| A | B |
|---|
| Beginning of 18th c.= Europe Powerq | A balance of power was emerging in Europe among several strong centralized states= (Random important politics:French and Indian War (Seven years war), Austro-Hungarian Empire, Prussa, American Revolution, French Revolution, etc.) |
| 18th Century= Europe Economic Expansion | Better roads, more food= Manufacturing and trade become more important, thus middle class grew in size and economic importance, while the landed aristocracy became less important |
| 18th Century= Europe Urbanization | As continent became more urbanized, nature was increasingly idealized= Aristocracy's nostalgia for rural life was captured in paintings by Jean-Antoine Watteau (1684-1721), as as "Embarkation for Cythera"= Pastoral themes were prominent in musical works, from Scarlatti's cantatas and Vivaldi's concertos "The Four Seasons" near the beginning of the century to Gluck's opera "Orfeo ed Euridice" and Haydn's oratorio "The Seasons" near its end |
| 18th Century= Education | More schools for upper and middle class= Many were literate, women & men were starting to get educated= Daily newspapers began in London in 1702= Amid this increasing interest in learning, thinkers like Voltaire (1694-1778) sought to analyze social and political issues through reason and science, spawning the intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment |
| 18th Century= Demand for New Music | With the increasing strength of middle class, new music was being demanded constantly (almost no piece was performed for more than 2-3 seasons)= The demand for new music also helps to explain the changing fashions in musical style |
| 18th Century= Changing Styles | 18th c. is often divided between Baroque and Classic Style |
| as;dklfjlk | as;dlkfj |
| 18th Century= Music In Italy | Opera remained most prestigious (and most expensive), but instrumental music (especially the CONCERTO) was gaining ground= Main centers for music included Naples, Rome, and Venice |
| Naples | Naples had 4 CONSERVATORIES |
| Conservatories | Homes for orphaned and poor boys, that specialized in teaching music= Over years, musical instruction became as important as the original charitable goal (even took in paying students)= Their pupils made music careers all over Europe, heling to spread Italian opera and Italian instrumental music across the Continent= Most conservatory students were singers |
| Castrati | (=male singers with range of soprano) Most conservatory students were singers, many of them castrati= By late 17th c., leading male roles in operas were almost always written for castrati= Although most castrati stayed church musicians, many sang on opera stages, and some became superstars (e.g. Farinelli [Carlo Broschi, 1705-1782]) |
| Naples: Center Music Life | Opera was the center of Neapolitan music life= Alessandro Scarlatti (wrote 1 or more operas every year) was its leading composer |
| 18th Century= Opera | While new types of comic opera gained popularity, new kind of serious Italian opera also emerged in 1720s, codified by the librettist Pietro Matastasio (1698-1782)= Both comic and serious opera of the time continued standard practices of Baroque opera, alternating RECITATIVES and DA CAPO ARIAS |
| Rome | Opera was less central= Rich patrons often sponsored academies, where their musicians performed cantatas, serenatas, sonatas, and concertos= The support of wealthy patrons attracted instrumentalists, making Rome a training ground for performers |
| Francesco Geminiani and Pietro Locatelli | Geminiani (1687-1762) and Locatelli (1695-1764) were both violin virtuosos who came to Rome to learn= Absorbed the Corelli tradition of performance and composition |
| Venice | At beginning of 18th century, was declining in political & economic power but remained most glamorous city in Europe= Was full of life, color, music, public festivals, and attracted many tourists= |
