Are you speaking of Affekt? Mattheson goes into great detail about the moods associated with each key, but I don't believe that this is really more a part of the baroque aesthetic and not typical of the gallant style. There is the famous story about how Baron was made to look foolish for believing in the then somewhat unfashionable (and un-gallant) idea of music's power to excite the passions directly.
Chris Christopher Wilke Lutenist, Guitarist and Composer www.christopherwilke.com --- On Fri, 10/22/10, G. Crona <kalei...@gmail.com> wrote: > From: G. Crona <kalei...@gmail.com> > Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: Galant definition > To: baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu > Date: Friday, October 22, 2010, 10:27 AM > Pls. correct me if I'm wrong, but > doesn't Gallant also imply "mood" related to keys, i.e. > direct influence on the listeners mood with the music, like > f. ex. indian music claims to do? (The correct term eludes > me, I really should read Farstads book! :) > > G. > ----- Original Message ----- From: "Christopher Wilke" > <chriswi...@yahoo.com> > To: <baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu>; > "G. Crona" <kalei...@gmail.com> > Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 4:16 PM > Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: Galant definition > > > > Farstad's book is the best source for this music in > reference to the lute. It includes exhaustive lists of > composers, pieces and sources. More generally, there > is Gjerdingen's book: > http://www.amazon.com/Music-Galant-Style-Robert-Gjerdingen/dp/0195313712 > I've read this book, but it is not particularly clarifying > in terms of defining what gallant actually is. He > describes a lot of processes, but there is little feeling > that they add up in the end to a style. > > > > This is still a grey area. I don't particularly > like "gallant" as a musical term because it is so > general. In contemporary usage, it clearly had more to > do with one's general habits and lifestyle than musical > characteristics. Thus, Baron calls Weiss the best, > most gallant composer. I think most of us would agree that > Hagen is also a gallant composer. Would we really say Weiss > and Hagen are writing in the same style? Would we even > say that Straube's two lute sonatas and his English guittar > pieces are in the same style? > > > > There is a real mixture of approaches going on from > around c.1740's (and earlier) up to the classical period: > high, contrapuntal baroque a la Papa Bach, a sort of "easy > baroque" a la Scarlatti, a more overtly operatic form a la > Hasse, and empfindsamer stil a la C.P.E Bach. All of > these things were claimed to be "gallant" and one finds all > of these styles happening simultaneously. I suspect > that when people say "gallant" nowadays, they really mean > the Hasse incarnation, with a florid, vocal-like line over > an accompaniment that is of secondary importance, usually > comprised of slow-moving harmonies and stock > figurations. Lot's of triplets and Lombard rhythms! > > > > This is a tough nut to crack which has gotten too > little scholarly attention. I think more people are > becoming interesting in the era, but there is still a lot to > be done. > > > > Chris > > > > Christopher Wilke > > Lutenist, Guitarist and Composer > > www.christopherwilke.com > > > > > > --- On Fri, 10/22/10, G. Crona <kalei...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > > >> From: G. Crona <kalei...@gmail.com> > >> Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Re: Galant definition > >> To: baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu > >> Date: Friday, October 22, 2010, 9:31 AM > >> I believe the standard work to be: > >> > >> http://openlibrary.org/works/OL7827880W/German_galant_lute_music_in_the_18th_century > >> > >> haven't read it myself unfortunately... > >> > >> G. > >> > >> ----- Original Message ----- From: <theoj89...@aol.com> > >> To: <baroque-lute@cs.dartmouth.edu> > >> Sent: Friday, October 22, 2010 3:23 PM > >> Subject: [BAROQUE-LUTE] Galant definition > >> > >> > >> > > >> > > >> > Could anyone help me understand the > definition of > >> 'Galant' music? > >> > Does it refer only to lute music, or to the > >> period/style. > >> > What are its characteristics - if they can be > summed > >> up? > >> > Which composers would be considered most > typical of > >> Galant style? > >> > Thanks for helping a enthusiastic beginner > further > >> appreciate such a great > >> > literature. > >> > trj > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >
