Regola Dell'Ottava setting

This is a cantata-esque setting based off the E minor scale that I rendered with Vocaloid. Hope you enjoy 🙂

So since I've studied Baroque music only tangentially during my schooling I thought to put "regola dell'ottava" into the translator.  I presume that the "octave rule" that you are here referring to is the sopranos cantus firmus melody which rises and descends through the E melodic minor scale?  Even given such a very basic feature/requirement, you manage to make the music quite interesting and full of little repeated motifs which good Baroque music is so well known for.  The secondary dominants near the end with picardy 3rd were especially well done.  I sang along with the bass voice in this rendition and can proudly say that I can sing all the way down to the low D below the staff in bass clef which I attribute to my being sick with Covid for the past two weeks.  I have mostly recovered now except for an incessant cough and partially sore throat which gives me that extra low range.  Usually I can only reach the low G on the last line of the bass clef which puts me squarely in the Baritone range.  Thanks for sharing this wonderful chorale!

P.S.:  How come you use such inconsistent beaming of 16th and 8th notes?

Thank you for your kind regards, and I'm happy you're now well! Yeah, so the rule of the octave is a pedagogical tool to teach how to harmonize any major or minor scale. It is a mandatory prerequisite before learning the art of partimento. I highly recommend anyone interested in composing learn this! Also, regarding your beaming question, I have inconsistent beaming for two main reasons: it looks aesthetically pleasing and mimics the placement of words even though there are none 🙂

It sounds like this came straight out of a Bach motet! I especially like how you paid close attention to ever-so-slightly modify the continuo line for the bass to create interest, as Bach would have done. The individual lines too, have a sense of direction, well-defined peaks/troughs, and sings well. You've transformed what could otherwise be a simple chorale harmonisation into convincing polyphony. Well done!

Have you composed anything substantial before? I'd love to hear it. Perhaps something without all those pesky soprano and tenor clefs 😛

Wow, I apologize for the super late response! I've composed a quite a few vocal works, but the majority of them are unfinished. I'm currently working correcting/improving Handel's Messiah: For unto us A Child is Born. I'm happy with it so far, but there's a lot of work to be done! I posted it on this forum if you wanna check it out.