Ba

roque music (UK: /bəˈrɒk/ or US: /bə instrumentalists such

ˈroʊk/) refers to the period or dominant as harpsichordists and lute players
style of Western classical improvising chords from a figured
music composed from about 1600 to bass part) while a group of bass
1750.[1] The Baroque style followed instruments—viol, cello, double bass—
the Renaissance period, and was played the bassline. A characteristic
followed in turn by the Classical Baroque form was the dance suite.
period after a short transition While the pieces in a dance suite were
(the galant style). The Baroque period is inspired by actual dance music, dance
divided into three major phases: early, suites were designed purely for
middle, and late. Overlapping in time, listening, not for accompanying dancers.
they are conventionally dated from 1580
During the period composers
to 1650, from 1630 to 1700, and from
experimented with finding a fuller sound
1680 to 1750. Baroque music forms a
for each instrumental part (thus creating
major portion of the "classical
the orchestra),[2] made changes in
music" canon, and is widely studied,
musical notation (the development of
performed, and listened to. The term
figured bass as a quick way to notate
"baroque" comes from the Portuguese
the chord progression of a song or
word barroco, meaning "misshapen
piece), and developed new instrumental
pearl".[2] The works of George Frideric
playing techniques. Baroque music
Handel, Antonio Vivaldi and Johann
expanded the size, range, and
Sebastian Bach are considered the
complexity of instrumental performance,
pinnacle of the Baroque period. Other
and also established the mixed
key composers of the Baroque era
vocal/instrumental forms
include Claudio Monteverdi, Domenico
of opera, cantata and oratorio and the
Scarlatti, Alessandro
instrumental forms of the
Scarlatti, Alessandro Stradella, Tomaso
solo concerto and sonata as musical
Albinoni, Johann Pachelbel, Henry
genres. Dense,
Purcell, Georg Philipp Telemann, Jean-
complex polyphonic music, in which
Baptiste Lully, Jean-Philippe
multiple independent melody lines were
Rameau, Marc-Antoine
performed simultaneously (a popular
Charpentier, Arcangelo Corelli, François
example of this is the fugue), was an
Couperin, Johann Hermann
important part of many Baroque choral
Schein, Heinrich Schütz, Samuel
and instrumental works. Overall,
Scheidt, Dieterich Buxtehude, and
Baroque music was a tool for expression
others.
and communication.[1]
The Baroque saw the creation
of common-practice tonality, an
approach to writing music in which a
Etymology and
song or piece is written in a definition[edit]
particular key; this type of harmony has
continued to be used extensively in
Western classical and popular music.
During the Baroque era, professional
musicians were expected to be
accomplished improvisers of both solo
melodic lines and accompaniment parts.
Baroque concerts were typically
accompanied by a basso continuo group
(comprising chord-playing
 philosopher, wrote in 1768 in
the Encyclopédie: "Baroque music is
that in which the harmony is confused,
and loaded with modulations and
dissonances. The singing is harsh and
unnatural, the intonation difficult, and
the movement limited. It appears that
term comes from the word 'baroco' used
by logicians."[5] Rousseau was referring
to the philosophical term baroco, in use
since the 13th century to describe a
type of elaborate and, for some,
unnecessarily complicated academic
argument.[6][7]
The systematic application by historians
Johann of the term "baroque" to music of this
period is a relatively recent
Sebastian Bach, 1748
development. In 1919, Curt
The etymology of baroque is likely via Sachs became the first to apply the five
the French baroque (which originally characteristics of Heinrich Wölfflin's
meant a pearl of irregular shape), and theory of the Baroque systematically to
from the Portuguese barroco ("irregular music.[8] Critics were quick to question
pearl"); also related are the attempt to transpose Wölfflin's
the Spanish barrueco and categories to music, however, and in the
the Italian barocco. The term is of second quarter of the 20th century
uncertain ultimate origin, but possibly independent attempts were made
from Latin verrūca ("wart") or possibly by Manfred Bukofzer (in Germany and,
from Baroco, a technical term from after his immigration, in America) and
scholastic logic.[3] by Suzanne Clercx-Lejeune (in Belgium)
to use autonomous, technical analysis
The term "baroque" is generally used by
rather than comparative abstractions, in
music historians to describe a broad
order to avoid the adaptation of theories
range of styles from a wide geographic
based on the plastic arts and literature
region, mostly in Europe, composed
to music. All of these efforts resulted in
over a period of about 150 years.
appreciable disagreement about time
[1]
Though it was long thought that the
boundaries of the period, especially
word as a critical term was first applied
concerning when it began. In English the
to architecture, in fact it appears earlier
term acquired currency only in the
in reference to music, in an anonymous,
1940s, in the writings of Bukofzer
satirical review of the première in
and Paul Henry Lang.[1]
October 1733 of Rameau's Hippolyte et
Aricie, printed in the Mercure de As late as 1960, there was still
France in May 1734. The critic implied considerable dispute in academic
that the novelty in this opera was "du circles, particularly in France and Britain,
barocque", complaining that the music whether it was meaningful to lump
lacked coherent melody, was filled with together music as diverse as that
unremitting dissonances, constantly of Jacopo Peri, Domenico Scarlatti,
changed key and meter, and speedily and Johann Sebastian Bach under a
ran through every compositional device. single rubric. Nevertheless, the term has
[4]
become widely used and accepted for
Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who was a this broad range of music.[1] It may be
musician and composer as well as helpful to distinguish the Baroque from
both the preceding (Renaissance) and el
following (Classical) periods of musical i  J. S.
history. Bach

