Eighteenth Century

Compound meter occurs when the macrobeat in a given time signature is divided into three smaller microbeats rather than two.  This example is in compound duple 6/8 time and occurs in the sinfonia for La Villana Riconosciuta by Domenico Cimarosa (1749-1801), in the second movement, Allegro.

A pedal point is sustained over several chords.  Typically found in the bass voice, although not always, the pedal point remains the same pitch while the other voices of the chords shift around it.  This instance is found in the sinfonia for the opera La Villana Riconosciuta by Domenico Cimarosa (1749-1801), in the first movement, Allegro Con Spirito.  This particular example exists in several octaves in the bass, cello, and viola parts, as well as both bassoon parts.  The pedal point occurs between the seven and ten second marks in this recording.

The Meyer schema, coined by Robert Gjerdingen, is a three-stage schema (musical patterns born from partimento practices) that moves from the tonic chord to the dominant chord, and then from the dominant chord back to the tonic chord, that was popular during the eighteenth century. The first measure of this excerpt from Franz Danzi's Sinfonia Concertante in Eb major, highlights the 3rd and 1st scale degrees in the melody and 1st scale degree in the bass. When the music changes chords during the next measure, the music highlights the 7th scale degree in the bass and highlights the 4th and 7th scale degrees in the melody. The music the moves back to the tonic chord with the 1st scale degree in the bass, and the 1st and 5th scale degrees in the melody. From there the music remains in the tonic key. 

These nine measures from Franz Danzi's Sinfonia Concertante in Eb major contain a typical harmonic progression found in the Galant period. This excerpt is split into two equal phrase. Each starting on a tonic chord, that is prolonged with a dominant chord, that lands on the tonic again, this time in first inversion. From there, there is a quick predominant chord, followed by a cadential motion to close each phrase. This type of progression was a very common way to start and end phrases during the eighteenth century. 

Sound recording of a soprano performing free rhythm recitative with basso continuo accompaniment. Secco Recitative is a declamatory style of recitative found commonly throughout the baroque and classical periods of western music.