Baroque cadence

Definition

A baroque cadence is a harmonic progression that signifies the end of a musical phrase, commonly used in the Baroque period, which spanned from approximately 1600 to 1750. This type of cadence often involves the movement from the dominant chord (V) to the tonic chord (I), creating a strong resolution and a sense of closure. It plays a crucial role in shaping the overall structure and emotional impact of compositions from this era.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Baroque cadences are essential for establishing musical phrasing, helping to delineate sections within a piece.
2. The most common baroque cadence is the perfect cadence, which provides a strong resolution and is often used at the ends of movements.
3. Baroque cadences can vary in their harmonic structure, with composers sometimes using deceptive cadences to surprise listeners by not resolving as expected.
4. In addition to perfect cadences, half and plagal cadences are also frequently used in Baroque music to create different emotional effects.
5. Cadences in baroque music can be elaborated with ornamentation or elaborative counterpoint, adding complexity to the harmonic resolution.

Review Questions

• How do baroque cadences contribute to the overall structure and phrasing in Baroque music?
  • Baroque cadences are fundamental in defining musical phrases and sections within compositions. They create clear points of resolution that help listeners understand where phrases begin and end. This clarity allows composers to shape their music more effectively, using cadences to guide emotions and transitions throughout a piece.
• Compare and contrast perfect cadences with half cadences in terms of their emotional impact in Baroque compositions.
  • Perfect cadences provide a strong sense of resolution and finality, which makes them suitable for concluding phrases or sections. In contrast, half cadences leave listeners with a feeling of suspense and anticipation since they end on the dominant chord rather than resolving to the tonic. This difference in emotional impact allows composers to manipulate tension and release throughout their works.
• Evaluate how composers in the Baroque period utilized cadences to enhance their musical storytelling techniques.
  • Composers in the Baroque period skillfully employed cadences to enhance storytelling through music by using various types of cadences to evoke specific emotions and responses from their audience. Perfect cadences signaled closure and resolution, while half cadences created tension and uncertainty, allowing for dramatic contrasts within pieces. Additionally, by occasionally employing deceptive cadences, composers could surprise listeners, further enriching the narrative quality of their music. This intentional manipulation of harmonic progression played a critical role in the development of expressive musical language during this era.

Related terms

Perfect Cadence: A specific type of cadence that moves from the dominant (V) to the tonic (I), providing a strong sense of resolution and finality.

Half Cadence: A cadence that ends on the dominant (V), creating a feeling of suspense or anticipation without fully resolving to the tonic.

Plagal Cadence: A cadence that moves from the subdominant (IV) to the tonic (I), often referred to as the 'Amen' cadence due to its frequent use in hymnody.