Page 93 - ESSENTIAL LISTENING TO MUSIC

This new structure facilitated a new kind of solo singing called monody (from the Greek term meaning “solo song”). A single singer stepped forward, supported only by a bass line and a few accompanying instruments, to project a highly charged text. With the spotlight squarely on the soloist, a more elaborate, indeed showy, style of singing developed. Notice in Example 5.2 how the vocal- ist ascends rapidly (densely black notes) with a long and difficult melisma. No- tice, too, that this heavenly flight underscores the word paradiso (“paradise”), the music reinforcing the meaning of the text.
Example 5.2 > an elaborately expressive baroque melody
Rock-Solid Harmony
To prevent the high-flying melodies of the Baroque from spinning out of con- trol, a strong harmonic support was needed. This bass-driven chordal support is called the basso continuo (continuous bass), a small accompanying ensem- ble of usually only two instruments. In Figure 5.6, we see a solo singer, a large double bass, and a harpsichord. The singer
WATCH . . . a demonstration of early Baroque violin music
projects the melody while the double bass plays the bass line and the harpsichord fills in the chords above the bass note. Harpsichord and a low string instrument formed the most common basso continuo in the Baroque period. Indeed, the con- tinual tinkling of the harpsichord, in step with a strong bass line, signals to the lis- tener that the music being played comes from this era. To hear how Baroque melo- dy and harmony work together for expres- sive purposes, we turn to a monody (solo song) by Barbara Strozzi.
A Baroque Example: Monody by Barbara Strozzi
Figure 5.6
Antonio Visentini (1688–1782), Concert at the Villa. Notice how the double bass player at the left turns his head to read the bass (bottom) line in the score on
the harpsichord; together they provide the basso continuo.
Barbara Strozzi (1619–1677; Figure 5.7) was a rarity. She became a successful composer in an age when female musicians were expected to make music only within the home—and, indeed, when beyond-the-front-door opportunities for women were severely limited in any profession. Of course, a few exceptions proved the “male only” rule: Adriana Basile (c. 1580–c. 1640) became a highly re- nowned operatic soprano, laying claim to the title “the first diva”; Elena Piscopia
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