Instrumental Genres Of The Baroque Period.docx

ARCANGELO CORELLI (1653-1713) Concerto Grosso in G minor Op. 6 No. 8 is known as the Christmas Concerto. The concerto bears the inscription ‘Fatto per la note di Natale’ (Made for the night of Christmas). The makeup of Corelli’s concerto grosso consisted of a concertino (a small ensemble of solo instruments against a ripieno (a larger group of instruments). The work is structured as a concerto da chiesa (church concert), in this case expanded from a typical four movement structure to six. Movements 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Vivace, ¾ - Grave, sostenuto e come sta, 4/2 Allegro, common time Adagio – Allegro- Adagio common time, E flat major Vivace, ¾ Allegro, cut time Largo. Pastorale ad libitum, 12/8. G major

The formal structure of this concerto is fluid. The individual movements are not built around recurring themes (ritornello), but instead move through a series of relatively brief sections that present contrasting thematic ideas in different keys and tempos. The normal slow-fast-slow organization of the concerto da chiesa underlies everything that happens in the Christmas Concerto. However, there are a few sudden changes and differences. - A 6-bar introduction - An Allegro episode within the third movement CONCEPTUAL ANALYSIS Introduction of 6 bars with short forte chords in a declamatory style. Homophonic texture. Grave section is in a fugal style that is full of suspensions and syncopated rhythms. These suspensions and tied notes over the barlines create one undulating phrase that concludes with a tierce de picardie in G Major. Both the ripieno and concertino play largely with corresponding parts in unison creating a full texture.

Allegro section is driven by rhythmic syncopation and harmonic suspensions. The first and second violin play on alternate beats. The ripieno takes on a different role in this movement and punctuates cadences and adds to the momentum. It alternates between playing different and similar material as the concertino and sometimes is completely absent. This offers variety with the texture. Adagio is in ternary form with a small Allegro interjecting between repeats. Vivace and Allegro sections are two fast sections, short in length and homogenous in style. The second movement is in the usual binary form, and is built around Corelli's favorite kind of staggered, imitative suspensions. The fourth movement, Vivace, which would normally be the finale, is very short, so as to make room for the sizeable fifth movement, the body of which is an Allegro, but the true heart of which is that most famous of all Corelli music: the lovely, serene Pastorale (Largo).