Galant

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.

Sound recording of a tenor soloist, accompanied by orchestra, singing an elaborate vocal passage. The term "coloratura" specifically refers to a complex melody with runs, trills, wide leaps, or similar virtuosic material. This musical feature is particularly associated with vocal music in the 18th and 19th centuries.

This is a common feature of the Galant style.

An sound clip taken from Michael Haydn's "Divertimento in D Major" featuring a solo violin performing in a vocal recitativo accompagnato style . Since recitative was usually used to advance the plot of an opera adopting the rhythms of ordinary speech in the 18th century, it is interesting to see it's use in purely instrumental music.

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.