An air ( it, aria; also ''ayr'', ''ayre'' in
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
) is a song-like vocal or instrumental composition. The term can also be applied to the interchangeable melodies of folk songs and ballads. It is a variant of the musical
song form often referred to (in
opera,
cantata
A cantata (; ; literally "sung", past participle feminine singular of the Italian verb ''cantare'', "to sing") is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
The meaning of ...
and
oratorio) as
aria
In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...
.
English lute ayres
Lute
A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.
More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...
airs were first produced in the royal court of England toward the end of the 16th century and enjoyed considerable popularity until the 1620s. Probably based on Italian
monody and French ''
air de cour'', they were solo songs, occasionally with more (usually three) parts, accompanied on a
lute
A lute ( or ) is any plucked string instrument with a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity, usually with a sound hole or opening in the body. It may be either fretted or unfretted.
More specifically, the term "lute" can ref ...
.
[G. J. Buelow, ''History of Baroque Music: Music in the 17th and First Half of the 18th Centuries'', Indiana University Press, 2004] (p. 306). Their popularity began with the publication of John Dowland's (1563–1626) ''First Booke of Songs or Ayres'' (1597). His most famous airs include "
Come again", "
Flow, my tears", "
I saw my Lady weepe", and "
In darkness let me dwell
"In darkness let me dwell" is a song ascribed to the lutenist and composer John Dowland. Published in 1610, late in Dowland's career, the song shows the influence of Italian music of the early baroque. It was published as song no. 10 in ', a 1610 ...
".
The genre was further developed by
Thomas Campion (1567–1620) whose ''Books of Airs'' (1601) (co-written with Philip Rosseter) contains over 100 lute songs and was reprinted four times in the 1610s.
[C. MacClintock, ''Readings in the history of music in performance'', Indiana University Press, 1982, p. 194.] Although this printing boom died out in the 1620s, ayres continued to be written and performed and were often incorporated into court
masques.
(p. 309).
Baroque and classical airs
By the 18th century, composers wrote airs for
instrumental ensembles without a voice. These were song-like, lyrical pieces, often
movements in a larger composition.
Johann Sebastian Bach composed two of the best-known airs: the second movement of his
Suite No. 3 in D major,
BWV 1068, which
August Wilhelmj arranged for violin and piano as ''
Air on the G String''; and the
theme of his ''
Goldberg Variations'', BWV 988, the Air present also in Partitas
BWV 825â
830 harpsichord
A harpsichord ( it, clavicembalo; french: clavecin; german: Cembalo; es, clavecÃn; pt, cravo; nl, klavecimbel; pl, klawesyn) is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. This activates a row of levers that turn a trigger mechanism ...
. The fifth movement of
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque music, Baroque composer well known for his opera#Baroque era, operas, oratorios, anthems, concerto grosso, concerti grossi, ...
's ''Suite in F Major'',
HWV 348, part of Handel's ''
Water Music'' collection, is another frequently performed air.
See also
*
Aria
In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...
*
Orchestral Suites (Bach)
* ''
Air on the G String''
Notes
{{reflist
16th-century music genres
17th-century music genres
18th-century music genres
Song forms