Go for Baroque

One of Tomoko’s CD piano albums features Baroque pieces. While the modern piano) was not invented until the very end of the Baroque era, the period is defined by keyboard masters who wrote for its predecessors: the harpsichord, clavichord, and organ. Today, their works are standard repertoire for modern pianists. 

The "Big Three" keyboard masters were Bach, Scarlatti, and Handel.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685–1750) is considered the definitive Baroque master. His The Well-Tempered Clavier is often called the "Old Testament" of piano music. Other essentials include the Goldberg Variations, English and French Suites, and his many Inventions.

Domenico Scarlatti (1685–1757) was an Italian composer famous for writing over 555 keyboard sonatas. His works introduced innovative techniques like hand-crossing and rapid repetitions that pushed the boundaries of what was possible on a keyboard.

George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) is best known for his 8 Great Suites (HWV 426–433), which are standard for modern performance. 

Other Baroque keyboard composers are known more in their own country.

In England, John Blow (1549-1708) wrote 30 odes for royal celebrations (he was James II private musician), 50 secular song-like pieces and more than a hundred anthems. One of his students, Henry Purcell (1659-1695), wrote distinctive English suites and rounds.

In France, Francois Couperin (1668-1733) is known for his elegant harpsichord pieces with their intricate ornamentation. Countryman Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764) was a renown music theorist who used composition techniques never known before, but placed them within the framework of old-fashioned forms.

In Germany, Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706) mastered counterpoint and wrote influential organ/keyboard variations. The Danish composer Dietrich Buxtehude’s (1637-1707) works are typical of the North German organ school.

In Italy, Girolamo Frescobaldi pioneered early Baroque toccata and ricercar forms. Baroque composer countryman Domenico Zipoli (1688-1726) is remembered as the most accomplished musician and composer among Jesuit missionaries; he worked mainly in South America. Italian Lodovico Giustini (1685-1743) is credited with writing the first music specifically for the piano.

Early Anthem Time

 

Anthems are usually associated with national anthems such as “The Star-Spangled Banner.” 

It usually represents a group, a country, or a movement. An anthem can also be a sacred song. When Tomoko played for Catholic services, she included anthems in her repertoire.

Church-based anthems go back as far as the 16^th century, and they were quite popular with the advent of the Reformation. Most of the lyrics are drawn from the Bible. English composers developed two kinds of anthem: a “full” anthem that was sung by an entire choir, and a “verse” anthem in which verses were sung by soloists and the chorus was sung by the whole choir. Some of the earliest famous English composers (all lived before 1700) of religious anthems follow.

 Thomas Tallis (1505-1585) wrote mainly English High Renaissance choral music. He composed and played the organ for Henry VIII, Mary I, and Elizabeth I. Although a Roman Catholic, we wrote anthems for both Catholics and the Church of England. He was one of the first composers to write anthems set to English words.

 William Byrd (1543-1623) was taught by Thomas Tallis, and both of them had a monopoly on printing music within England. Byrd composed in several forms: sacred and secular vocals, consort music, and keyboard pieces. He is considered one of the great Renaissance composers.

Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625) is known for writing pieces for the virginal and the organ. He built upon Byrd’s madrigal forms as well as composed full and verse anthems. He was one of the youngest contributors to the first printed collection of English keyboard music. His most famous verse anthem is “This is the Record of John.”

 Henry Purcell (1659-1695) composed Baroque music. Besides being considered one of the best English opera composers, he is also known for writing sacred music. He wrote his first anthem, “Lord Who Can Tell,” at age 19. Two of his best anthems were written for King James II coronation.