Harmonic Orator: A Guide to the Phrasing and Rhetoric of the Melody in French Baroque Airs Book

"The first systematic study of French baroque music to analyze melody and lyrics rather than notational rhythms, counterpoint, and harmony, this guide presents the phrasing, rhetoric, and expression that is woven into the melodies of sung dances. Its close reading of rhetorical and poetic writings of the period, combined with its presentation of basic French linguistic patterns and speech rhythms, opens the way to a deeper historical understanding of French baroque music. Proudly standing apart from its European neighbors, the music of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century France represented a conscious synthesis of French speech rhythms, French rhetorical practices and French theatrical recitation. As such, it demands its own performance style." "Speech and its melodies constituted what the French prior to Rameau thought of as "harmony." Twentieth-century performers and listeners who read this book will take increased pleasure in French baroque music when they can view the airs as miniature "orations" in which speech and music fuse to form a poetic whole." Indispensable for musicians and critics who wish to deepen their knowledge of French music of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, this guide will also prove useful to persons interested in French poetry and theatrical performance.

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This study is intended for all musicians who perform French music written in the 1600s or the 1700s. The author's goal is to make the performer think about French music differently and view that music from the perspective of a poet or an actor of the Baroque period, rather than a practicing musician of the late 20th century. With a focus on continuity, musical examples span 70 years, as do quotations from theoretical treatises (there are also a few 20th century examples). The quotations are presented in both French and English. Unlike many such efforts, the detailed information is presented in an elegant, non-pedantic style. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)