handel's water music 🎶
key signature of the Bourrée?
D+
key signatures of the Lentement?
D+, B section (bar 19) in B-, B section ends in E-
key signatures in the Alla Hornpipe?
D+, modulates to A+ at bar 23, modulates to B- at bar 40, to F#- at bar 52b4, B+/A+ at bar 57b4, B- at bar 66 (modulates through 62-65)
key signatures in the Allegro?
D+, modulation to A+ at bar 25b3, back to D+ at bar 30, B- section in the last 3 bars
what is a minuet?
a dance in triple time originating in France, particularly popular with the aristocracy
what is a hornpipe?
a lively English country dance, usually in 3/2 and heavily syncopated
what was a Bourrée?
a lively dance of French origin that was in quadruple time and began with an upbeat
bar 1 of the Minuet
all instruments repeat tonic chord, except the bassoons, cellos and basses, whose c# gives the music a sense of moving forward
how many musicians were there and why?
around 50, so that the sound would be heard as they were playing outside
main rhythmic theme in the Alla Hornpipe?
bar 5 theme~ crotchet crotchet crotchet crotchet quaver quaver crotchet (repeated antiphonally throughout by trumpet + horns)
what form is the Bourrée in?
binary (AB)
what form is the Minuet in?
binary (AB)
key rhythmic feature of the Lentement?
dotted rhythms
why was it written?
for a concert on the River Thames to increase the popularity of the German King George 1
viola in the Minuet?
independent line
key feature of the Amaj section of the Allegro?
inverted pedal note in the trumpets
harmonies in the Minuet?
makes use of tonic/dominant harmonies
roles of groups 1, 2 +3 in the Minuet?
melody, harmony + bass line
why weren't timpani or harpsichords included?
no room on the barge
where do the phrases start in the Bourrée?
on the last beat of the bar
tempo of the Lentement?
slow, stately
why were melody lines often doubled?
so that they could be heard clearly outdoors
where were the horn players from?
specially brought in from Bohemia or Germany
key signatures in the Minuet?
stays in D+
form of the Lentement?
ternary (two sections + da capo)
what form is the Alla Hornpipe in?
ternary (two sections + da capo)
why have simple melodies been used?
to allow for the limitations of Baroque wind and brass
harmonic rhythm in the Bourrée?
usually two chords per bar, sometimes a different one on each crotchet
how does section A of the Lentement end?
with a a perfect cadence
was the performance successful?
yes- the King asked for it to be repeated 3 times
last 3 bars of the Allegro
~Adagio section in the relative minor (B-) ~ends on the dominant (Phrygian cadence)
3 differences between baroque + modern day strings?
~baroque bow made it easier to shape notes/phrase (strong sound in middle, less sound towards end) ~gut strings (harsher sound) ~cellists didn't have spikes
3 differences between baroque + modern day brass?
~baroque instruments don't have valves (lip trills) ~horn players needed crooks to change keys ~baroque instruments have a harsher sound
3 differences between baroque + modern day woodwind?
~baroque instruments were quieter ~instruments such as clarinet hadn't been invented ~less capable of difficult passages
use of call + response in the Lentement?
~between trumpets + horns at beginning of A section ~between strings + oboe/bassoon at beginning of B section
typical features of baroque music?
~contrapuntal texture ~terraced dynamics ~baroque instruments such as harpsichord ~ornamentation
differences in bars 40-74 of the Alla Hornpipe?
~elaborate 1st violin part, not always doubled by oboes ~no brass ~additional 3rd violin part ~coda at bar 66, texture thins
definition + use of hemiolas in Alla Hornpipe?
~piece is in triple time but melody feels like it's in duple/quadruple time ~bar 10, bar 55 ~common feature of English music in triple time
bars 1-5 of the Allegro
~trumpets stride up the tonic chord ~strings and oboes play descending Dmaj semiquaver scales
bar 37 of the Allegro
~tutti section ~partial recap of phrase 1 sequence
when was it first performed?
17th July 1717
which instruments are in groups 1 + 2 of the Allegro?
1~ violins, violas, oboes, trumpets 2~ horns, cellos + basses, bassoons
what instruments were used in the Water Music?
2 trumpets (in D), 2 horns (in D), 2 oboes, Violin 1, Violin 2, viola, cello, double bass, bassoon
time signature of the Alla Hornpipe?
3/2
time signature of the Minuet?
3/4
time signature of the Allegro?
4/4
what style were the movements written in?
Baroque dance style
in what ways is it typical of the style of its time?
...
when was Handel's birth and death and where is he from?
1685, 1759 Germany
summary of the Allegro?
'about 20 bars of music always stated first by the upper group then repeated by the lower group, until a tutti section at bar 37'
