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German Style and Ornamentation with John and Julie TBSI 2022

What is German style?

The "mixed style" - a place where French and Italian styles meet (plus counterpoint).

Two important developments that had a profound influence on German musical thinking:

1. Influence of basso continuo (or the seconda prattica) on the contrapuntal practices in Germany.

2. Influence of Vivaldi’s music on composers in Germany and Europe.

What are the characteristics of Italian, French and German ornamentation?

What do the Germanic composers take from French music? "Speaking style" (gestures follow contour of words), juicy harmonies, unusual and extended phrase lengths (leading to Bach’s “fortstimme” - super long phrases with many evaded cadences, love for exploration of different key areas), subtle ornamentation surrounding the main notes, the use of French symbols for notated ornaments, use of dance music and rhythms, subtle affekts.

What do the Germanic composers take from Italian music? "Singing style" (simple, beautiful melodic lines) simple and clear structures (ex. Telemann doesn’t use as much counterpoint as some of his contemporaries, has clear, organized structures, simpler harmonies, and his music sounds more Italianate), florid ornamentation, love of opera, dramatic affekts.

Famous Italians working in German speaking countries:

  • The court in Vienna had a long line of Italian composers including Valentini, Bertali, Sances, and Albertini.
  • Brescianello worked for the court in Munich (for Maximillian II Emanuel), then went to Stuttgart.
  • Vivaldi composed for the Dresden court, writing concertos for Pisendel (concertmaster), and there are other copies of Vivaldi’s music in Pisendel’s handwriting. He moved to Vienna near the end of his life.
  • Veracini also worked in Dresden, as did Lotti and Albinoni.

The Dresden Court

The Dresden court was one of the most important centres for music in the 18th Century, attracting musicians from all over Europe. At the Dresden Court in 1694, there was a new (unusual) rule that musicians had to specialize in one instrument while playing in the court orchestra. This rule possibly came in after court composer Johann Christoph Schmidt visited Italy. August the Strong (the ruler in Dresden) modeled the orchestra on French orchestras with flutes, oboes, bassoon, and 6-part strings. Jean-Baptiste Volumier was hired in 1709 (Belgian-born former concertmaster at the Berlin court, trained in France).

J.J. Quantz (composer and flute player, teacher of Frederick the Great) wrote about the Dresden court in his autobiography' The Life of JJ Quantz described by himself ' which appeared in (Marpurg’s Historical and Critical Essays on Music, 1755):

Quantz "Of the Manner of Playing the Adagio"

"Thus in March 1716 I went to Dresden… The Royal Orchestra at that time was already in a particularly flourishing state. Through the French equal style of execution introduced by Volumier, the concertmaster at that time, it already distinguished itself from many other orchestras; and later, under the direction of the following concertmaster, Mr. Pisendel, it achieved, through the introduction of a mixed style, such refinement of performance that, in all my later travels, I heard none better.”

The musicians in Dresden were also taken “on tour” to France and Italy to gain more experience in the national styles. With the French trained and the Italian trained musicians - were there any problems?

The Crown Prince was well aware of the antagonism to be expected between the established musicians at court and the 'new' imported musicians both financially and stylistically and this may explain why he took Veracini into his private service before he was transferred to the Dresden payroll as violinist in August 1717. Indeed a letter to Count Watzdorff in Dresden proves the Crown Prince’s concerns were not without justification.

"Monsieur, I have already remarked to you with perfect confidence how much I have it in my heart that the musicians engaged for the service of the King be treated according to the terms of their contract (s). It has since come to my attention that Schmidt has quarrelled with Heinichen concerning a concert of his production, and as I understand that the same (thing) can happen to the (other) musicians who are, the same as he, under my protection, and whom I have strongly recommended to you, I ask you, Monsieur, to prevent similar quarrels by your authority, and to prevent such (quarrels) which Schmidt and Volumeir might try to initiate against Signori Lotti and Veracini upon their arrival in Dresden, so that each of them (Lotti and Veracini) is satisfied with his arrangements, for which I shall be truly obliged (to you)…."

German speaking musicians that studied in Italy or France and came back:

  • Froberger studied in Rome with Frescobaldi and Kircher, then spent time in Paris, particularly with lutenist Blancrocher, but also with Louis Couperin.
  • Muffat (studied with Lully in Paris, ended up in Vienna, went to Italy in 1680, met Corelli, then worked in Passau, Germany), brought French style back to German speakers.

Muffat Ciaccona:

Muffat Violin Sonata (Ingrid Matthews):

  • Rosenmuller, organist in Leipzig, fled to Italy, worked at San Marco in Venice, influenced by Legrenzi and Schulz, went back to Germany (Wolfenbüttel) at the end of his life.
  • Handel in Italy (went back to Germany for short periods of time), then eventually went to England

Influence of French art, architecture, design, on the German courts

  • Many courts in Germany used French as the principal language, many palaces were influenced by the court of Louis XIV, Versailles.
  • In Munich, there was a highly influential architect and interior designer, Francois de Cuvilliés. He was originally from Belgium, and began his service as “court dwarf” but Max Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria, quickly recognized his talents and he was sent to Paris to study architecture for 4 years (1720-24), came back and out-Frenched the French.
  • There are incredible Cuvilliés rooms in the Amalienburg (Nymphenburg Palace) and also in the Munich Residenz, which you can still visit today.
Interior, Blue Cabinet / Interior, Rest Room / Interior, Hall of Mirrors
  • Cuvilliés Theatre at the Munich Residenz
  • Dresden court (Architect Matthäus Daniel Poppelmann), design inspired by Versailles.
https://www.der-dresdner-zwinger.de/en/the-dresden-zwinger/
  • Potsdam (near Berlin) - Sanssouci, Frederick the Great’s favourite palace
https://visitworldheritage.com/en/eu/sanssouci-palace/f18b63d4-2976-48c1-814c-fec447dda9c8

