Baroque Era 1600-1750

Baroque Music The Baroque Era begins around 1600 and ends around 1750, with the death of Bach. The Baroque period marked the growth of absolute monarchies. The leading example of the absolute monarch was Louis XIV of France, often called the “Sun King.” The overt emotionalism expressed in much music of the Baroque Era is known as the “Doctrine of Affections.”

Baroque Music The Baroque concept of a principal melody supported by a simple chordal accompaniment was known as monody. Typical of the early Baroque vocal style was the creation of greater affective expression through the use of elaborate melodic embellishments called ornamentation. Three ornamental devices developed in the Baroque Era and still used today are the” Trill Turn Arpeggio

Baroque Music Two different kinds of vocal compositions which emerged during the early Baroque Era, and which became integral parts of the basic structures of opera, were the recitative, which emphasized musical declamation, and the aria, which featured elaborate melodies, often ornamental. A prominent feature of the Baroque style was the use of a melodic fragment repeated on successively higher or lower pitches, a device known as sequence.

Baroque Music The old modality of earlier period of music was rapidly being replaced during the Baroque era by the development of major-minor tonality. The harmonic technique of one chord leading to another during the progress of the music is known as chordal progression. A new system of tuning which emerged during the Baroque era was know as equal temperament.

Baroque Music Baroque music is essentially comprised of two basic elements, a melody line, often highly embellished, and a bass line, which came to be known as basso continuo. Beneath the base line of Baroque music, a kind of “musical shorthand,” known as figured bass, was written to indicate to the accompanist (usually a keyboardist) which chords to play over the bass line. The Baroque style in which the same theme is repeated by different voices, either exactly or with imitations, is known as imitative counterpoint.

Baroque Music The major keyboard instruments of the Baroque era were: Organ Clavichord Harpsichord During the Baroque era the instrumental group known as the violin family made its first appearance. Many musical compositions of the Baroque era were comprised of several larger independent, but interdependent parts, known as movements. The element of contrast, which is basic to Baroque musical style, is known as concertato.

Baroque Vocal Music One of the earliest Baroque composers of monody was the Italian composer Caccini who co-authored on of the earliest operas Euridice. The first major vocal form of the early Baroque era was the opera and the first great masterpiece in this new form was Monteverdi’s Orfeo. A stylistic trait of some early Baroque vocal music was the inclusion of notes not part of the scale, an aspect known as Chromaticism. Opera began in Florence, but the first city to build the first opera house was Venice.

Baroque Vocal Music Another major opera center of the early Baroque era was Naples, and the leading compose of Neapolitan opera was Allesandro Scarlatti The leading French composer of opera was Lully The leading English composer of opera was Purcell A German born composer, who was trained in Italy, but spent most of his creative life in England was Handel. The great German choral composer was one of the most famous composer of the time was J.S. Bach.

Baroque Instrumental Music The single most important legacy of the Baroque era was the development of orchestra and the rise of instrumental music. The two most important sonata forms of the Baroque era were the solo sonata, written for one instrument and basso continuo, and the trio sonata, written for two solo instruments and basso continuo. The leading composer of trio sonatas during the late 17th century was the Italian composer Corelli. The principal orchestra form of the Baroque era was the concerto grosso, which was comprised of two parts, the solo section called the concertino, and the larger orchestra section called the ripieno.

Baroque Instrumental Music The term tutti was used to refer to all of the instruments in the two ensembles combined. The concerto form in which the opening theme recurs throughout the concerto is known as ritornello form. The musical term for “work” or “composition” is opus. More than 450 solo concertos were written by the late Baroque composer Vivaldi.

Baroque Instrumental Music The most mature form of imitative counterpoint is the fugue which features a principal theme, or melody, known as the subject and intervening sections known as episodes. A major work of Bach, which contains a pair of preludes and fugues in every major and minor key, and which became a major work in the establishment of tonality is the Well-Tempered Clavier. The orchestra introductions or interludes written for vocal works such as operas or cantata during the Baroque era were known as sinfonias.

Baroque Instrumental Music The Baroque composition consisting of a number of movements, each like a dance and all in the same, or related, keys is called a suite. The three principal types of string instruments during the Baroque era were: Violin Viola Cello