Baroque concepts

Question	Answer
Oratorio	A story from the bible set to music for soloists, chorus and orchestra.
Passacaglia	Variations over a ground bass
Recitative	Vocal writing where the music follows the rhythm of speech.
Ripieno	The larger, main group of ensemble instruments in a Concerto Grosso
Concertino	The small group of soloists in a Concerto Grosso.
Basso Continuo	Harpsichord and Cello (Concerto Grosso)
Concerto Grosso	Concertino Ripieno Basso Continuo
Tierce de Picardie	The final chord of a minor piece is changed to major
Mass	Sacred choral work written in Latin with a polyphonic texture and is sung A Cappella
Chamber music	Written for a small instrumental ensemble with one player to a part (String quartet)
Aria	A solo in an opera
Polyphonic	A texture which consists of two or more melodic lines, often with equal importance. (sounds busy)
Ritornello	A recurring theme throughout a piece of music (a little return)
Ornaments	To decorate the main melody (trills, acciaccaturas, mordents)

Resource summary

	Created by trineerideout over 10 years ago