THE FIRST ROMANTIC MOVEMENT
The last word in polyphony seemed to have been said by such masters as Orlando Lasso, and Palestrina, and a change into new paths was inevitable. Moreover, men’s minds were craving something more directly stimulating than the passionless web of ecclesiastical polyphony, which was the glory of the 16th century. Freedom was sought from the conventions of modal counterpoint. The monodist revolt was the result.
| Subject | Article |
|---|---|
| Revolt against the overelaboration of texture. | Music, The Monodic Revolution (Vol. 19, p. 76); Harmony, Modern Harmony (Vol. 13, p. 4). |
| Prominence given to solo part rather than to choral effect leads to development of the aria. | Song (Vol. 25, p. 406); Aria (Vol. 2, p. 489). |
| The leader in the new paths, the pioneer of modern harmony. | Monteverde, Claudio (Vol. 18, p. 778). |
| The first oratorio (1600). | Oratorio (Vol. 20, p. 161); see also Cavaliere, Emilio del (Vol. 5, p. 563). |
| The first opera (1600). | Opera (Vol. 20, p. 121); see also Peri, Jacopo (Vol. 21, p. 144). |
| The monodic impulse synchronizes with the startling development of the violin family by the Cremona makers. | Violin (Vol. 28, p. 103); see also Amati (Vol. 1, p. 783); Guarnieri (Vol. 12, p. 660); Stradivari (Vol. 25, p. 977). |
Famous Monodists
Among distinguished composers of this period and school are: English: Bull, John, c. 1562–1628; Ford, Thomas, b. 1580; Lawes, Henry, 1595–1662; Italian: Cavaliere, E. del, c. 1550–1602; Peri, Jacopo, b. 1561; Gabriele, Giovanni, 1557–c. 1612, early experimenter in chromatic harmony; Caccini, Giulio, 1558–1615; Monteverde, Claudio, 1567–1643; Allegri, Gregorio, c. 1570–1652; Frescobaldi, Girolamo, 1583–1644, famous also as a teacher; Agostino, P., 1593–1639; Cavalli, F., 1596–1676, popularized opera; Carissimi, G., c. 1604–1674, popularized oratorio; Rossi, Luigi de. All the above have separate articles assigned to them in the Britannica.
THE 17th CENTURY AND AFTER
The Second Great Climax
Those who revolted from the traditions of the polyphonic school went, as was inevitable, too far. A reaction was equally inevitable, for the language of the new music was unformed and was in danger of being stereotyped into the emptiest of formulas. The welding of the old and new ideas was all that was needed to prepare the way for the colossal achievement of a Bach or a Beethoven. It was a busy period when the rules of counterpoint were reviewed and revised, when theories of harmony as a distinct science took shape. But, save for the work of such men as Purcell, the Englishman (Vol. 22, p. 658), born 100 years before his time, the 17th century was mainly one of preparation. The next great climax came in the first half of the 18th century.
| Subject | Article |
|---|---|
| The renascence of texture, the welding of polyphony and monody. | Music (Vol. 19, p. 77); Harmony (Vol. 13, p. 4). |
| Publication in 1715 of the famous Gradus ad Parnassum, the first complete theory of counterpoint. | Fux, Johann Joseph (Vol. 11, p. 375). |
| The first systematic theory of harmony published in 1722. | Rameau, J. P. (Vol. 22, p. 874). |
| The second great climax in music. | Music, Bach and Handel (Vol. 19, p. 78). |
| The achievement of Johann Sebastian Bach. | Bach, J. S. (Vol. 3, p. 124); see also Contrapuntal Forms (Vol. 7, p. 41); Concerto (Vol. 6, p. 825); Overture (Vol. 20, p. 384); Suite (Vol. 26, p. 51); Oratorio (Vol. 20, p. 161); Cantata (Vol. 5, p. 209); Mass, Lutheran Masses (Vol. 17, p. 850); Variations (Vol. 27, p. 912); Instrumentation, Decoration and Orchestral Schemes (Vol. 14, p. 651 and p. 655). |
17th and 18th Century Composers