Partita

Partita had several definitions during the music history. Originally it used for a single instrumental piece of music between the 16^th and 17^th centuries. During the17th and 18^th century Baroque composers used this term as a synonym for suite for collections of musical pieces. In the 18^th and 19^th century the term refers to a multi-movement composition consisting of dances and non-dances movements. (Partita – Definition (Artopium’s Music Dictionary), 2018)

Johann Sebastian Bach – The Six Partitas (BWV 825-830)

• Partita No. 1 in B♭ major, BWV 825

Praeludium, Allemande, Corrente, Sarabande, Menuet I, Menuet II, Gigue

• Partita No. 2 in C minor, BWV 826

Sinfonia, Allemande, Courante, Sarabande,Rondeau, Capriccio

• Partita No. 3 in A minor, BWV 827

Fantasia, Allemande, Corrente, Sarabande, Burlesca, Scherzo, Gigue

• Partita No. 4 in D major, BWV 828

Overture, Allemande, Courante, Aria, Sarabande, Menuet, Gigue

• Partita No. 5 in G major, BWV 829

Praeambulum, Allemande, Corrente, Sarabande, Tempo di Minuetto, Passepied, Gigue

• Partita No. 6 in E minor, BWV 830

Toccata, Allemande, Corrente, Air, Sarabande, Tempo di Gavotta, Gigue

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. The six partitas were the first of a series of works for keyboard instruments that Bach published between 1726 and 1731 under the title of Clavier-Übung (Keyboard Practice). Bach already established his reputation as a virtuoso keyboard player and composer, but he wanted to show he is a competent teacher as well. So, he presented educational works that he prepared for his pupils. Other influence was J Kuhnau who was also a composer of keyboard works.

The Six Partitas follow the basic suite scheme with Allemande, Courante, Sarabande and Gigue. Each partita has different opening styles which determines the colour and mood of the piece. There are also galanteries (optional dances) added towards the end of each suite, which increased further by having non-dance type pieces such as rondeau and burlesca. These forms contribute more to the musical flow and characters in each suite. The use of foreign styles are also brilliant for example the way Bach distinguishes between corrente (Italian) and courante (French), and follow both the character that is inherent in each dance movement and the diversity of contents. Bach also extends the range of expression within the same type of dance movement by freely expanding their inherent expressive possibilities. For example, Partita No. 1 and 4 he uses allemandes but with quite different qualities. In No. 1 he was featuring power and brilliance and in No. 4 he gave a sophisticated lyricism. Another example is the sarabandes in Partita No. 3, 5 and 6 which begin with an anacrusis. Looking the work as a whole the musical flow and the overall balance of texture works very effectively. (Suzuki, 2002)

Chaconne

Similarly, to the passacaglia it is an ostinato or ground bass variation form of Baroque music in ¾ time. A chaconne is a set of variations composed upon a continually repeated bass or chord progression. It originated from Spain in the early 17^th century where it was a popular dance. (Chaconne – Definition (Artopium’s Music Dictionary), 2018)

Henry Purcell Chacony in G Minor

Henry Purcell (1659-1695) was the first composer before J.S. Bach who has found a place in the repertory of the Symphony Orchestra. He was also the greatest English composer before Edward Elgar. There is not too much information left about this piece. It scored for strings in four parts around 1680 when Purcell took his first job as a composer for the court violin band known as the Twenty-Four Violins. The title of the piece is unusual, and it is unique in music as it would have been expected to call it chaconne after French. Purcell`s work has a credible dynamic structure, consistency of dotted rhythms and distribution of parts. The basses move from a high to a low G which repeated many times with varying textures above. Then it starts moving around the orchestra. This piece is a great example of the baroque chaconne form with its ostinato variations which grow more and more with each repetition of the same eight-measure phrase. (France, 2010)

Cantata

Cantata is a poem set to music to be performed by solo voice, chorus, and instruments. Usually it has several movements such as airs, recitatives, and choruses. The texts based on either secular or sacred subjects. (Cantata | music, 2020)

Giacomo Carissimi – Vittoria, mio core (Amante sciolto d`amore) cantata for soprano & continuo

Giacomo Carissimi (1605-1674) was one of the greatest Italian composers of the 17^th century. He especially known by his oratorios and secular cantatas.

