Baroque - key points: Chorus - Revision Cards in A Level and IB Music

Domine Filli Unigenite - from Vivaldi's Gloria

Joyful - celebrating Jesus, 'only begotten Lord and Son of God, Jesus'
Ritornello form
Joyful F major
Opening ritornello introduces 'skipping' dotted rhythm in form of rising melodic motif
Sequential falling bass line in 3rds - drives sense of elation
Hemiola gives a rhythmic lilt which creates a joyful lift, adds to 'skipping' feel
Melody made up of rising melodic motif, 'domine filli' and melisma on 'Jesus' to elaborate/glorify his name
Melody is introduced in pairs - alto/bass then soprano/tenor. The lighter timbre of soprano/tenor facilitate the dominant lift to C
There is then a section of imitative counterpoint, the polyphony representing the spreading of joy (melodic material in different places/pitches). Imitated firstly between sopranos and altos with a triadic tenor line and bold descending bass line
The use of voices in 3rds also adds to the harmonious feel
Exploration of various keys - Am, Bb, F then cycle of 5ths builds anticipation and use of different keys shows spreading of joy
Melody in Bb on tenor/bass which swap round
Ends with chain of suspensions in soprano and dotted melisma 'Jesus' on alto, doubling instruments - most elaborate at the end

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Corination anthem for King George II, 1727 - late baroque
Worships both the King and God, text from the king James bible
Begins with a linking movement in D to modulate from A to Bm
Huge D major chord on 'glory' - a joyful, uplifting key and idiomatic for baroque trumpets which denote regality
Homophonic texture - large choir and orchestra (large event at Westminster Abbey), split basses and altos, oboes, 3 trumpet parts, timpani playing a roll - intensity helps portray the 'glory'
Underneath this, independant violin parts play swirling, ornate semiquavers (regal, glory)
Ends with 7-6 suspension on chord IVb, creating anticipation for the fugue in Bm/what is to come (spiritual)
Minor key as subject matter is more serious/spiritual
Fugal subject introduced in altos/tenors, doubled by violas (doubling adds intensity)
Subject conjunct with rhythmic feel of a hemiola, based on a descending melodic minor scale - beautiful/free ('thou hast prevented him')
Counter subject - melisma/descending sequence on 'blessing' - spreading the blessing
Fugal busyness denotes the spreading of God's glory (different moments and registers)
Subject in bass voices/cello
After fugal exposition, first episode based on the fugal ideas

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Modulates for a section in D major 'and hast set a crown of pure gold upon his head', joy and regality as it is talking about 'crown of pure gold', focus on corination and regal crown
Independant instrumental parts again
Upper strings play rising quaver figures
Regal instruments back in (trumpet/timps) - emphatic chords on the first beat of the bar
Dominant pedal on bass/continuo
Voices in powerful homophony
Intensity grows as trumpets and timps change to quavers
(very brief section based on major fugal subject)
Peak of excitement - trumpets play a triadic fanfare (majestic), rhythmic drive with quavers and semiquavers in timps, tonic pedal, oboes in 3rds and 5ths
Then returns to Bm fugue
'Crown of pure gold' section returns but now in Bm
Timps cannot play, trumpets more limited so Handel splits the alto part for 5 part vocal texture
Ends with fugal subject to words 'thou hast set a crown of pure gold upon his head' then descending scale in violins
Final chord has no 3rd (avoids too much of a solemn mood?)

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Choir represent crowd fighting at the foot of the cross for Jesus' robe
Fugal - counterpoint of fugal texture denotes busyness/bickering, the fugal entries represent everyone interjecting with the same argument
Subject 'let us not divide it' is forceful and syllabic
Syncopated counter subject adds to sense of disarray
Alberti bass on cello adds to disarray and creates a sense of agitation
Descending bass line drives tension
Bold and definite I V I V progression moves argument forward, drama and drive
Modulations to Am and Em after fugal exposition - argument getting more and more sinister
Cycle of 5ths builds tension and anticipation
Use of diminished chords to create unease
Melisma on 'lots' - people wailing/trying to be heard through the crowd
Ends on homophony 'who shall have it?' - indicating perhaps that some kind of agreement has been reached
Doubling voices with instruments (violin 1/oboe/soprano, violin 2/oboe d'amore/alto, viola/flutes an octave up/tenor) creates an array of timbres which adds to the busyness

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