Concerto

From Giuseppe Maria Jacchini's Cello Concerto in F Major, Op. 4, No. 9

In a concerto, 'Tutti' describes the passages that the orchestra performs all together, as opposed to solo passages.  This example contains contrasting back-and-forth dialogue between the cello soloist and the full orchestra.

From Giuseppe Maria Jacchini's Cello Concerto in F Major, Op. 4, No. 9

Compound meter describes meters in which the beats are subdivided into groups of three rather than two (i.e. 6/8, 9/8, 12/8).  Fast compound meters (as in this example) are often evocative of dance.

The trombone was still a relatively new instrument, having only developed from the sackbut sometime in the late 1600's/early 1700's, when Michael Haydn composed his Serenade. Because of how new the instrument was the trombone was rarely featured as a solo instrument, but, when it was, it was often the alto trombone that was given the solo. Of the four types of trombones used at the time: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass, the alto projected the best and had the clearest sound.

The oboe is a woodwind instrument. The sound of the oboe is created when the upper and lower blades of the double reed vibrate against each other. This excerpt of Jan Adamus performing movement II of Joseph Reicha's Concerto for Flute on the oboe demonstrates the sweet sound of the oboe in the middle register. The performer accentuates the simplistic and natural beauty of Reicha's phrase through consistent timbral quality, utilizing air support to drive the phrase forward to completion.

The dense, virtuosic harpsichord part has several quickly repeated phrases that are reminiscent of the Scarlatti solo keyboard sonatas. This passage has a wide variety of rhythmic phrasing techniques over slow-moving, basic harmony. By altering the rhythmic phrasing, composers were able to add interest and a sense of articulation to music that featured the harpsichord, an instrument incapable of expressing different dynamics. In addition, a variety of rhythmic phrases added intrigue to the simple melodies of the classical period.

Harmonic sequencing typical in Galant music. A harmonic sequence is a passage that repeats itself in different tonal centers. This particular example begins with the common descending harmonic sequence in fourths. The flowing harpsichord line on top of a simple counterline creates a sense of complexity.

This ritornello, a recurring passage between solo sections frequently occurring in the eighteenth-century concerti, exemplifies the influence of the Baroque style on the Galant composer Jan Zach.