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{roh-koh'-koh}
The musical manifestations of the rococo style (early and
mid-18th century) developed most conspicuously in France and
Germany but differed markedly according to the artistic predilections
of those two countries.
The style galant (gallant style) was the French musical reaction
to the formality and complex counterpoint of the baroque era;
it emphasized highly ornamented melody in short, regular phrases
supported by simple harmonies. It was an instrumental style
that was best adapted to the harpsichord (clavecin) but was
also used in ensemble music. Important during the regency
and reign of Louis XV (1715-74), the style galant appealed
particularly to the aristocracy, enchanted by its light, elegant
superficialities. It appeared typically in the smaller forms,
emphasizing charm and grace rather than serious expression.
The leading composers were Francois Couperin and Jean Philippe
RAMEAU.
The empfindsamer Stil (sensitive style) was the German reaction
to the baroque style. Avoiding the lavishly ornamented style
galant of the French, the Germans infused music with shifting
moods in which every phrase was laden with expressive feeling.
Composers sought contrasts through a wide range of tempos
and dynamics, harmonies, modulations, and chromaticism. Works
by C. P. E. BACH, Johann STAMITZ, and J. J. Quantz (1697-1773)
are typical. Rococo in music was over-shadowed by the rise
of the Viennese classical style of Haydn and Mozart. Viennese
classical style of Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart.
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