in the classic-romantic era in the evolution of the trombone sonata genre there is a “pause”, which refers to both its collective and solo varieties. The true flourishing of the trombone sonata appeared only in the Newest time (from the end of the 19th century), when the instrumental music of a concert-chamber type declared itself not only as the one demanded by the public, but also as the leading, “title” field of creativity of a number of the leading composers. Among the instruments involved in the framework of the “new chamber-ness” (B. Asafiev) was also the trombone, one of the recognized “soloists” and “ensemblers” of the music from the past eras. The conclusions of the article note that the path travelled by the sonata for the trombone (or with the participation of the trombone) shows, on the one hand, the movement of the instrument to the solo quality and autonomy within the framework of “little-ensemble” chamber-ness (the sonata duet or the solo sonata without any accompaniment), on the other hand, the sustainable preservation of the ensemble origins of this genre (the trombone ensemble, sometimes in combination with other representatives of the brass group).

Background. In Ukraine both musicologists and performers (in particular the choirs conducted by well-known choirmasters) do much for the further development of the home Bach studies. For instance, the direction of the ‘choral bahhiana’ was actively developed by the leading choirmasters of that time professor M. Berdennikov (Kiev), Y. Kulik (Kharkiv) in the 60’s and 70’s. It is known that future students of the choral conducting departments first learn the choral heritage of J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel, as a rule, at the piano lessons at children musical schools and secondary schools. Unfortunately, their choral works aren’t often sounded today in the concert halls of musical academies and universities of arts. This music seemed to move from the concert stage to the classrooms. Analysis of publications according the topic. Among the researches that highlight the problems of the style of the sacred works of J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel, it is necessary to point out the fundamental studies of I. Givental and L. Gingold, M. Druskin, T. Livanova, V. Protopopov, A. Schweitzer, articles of modern authors by K. Berdennikova, N. Inutochkina, Y. Lyashenko, V. Semenuk, G. Skobtsova. However, the questions of the specifics of choral vocal technique remain, as a rule, outside the attention of scholars and they constitute the topic’s relevance of the article. Methods. The usage of the historical method contributed to the research of the educational choral performance at the present stage. It is involved structural-functional and intonational methods for establishing dramatic works’ features and concretization of their spiritual content. The comparative method is used to determine the differences between vocal style of J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel’s works and the technique of working with them. Objectives. The main goal is systematization of theoretical and practical observations with the performance of J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel’s choral works by the choir of the Kharkiv National Kotlyarevsky University of Arts students. The article is devoted to highlighting the problems of the performing process and the specifics of the choir practice of students with compositions by J. S. Bach (Cantata No. 140, ‘Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme’ and Magnificat) G. F. Handel (Dettingen Te Deum in D major, HWV 283). Results. The holding of the 22nd International Music Festival “Kharkiv Assemblies” devoted to the J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel’s oeuvre in 2015 was a significant event not only for Kharkiv but also the whole Ukraine’s musical life. The choir of the Kharkiv National Kotlyarevsky University of Arts students traditionally participated in it as in previous years (art director – Honored Art Worker of Ukraine, professor S. Prokopov, choirmasters – laureate of the all-Ukrainian competition H. Savelyeva, award winner of the all-Ukrainian competition O. Fartushka). The choir performed Magnificat and Cantata No. 140 by J. S. Bach ‘Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme’, fragments from the Dettingen Te Deum in D major, HWV 283 by G. F. Handel (the last two works are Kharkiv premieres). The work with them took place in short order and so it caused of some vocal technique difficulties and the problems of performative concept and performative style. Complaxities were intensified by the lack of necessary acoustic accumulation and the practical experience of performing the music of the Baroque by many young choirmasters, members of the choir group. The importance of studying the musical heritage of composers of genius in order to make a conductor-choirmaster personality is emphasized in the article. The main difficulties of learning choral scores due to the lack of performing experience, certain acoustic accumulation of choral music of the late baroque period which students of choral conducting specialization have. The approximation to the true understanding of the performing style of choral music by J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel may be provided with conditions of a thorough in-depth studying their works. The main tasks of the performative choices are described: appreciation of the entire depth of the spiritual content of J. S. Bach’s and G. F. Handel’s music by young performers, the correlation between vocal and instrumental principles, rational and emotional ones. One of the main tasks of the choir practice of students with J. S. Bach’s cantata No. 140 «Watchet auf, ruft uns die Stimme» was an adequate presentation of composer’s style. The composer treats the human voice as equal to the orchestra. Therefore, the vocal-instrumental nature of Bach’s choral style needs another way of sound-building, a greater unity of voices than our home choral music needs. They consider specific methods and techniques of work on such executive factors as tempo-rhythm, strokes. The questions of choral vocal technique, in particular, vocal intonation (significance of timbre expression, usage of different types of respiration, clear diction, active articulation) are raised. J. S. Bach’s interpretation of voice as an instrument, demands from performers a great deal of its mobility, almost virtuosity, especially in contrapuntal sections. As for the vocal style of G. F. Handel, the influence of the operatic style, which is felt in his oratorios and cantatas is emphasized. Conclusions. The choir practice of students and performing by the student choir of German composers’ genius works, the communication of young performers with outstanding conductors, singers (including foreign ones) became for them the true school of craftsmanship, promoted the professional growth of the choir group, revealed its new performance capabilities. Choral music of J. S. Bach and G. F. Handel should move from the educational audiences of universities and academies to the specific halls. The works of genius need to include in student choral groups’ repertoire.

