Essay on Elements of Music in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas

Introduction

Dido and Aeneas is one of the oldest operas in England. It was written by Henry Purcell, one the most distinguished English composer of the 17th century. Since its first performance in 1689, at priest Josias' school, in Chelsea London, the music has remained one of the most favorite operas in the repertory (Ellen). For over three centuries different schools and colleges across the globe have performed it with Mark Morris's choreographed version as one of its most acclaimed dance moves. The story behind the opera is said to have been adapted from the poem Aeneid by Vigril. The acts in Dido and Aeneas are divided into six scenes each with dramatic musical variation. For music lovers, Dido and Aeneas is an incredible piece that masters key elements of music. To appreciate Purcell's work it is critical to understand the basic elements of music as they occur in the baroque opera.

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Pitch Range

Pitch range refers to the measure of the breath of vocals that a human can phonate. It is the corresponding highness or lowness of sound. The frequency of sound vibrations is what determines pitch range. When vibrations are high, pitch range increases and when they are slow the pitch becomes low. In music, a sound qualifies to be a tone when it has a definite pitch range. Tonal vibrations are usually regular and reach the ears at equal time intervals. Sounds with indefinite pitch range usually have irregular vibrations and reach the ear as noise like sounds.

Dido and Aeneas feature different pitch range in different sections of the music. Purcell uses tonal variations to show varied emotions to the audience. The opera has six sections each one with its own tonal center. In the first act, the pitch range is relatively low demonstrating Dido's reluctance to submit her feelings. The increased tonal variation by the witches in the cave scene demonstrates plot to ruin Dido and Aeneas happiness. Towards the end of the opera, pitch range goes low to signify anguish following Dido's death.

Dynamic Range

This refers to the loudness or quietness of music. Historically, Giovanni Gabrieli is renowned as the first musician to indicate dynamics in his music. Dynamics of sound are described using Italian phrases such as pianissimo (very soft), piano (soft), mezzo piano (medium soft), mezzo forte (medium loud), forte (loud) and fortissimo (very loud). Dynamics do not usually move gradually as assumed by many. There are times when sound suddenly moves between dynamic levels. These changes are known as decrescendo (gradually softer) and crescendo (gradually louder).

Generally, the main dynamic markings used in Dido and Aeneas include piano, forte, and crescendos. In Act 1 the use of dynamics is not consistent. However, in chorus No.11 the songwriter uses dynamic range in the whole piece while in other pieces he totally leaves out dynamic markings. The atmosphere and emotions in different sections are portrayed successfully through dynamics to establish the desired setting.

Meter

This element of music refers to the regularly repeated patterns and accents like beats and bars. The lament and recitative in Dido and Aeneas, Act 3, is followed by an area with tuneful melody, regular beats, and an orchestral accompaniment. The aria in Act 3 is in has a slow tempo and occurs in triple meter at the beginning of the music. The songwriter uses variations of meter throughout the acts to create special effects that give a feeling of triple time signature.

Musical Timbres

Timbre is also known as tone color is an element of music that distinguishes an instrument or a voice sound from sounding similar even when they are playing at same note and volume. Each note from a musical instrument is a complex tone containing more than one frequency thus the variation in harmonics. Some of the instruments used in Purcell's Dido and Aeneas include cello, viola, violin, and Harpsichord. From the background music, it is notable that violin is being played and a viola repeats the tones note for note. Both instruments look alike and have the same structure yet they produce different sounds of the same note. Timbre can also be identified in the voices of the witches as they sing.

Musical Texture

Texture is an element of music that distinguishes musical layers in terms numbers and functions. It can be thick or thin with many or few layers. Texture describes the existing relationship between harmonies, timbres, rhythms, and melodies in music. There are four main types of musical texture which include, monophonic, homophonic, polyphonic and heterophonic. Monophonic is the most basic texture and has only one layer which is a melody. Homophony is the music texture in which melody is supported by a harmony with some rhythm. Polyphonic texture occurs when several independent melodies play simultaneously. Lastly, heterophonic texture occurs when two or more melodies of the same version occur at the same time.

The music texture of Dido and Aeneas includes monophony, homophony, and polyphony. At the beginning of Act 1, the melody being played has a homophonic texture so that the words are clearly understood. The final Act ends in Monophony indicating a mood of grief and anguish after the death of Dido.

Musical Form

Form in music refers to the general shape and structure of a given piece of music. It is created through repetition, contrast, and variation. This can be done by repeating a melody, contrasting a melody by bringing a new melody or changing an existing melody to cause variation. The most common types of form in music are the binary form with two sections and ternary form with three sections. Ternary form is widely used in Henry Purcell's music. During Dido's Lament, the ground bass line is repeated over which melodies and harmonies change.

Program Music

Dido and Aeneas can be classified as program music. Program music is the type of music that renders an extra-musical narrative. Henry Purcell creates a narrative and offers it to his audience in the form of program note that invites imaginative correlations with the baroque opera. The genre exerts an influence on film music by drawing upon the techniques of late romantic music.

Work Cited

Harris, Ellen T. Henry Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. Oxford University Press, 2017.