Air (music)
The Air ( also Ayr, Ayre, Aria ) is a by- form of musical genre song, but can also describe a simple instrumental piece. Always is, however, a simple scale composition usually in a two-part song form.
The term Air (meaning " melody ", " song" ) does not come in this regard from English, but from the French. In the Baroque period the air was, if it was not a vocal composition, a non- allusive to a dance instrumental piece, even if it was inserted into a suite.
English Ayres for voice and lute
The Airs for voice and lute originated at the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England in the late 16th century and enjoyed great popularity until the 20s of the 17th century. Probably the Air is based partly on the Italian monody, on the other hand on the Air de cour. This is to solo songs with lute accompaniment of several - usually three - parts. Their popularity began with the publication of John Dowland (1563-1626) " First Book of Songs or Ayres " (1597 ). Dowland's most famous Ayres are " Come again ", " Flow my tears", " I saw my Lady weepe " and "In darkness let me dwell ". The genre was further developed vonThomas Campion (1567-1620) and Philip Rosseter: My "Book of Ayres " (1601 ) contain more than 100 songs for voice and lute, and was reprinted four times in 1610. Although this pressure boom subsided in the 1620s, were still written, performed, and often involved in masques Ayres. In the preface of this book probably Campion challenges the " overload madrigalisms ( soundcolouring effects, extreme chromaticism, etc.) as they know the Italian madrigals ." Therefore, these Ayres are designed very simple and vocally. Other important Airkomponisten are Thomas Weelkes, Thomas Morley. Robert Jones, Francis Pilkington, Alfonso Ferrabosco and Henry Purcell
Air by Bach and Handel
Johann Sebastian Bach's Suites in several of his that is designated by Air or Aria set an example in the second and fourth French suite and in the fourth and sixth Partita. These sets are very different, so that it is hardly possible conclude a concrete meaning of this name in tempo and character. Even Bach is simply meant " melody " when he used this phrase title.
Moreover, George Frideric Handel marked the sixth sentence of the first suite in F major (HWV 348) from the known water music as Air This melodious piece with its characteristic dotted rhythms is often played by baroque ensemble.
Air from the 3rd Orchestral Suite (Bach)
Probably the best known example of a designated Air set can be found in Bach's Overture in D major, BWV 1068: In the second sentence, the trumpets, oboes and drums are silent; Strings and Basso continuo alone develop a song-like set in 4/4-time, the motivic fully developed between the upper voices sweeping melody and the border on a regular eighths Bass, contains imitative middle voices.
On the violinist August Wilhelmj an arrangement for violin and piano goes back, in this Air to C major transposed is only played on the G string; in this editing the piece was named the Air on the G string. In this form, and in many other building upon it edits the composition is performed to this day over again.
The Boys Choir performs since 2008, BWV 1068/2 in a set up for choir version of Georg Christoph Biller Dona nobis pacem with the text (Give us peace ) on.