Complex rhythms in early music.

I have been thinking about it lately. It is well known how composers like Bach or Beethoven have passages with quite complex harmony and modulations, but how about rhythms.

I can recall lots of examples with syncopation and hemiola, but not a lot of passages with tuplets bigger than 3.

Do you know any passage by for example Bach that uses quintuplets? Which examples of rhythmical complexity would you give for baroque and classical music? 

Rhythms were pretty simple in Baroque and early classical era. I think Beethoven was the first very rhythmically daring composer. a quick look at his variations and the like would reveal that. and I believe that was to distinguish himself from Mozart and Haydn. I think Bach used a few larger tuplet groups in some of his violin suites though I am not 100% sure. I wouldn't say the classical era was very rhythmically innovative that's more romantic/early 20th century, although I could be wrong. they had far greater emphasis on harmony and melody.

Polyrhythm was the order of the day in the origin of counterpoint. Many people think counterpoint was a harmonic tool, but it wasn't. The intention was to create a polyrhythm texture with canon prolatiionum etc... Later this was simplified and with the Baroque period counterpoint took also a more defined harmonic dimension.

On the other hand, using tuplets may be as an ornament, not true polyrhythm.

Another beautiful example of complex polyrhythm

16 hours ago, Bradley Scarff said:

Rhythms were pretty simple in Baroque and early classical era. I think Beethoven was the first very rhythmically daring composer. a quick look at his variations and the like would reveal that. and I believe that was to distinguish himself from Mozart and Haydn. I think Bach used a few larger tuplet groups in some of his violin suites though I am not 100% sure. I wouldn't say the classical era was very rhythmically innovative that's more romantic/early 20th century, although I could be wrong. they had far greater emphasis on harmony and melody.

 

I will check the works for violin solo by Bach then. 

16 hours ago, Luis Hernández said:

Another beautiful example of complex polyrhythm

 

 

 

Really interesting, thank you for the information. 🙂

Would not call Beethoven "early" music.

Thought thread was about dark ages or ancient Greek music.

0/10. Disappointment unimaginable. =P

3 hours ago, AngelCityOutlaw said:

Would not call Beethoven "early" music.

Thought thread was about dark ages or ancient Greek music.

0/10. Disappointment unimaginable. =P

 

My examples are from the Middle Ages. That's when polyrhythm flourished. We can talk about it specifically in another thread.