Venus And Adonis Essay

698 Words3 Pages
John Blow wrote Venus and Adonis, his only dramatic work for the stage, about 1682 as “a Masque for the Entertainment of the King.” Venus and Adonis is the only work of John Blow (1648-1708) written for stage. Conceived in small scale for a minimal setting, the work creates an intimate atmosphere for its viewers. This enthralling early example of a through-composed dramatic work only lasts less than an hour, suggesting perhaps England’s restored monarch, Charles II, had a brief attention span. Charles II acquired a taste for lavish court display during his exile spent primarily with his mother, Henrietta Maria, at the French court of Louis XIV. Charles was not funded sufficiently to run the government under conditions imposed by parliament to facilitate the Restoration in 1660. Charles II was notorious for his financial distresses. In the earlier…show more content…
Continuo line created a new accompaniment for each performance by realizing at sight the original continuo line. It was able to build an exciting and moving line which supported the singers while allowing them free expression of their own lines. The Continuo plated throughout the work adding sonority to the orchestra as well as serving as an accompaniment for the soloists and chorus. Ornamentation in Venus and Adonis is rather simpler but much needed. Basically, trills and appoggiaturas are the main ornamentation which depends upon the singers. A heavy vocal voice will not have the soothing flexibility to perform extravagant shakes and rapid movement; the inexperienced voice will have difficulty ornamenting the singing. It is quite evident that trills were mostly employed in case of Venus’s vocal line. With a melisma and trills, Venus vocal line created substantially emotional and vibrant singing to Adonis. An ornament is required where an emphasis is desired on a particular word for emotionally expressive purpose throughout the
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