Christoph Willibald Gluck

Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787)

Nationality: German
Born: July 2, 1714, Erasbach Died: November 15, 1787, Vienna (age 73)
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Sonata No. 7 in E major, Wq54

(for 2 violins and continuo)
1:55 I. Allegro
2:32 II. Andante
2:47 III. Allegro
Duration: 7 minutes (approximately)
Published: 1750 (age 35-36)

glossary

  • allegro [I]—fast, lively tempo. From the Italian word for cheerful or gay.
  • andante [I]—moderately slow tempo (e.g. walking). Faster than adagio but slower than allegretto
  • chamber music, Kammermusik [G], musique de chambre [F], musica da camera [I], musica cameralis [L]—"Classical Music" for a small ensemble, generally 8 or fewer players with a canonical emphasis on 3-6 players. explore
  • continuo, basso continuo, b.c., figured bass, thorough bass, basse chifrée—During the Baroque Era, a term for an improvised (realized) instrumental accompaniment specified by a symbolic notation for chords and a written bass line (i.e. figured bass). A continuo "part" usually implies multiple (but typically unspecified) instruments, e.g. one for a strong bass line (e.g. cello) and another for chords (e.g. lute, keyboard, organ). A continuo part may be realized by keyboard alone, and sometimes played by a bass melody instrument alone (without harmonies). wiki
  • ed [It]—and
  • espressivo [It], con espressione, expressif [Fr]—expressive, with expression.with feeling
  • moderato [I], moderamente, modéré [F], modérément [F]—moderately, at a moderate tempo, applying a touch of restraint to its related word(s), e.g. allegro moderato
  • sonata, sonate, suonato—a complicated term. Originally, "sounded" rather than "sung" (sonar vs. cantar), e.g. instrumental music. According to historical period, sonata began to imply a formal plan of movements as well as the structure within a single movement, e.g. sonata form. In general usage as a work title, it designates a multi-movement piece for solo or duo instruments with one of the instruments enjoying a feature role.
  • trio sonata, sonate en trio, sonata a tre—one of the chief forms of chamber music in the Baroque era. Trio indicates three components: 2 soloists and continuo (accompaniment). Typically comprises four movements in one of many specific plans.