Huguenot refugees (French protestants) found their way to other countries and were highly influential in England, Holland, Germany, etc. (Ex. The court of Celle near where Bach went to high school.) There was a highly disruptive edict by Louis XIV in 1685, which expelled all Huguenots from France. Louis XIV claimed that the Huguenot population declined from up to 900,000 down to 1500. Many musicians were among this population. Ex. Estienne Roger moved to Amsterdam and became a music publisher. His publications of music like Vivaldi's L’Estro Armonico published (1711), and Corelli's Op.5 Violin Sonatas ( 1714 reprint with ornaments) were enjoyed all over Europe, thanks to Roger's trade connections from England to France, Belgium and Germany, etc.

"In a style that, like that of the Germans today, consists of a mixture of those of different peoples, each nation finds something with which it has an affinity, and which thus can never displease it. In reflecting upon all of the thoughts and experiences mentioned previously in reference to the differences between styles, a preference must be granted for the pure Italian style over the pure French. Since, however, the first is no longer as solidly grounded as it used to be, having become bold and bizarre, and since the second has remained too simple, everyone will agree that a style blended and mixed together from the good elements of both must certainly be more universal and more pleasing. For a style of music that is received and approved by many people, and not just by a single land, a single province, or a particular nation, a style of music that, for the above reasons, can only meet with approbation, must, if it is also founded on sound judgement and healthy feeling, be the very best." - last paragraph of Johann Joachim Quant, On Playing the Flute (1752)

Ornamentation Lecture

French Ornamentation

Italian ornamentation

Italian style and ornamentation was highly influential in German speaking centres, as is in evidence in Heinrich Biber's music in Salzburg (highly influenced by Uccellini and other early Italian composers) to later composers like Bach and Handel (highly influenced by Corelli-style florid ornamentation)

*slurs in Notari divisions (manuscript parts from England) show wide use of slurring, Uccellini also used more slurs, but slurs can be found sparingly in Fontana, Marini, Castello, etc.

Corelli Ornamentation (Roger edition 1714)

Ornamentation in Telemann:

Telemann and Bach were very good friends for life, met in Weimar where we have evidence of Bach studying Vivaldi’s music (manuscript copies of L'estro Armonico). Leter in his life, he spent had a significant trip to Paris where he was greatly impressed with Rameau's opera Castor and Pollux, and experimented more with French style (Paris quartets).

Telemann Methodical Sonatas

Ornamentation and style in Bach

  • Italian influence - CPE Bach said that Vivaldi “taught him how to think musically”, transcriptions of L’Estro for harpsichords, use of ritornello form, friendship with Pisendel
  • French influence - went to high school near Celle, keyboard music of French composers in the Bach library, wrote out D'Anglebert ornament table for his son's lessons.

Deconstruction of Bach G minor Adagio from BWV1001

  • Tips on deconstructing:
  • Do a harmonic analysis
  • Turn the music into a simple line (like the plain line of Corelli). One treble note per bass note.
  • Try re-ornamenting for fun!
  • In Bach there is an emphasis on harmony above all. Start playing playing harmonies instead of melodies!
  • If you want some help with deconstruction, check out the figured bass reductions in David Ledbetter's Unaccompanied Bach book!

Some of Julie's favourite books by German baroque musicians:

"Since for example joy is an expansion of our soul, thus it follows reasonably and naturally that I could best express this affect by largeand expanded intervals" (Mattheson 1981, part 1, chapter 3, section 56). "Whereas if one knows that sadness is a contraction of these subtle parts of our body,then it is easy to see that the small and smallest intervals are the most suitable for this passion" (Mattheson 1981, part 1, chapter 3, section 57).

"Hope is an elevation of the soul or spirits; but despair is a depression of this: all of which are things which can very naturally be represented with sound, especially when the other circumstances (tempo in particular) contribute their part. And in this way one can form a sensitive concept of all the emotions and compose accordingly" (Mattheson 1981, part 1, chapter 3, section 59).

"Pride, haughtiness, arrogance, and the like, are also usually depicted or expressed with their special colors in notes and sounds, for which purpose the composer usually draws upon a bold, pompous style. He thus has the opportunity to use all sorts of majestic musical figures which require a special seriousness and grandiloquent motion; but he must never permit a musical line that is fleeting and falling, but always ascending" (Mattheson 1981, part 1, chapter 3, section 72).

"Anger, ardor, vengeance, rage, fury, and all other such violent affections, are actually far better at making available all sorts of musical inventions than the gentle and pleasant passions which are handled with much more refinement. Yet it is also not enough with the former if one only rumbles along strongly, makes a lot of noise and boldly rages: notes with many tails will simply not suffice, as many think; but each of these violent qualities requires its own particular characteristics, and, despite forceful expression, must still have a becoming singing quality: as our general principle, which we must not lose sight of, expressly demands" (Mattheson 1981, part 1, chapter 3, section 75).

"That which is to a certain degree placed in opposition to hope and consequently gives rise to a contrasting arrangement of sounds is called fear, dejection, failure, etc. Fright and horror also belong here, which, if one thinks of them rightly and has a good mental picture of their natural character, yield very suitable musical passages corresponding with the condition of the affections" (Mattheson 1981, part 1, chapter 3, section 78).

Johann Jacob Prinner, Musicalischer Schlissel (1677). (Student of Schmelzer) Evidence for chin on playing very early in the baroque period.

Secondary sources

Ornamentation bibliography from John
BOOKS TO PRACTICE ORNAMENTATION
Appreciate