Toccata A Dur (Early Baroque Listening Journal)

Henry Purcell - Toccata A Dur

Musical elements

Timbre - one harpsichord (chordaphone)
Tonality - A major
Meter - duple simple
Tempo - moderately fast (allegro)
Improvisatory style, jagged rhythm

Structure

Form - F minor
Tempo fluctuates throughout the piece
No clear dynamic (mf throughout)

Context

Era - early baroque
Composer - Henry Purcell
Country of origin - England
Genre - toccata

L'Orfeo - Monteverdi Journal

Listening journal - Atto II from Montiverdi's L'Orfeo

Musical elements

- Meter: triple simple

- Timbre: male voice with harpsichord and violin accompaniment

- Text-setting: syllabic

- Texture: homophonic

- Tonality: F major with frequent modulations to Bb major

Structure

- Strophic

- Strophes followed by ritornellos

- Binary form (ABAB)

Context

- Sanctity: secular

- Language: Italian

- Country of origin: Italy

- Genre: opera/aria

Gabrieli Listening Journal

Gabrieli - Benedictus Dominus Deus Sabaoth

Musical Elements

Timbre - Mostly male voices with organ accompaniment
Texture - Polyphonic with some parallel motion
Meter - Duple simple with a momentary shift to duple compound near the end
Tempo - Moderately fast (allegro)
Tonality/Key - D minor/F major, ends on a Picardy 3rd

Structure

Form - no clear form (no sections repeat)
Dynamics - mostly mezzo-forte to forte
The organ provides only accompaniment (never provides the melody) while the melody weaves between the constituent voices

Context

Language - Latin
Sanctity - Sacred
Time period - 17th century (Renaissance)
Country of origin - Italy
Genre - Italian madrigal