Vittoria, mio core is one of Carissimi`s simplest secular cantatas composed in 1646 and it consists a da capo aria.  The text was written by anonymous, and it speaks about the victory of being freed from an evil and deceitful woman. The song can also be sung by a woman about a lying man. The song starts with a lively exposition of the first theme and ends with an extended run on the word “sciolta” (shattered). The setting also repeats the word “vittoria” (victory) many times. After this part, the tempo slows down for a recitative – like passage and then returns to the opening. This pattern repeats with another recitative section and closes with a final repeat of the opening. Carissimi used extended runs as musical rhetoric and a discrete modulation between the aria and the recitative sections. The music reflects the mood accurately and with the melody which easily captures the listeners it remains as a favourite recital piece. (Feeney, 2020)

Canzona

Canzona has two meanings. In the 16^th and 17^th centuries it was a genre of Italian instrumental music. In the 18^th and 19^th centuries the term canzona refers to a lyrical song or songlike instrumental piece. (Canzona | music, 2020)

There are two varieties of canzona emerged in the 16^th century. One was for keyboard and the second was for instrumental ensemble. One of the notable composers was Girolamo Alessandro Frescobaldi (1583-1643) who was an organist and composer from northern Italy. He was the first great masters of organ composition. The keyboard canzona was more polyphonic with a single theme, prepared similarly as fugue. His canzones for unspecified instruments with basso continuo are significance as they led to the development of small instrumental ensembles to the string quartets.

Il Primo Libro delle Canzoni by Girolamo Frescobaldi

This is a collection of instrumental Baroque canzonas by Girolamo Frescobaldi. It was published in two different editions. First was in Rome in 1628 and the second was in Venice in 1634. This collection contains 48 canzonas for one, two, three or four instrumental voices in various combinations accompanied by basso continuo. Canzona II “La Bernardinia” is the second piece from Il primo libro delle canzoni, Vol. 2 by Frescobaldi. (Girolamo Frescobaldi | Italian composer, 2020)

Passacaglia

Passacaglia is a musical form of continuous variation in ¾ time and it is also a courtly dance which first appeared in Spain in the 17^th century. It is indistinguishable from the contemporary chaconne. (Passacaglia | musical form and dance, 2020)

Passacaglia for Piano by Aaron Copland

Aaron Copland (1900-1990) was an American composer, composition teacher, writer, and conductor. The Passacaglia for Piano is an early work which demonstrates the composer`s mature style. It was written between 1921-1922 when Copland was studied at the French school under the direction of Nadia Boulanger. This neoclassic work was strongly influenced by his teacher and the school. The piece is written in G sharp and can be divided into two rhythmically identical four measure phrases. Each phrase also can be divided into another two-measure motive. The first two measures feature the entire theme and the last two bar reaches the climax. (Aaron Copland, composer {Official Site}, 2018) (Whitten, 1981)

References

Musicterms.artopium.com. 2018. Partita – Definition (Artopium’s Music Dictionary). [online] Available at: <https://musicterms.artopium.com/p/Partita.htm&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

Suzuki, M., 2002. J. S. Bach: The Six Partitas (BWV 825-830). [online] Music.qub.ac.uk. Available at: <http://www.music.qub.ac.uk/tomita/essay/CU1-e.html&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

Bach, J., 1960. J.S.Bach – Six Partitas (Karl Richter). [image] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZuUiNdqt6Y&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

Musicterms.artopium.com. 2018. Chaconne – Definition (Artopium’s Music Dictionary). [online] Available at: <https://musicterms.artopium.com/c/Chaconne.htm&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

Purcell, H., 2008. Purcell – Chacony In G Minor Z730. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IND7W-JlqAM&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

France, J., 2010. Henry Purcell: Chacony On G Minor. [online] Landofllostcontent.blogspot.com. Available at: <http://landofllostcontent.blogspot.com/2010/11/henry-purcell-chacony-on-g-minor.html&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

Encyclopedia Britannica. 2020. Cantata | Music. [online] Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/art/cantata-music&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

Carissimi, G., 2018. Carissimi: Vittoria, Mio Core!. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jA4mOHOjq0c&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

Feeney, A., 2020. Vittoria, Mio Core (Amante Sciolto… | Details | Allmusic. [online] AllMusic. Available at: <https://www.allmusic.com/composition/vittoria-mio-core-amante-sciolto-damore-cantata-for-soprano-continuo-mc0002354832&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

Encyclopedia Britannica. 2020. Canzona | Music. [online] Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/art/canzona&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

Encyclopedia Britannica. 2020. Girolamo Frescobaldi | Italian Composer. [online] Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/biography/Girolamo-Frescobaldi&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

2014. Girolamo Frescobaldi – Canzona Seconda Detta La Bernardinia. Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOTnkKrp0pU&t=4s&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

Encyclopedia Britannica. 2020. Passacaglia | Musical Form And Dance. [online] Available at: <https://www.britannica.com/art/passacaglia-musical-form-and-dance&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

Aaron Copland. 2018. Aaron Copland, Composer {Official Site}. [online] Available at: <https://www.aaroncopland.com/&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

Whitten, S., 1981. A Stylistic Comparison Of Aaron Copland’s Passacaglia, Piano Variations, And Four Piano Blues. [ebook] Denton, Texas: University of North Texas, pp.5-9. Available at: <https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc331722/m1/1/&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]

Copland, A., 2013. Aaron Copland: Passacaglia (1922). Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jp5IxXcFeNg&gt; [Accessed 27 May 2020]