Psalm settings by German Baroque composers are comprised of meaningful texts illuminated by expressive music and have much to offer today’s choir. The composers of these settings were inspired by the Old Testament psalm texts and wrote choral works that incorporated both historical techniques adapted from types of psalmody and the expressive techniques of their day. Despite the significance of psalm settings, no detailed study exists on this music as a body of work. Additionally, Baroque music provides challenges to the conductor regarding performance practice choices. Both of these problems are addressed in this study. First, I establish a lineage of compositional development from Medieval chanted psalms to Baroque psalm settings and analyze the techniques composers used to express the text in specific examples. Then, I use the insights gleaned to make performance practice recommendations for each piece. By drawing on primary sources by Michael Praetorius (ca. 1571-1621) and Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672) and secondary sources by contemporary scholars Dennis Schrock, Helmuth Rilling, and Robert Donington, I provide an overview of German Baroque performance practices that includes instrumentation, tempo, dynamics, articulation, and ornamentation. Special emphasis is given to performance principles that are applicable to the psalm settings explored in subsequent chapters. I also draw on dissertations, books, and articles by Baroque scholars to provide highlights of the composers’ careers and details about the pieces studied. The six pieces included in this disquisition are “Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen,” SWV 29 from Psalmen Davids (1619) by Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672), Alleluja! Lobet den Herrn in seinem Heiligtum (1620) by Johann Hermann Schein (1586-1630), “Schaffe in mir Gott ein reines Herz” from Fest- und Zeit-Andachten (1671) by Andreas Hammerschmidt (1611-1675), Der Herr ist mit mir, BuxWV 15 (ca. 1687) by Dieterich Buxtehude (ca. 1637-1707), Gott, sei mir gnädig (1705) by Johann Kuhnau (1660-1722), and Lobet den Herrn, alle Heiden (n.d.), BWV 230 by Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).

This chapter discusses the Duchess Sophie-Elisabeth's many accomplishments, as well as the cultural legacies that surrounded her and nourished her talents. Born a princess at the court of Güstrow, an active north German cultural center, Duchess Sophie-Elisabeth of Braunschweig-Lüneburg (August 20, 1613–July 12, 1676) made a distinctive mark on the course of German baroque music. Her noble rank and multifaceted talents gave her access to leading avenues of German cultural life, above all in music, along with a number of the most distinguished composers and performers of the seventeenth century. An ambitious and effective impresario, an ardent arts patron, and a serious, if not exceptional, composer, she triumphed over many adversities, administering and supporting the musical life at her husband's court of Wolfenbüttel with a strong sense of reality and initiative.

Martin Roth was a student and later cantor at the Pforta school near Leipzig. His sixteen surviving motets are contained in the anthology Florilegium Portense, issued in two volumes in 1618 and 1621. Consisting largely of double-choir motets, this collection is a retrospective of late Renaissance style, intersecting with seventeenth-century usage in Lutheran churches. The collection consists of 165 pieces by about ninety composers and was used widely in schools and churches throughout central Germany. These motets were performed on a weekly basis as late as 1770 for services at the main churches in Leipzig; J. S. Bach purchased new copies in use at the St. Thomas School in 1729, mentioning that the old copies had been sung to pieces (zersungen). The fact that such late-Renaissance motets were performed in rotation for some 150 years in Leipzig lends depth to our understanding of baroque performance practice.