History[edit]
Throughout the Baroque era, new
developments in music originated in
Italy, after which it took up to 20 years
before they were broadly adopted in
rest of the Western classical
music practice. For instance, Italian
composers switched to the galant
style around 1730, while German
composers such as Johann Sebastian
Bach largely continued to write in the
baroque style up to 1750.[9][10] Early baroque music
(1580–1650)[edit]
Further information: Transition from
Phases of Baroque music[9][10] Renaissance to Baroque in instrumental
music

Subp Ti
In Italy Elsewhere
eriod me

 M. Pr
 Gab aetor
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Early
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16 rdi  O. Gi
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aldi  Schü
tz
 Lully
 Biber Claudio
 Cari  Buxt
Middl 16
ssi ehud
Monteverdi in 1640
e 30–
mi e The Florentine Camerata was a group of
baroq 17
 Legr  Purc humanists, musicians, poets and
ue 00
enzi ell intellectuals in late Renaissance
 Pach Florence who gathered under the
elbel patronage of Count Giovanni de' Bardi to
Late 16  Cor  Tele discuss and guide trends in the arts,
baroq 80– elli man especially music and drama. In
ue 17  Viva n reference to music, they based their
50 ldi  Ram ideals on a perception of Classical
 Perg eau (especially ancient Greek) musical
oles  Hand drama that valued discourse and
oration.[11] Accordingly, they rejected
their contemporaries' use fundamental ideas that became known
of polyphony (multiple, independent as tonality.[citation needed]
melodic lines) and instrumental music,
and discussed such ancient Greek music
devices as monody, which consisted of a By incorporating these new aspects of
solo singing accompanied by composition, Claudio
a kithara (an ancient strummed string Monteverdi furthered the transition from
instrument).[12] The early realizations of the Renaissance style of music to that of
these ideas, including Jacopo the Baroque period. He developed two
Peri's Dafne and L'Euridice, marked the individual styles of composition—the
beginning of opera,[13] which was a heritage of Renaissance polyphony
catalyst for Baroque music.[14] (prima pratica) and the new basso
continuo technique of the Baroque
Concerning music theory, the more
(seconda pratica). With basso continuo,
widespread use of figured bass (also
a small group of musicians would play
known as thorough bass) represents the
the bassline and the chords which
developing importance of harmony as
formed the accompaniment for
the linear underpinnings of polyphony.
a melody. The basso continuo group
[15]
Harmony is the end result
would typically use one or more
of counterpoint, and figured bass is a
keyboard players and a lute player who
visual representation of those harmonies
would play the bassline and improvise
commonly employed in musical
the chords and several bass instruments
performance. With figured bass,
(e.g., bass viola, cello, double bass)
numbers, accidentals or symbols were
which would play the bassline. With the
placed above the bassline that was read
writing of the
by keyboard instrument players such
operas L'Orfeo and L'incoronazione di
as harpsichord players or pipe
Poppea among others, Monteverdi
organists (or lutenists). The numbers,
brought considerable attention to this
accidentals or symbols indicated to the
new genre.[21] This Venetian style was
keyboard player what intervals are to be
taken handily to Germany by Heinrich
played above each bass note. The
Schütz, whose diverse style also evolved
keyboard player
into the subsequent period.
would improvise a chord voicing for
each bass note.[16] Composers began Idiomatic instrumental textures became
concerning themselves with harmonic increasingly prominent. In particular,
progressions,[17] and also employed the style luthé—the irregular and
the tritone, perceived as an unstable unpredictable breaking up of chordal
interval,[18] to create dissonance (it was progressions, in contrast to the regular
used in the dominant seventh chord and patterning of broken chords—referred to
the diminished chord). An interest in since the early 20th century as style
harmony had also existed among certain brisé, was established as a consistent
composers in the Renaissance, texture in French music by Robert
notably Carlo Gesualdo;[19] However, the Ballard,[22][23] in his lute books of 1611 and
use of harmony directed towards 1614, and by Ennemond Gaultier.[24] This
tonality (a focus on a musical key that idiomatic lute figuration was later
becomes the "home note" of a piece), transferred to the harpsichord, for
rather than modality, marks the shift example in the keyboard music of Louis
from the Renaissance into the Baroque Couperin and Jean-Henri D'Anglebert,
period.[20] This led to the idea that certain and continued to be an important
sequences of chords, rather than just influence on keyboard music throughout
notes, could provide a sense of closure the 18th and early 19th centuries (in, for
at the end of a piece—one of the example, the music of Johann Sebastian
Bach and Frédéric Chopin).[23]
Middle baroque music Musically, he did not establish the
string-dominated norm for orchestras,
(1630–1700)[edit] which was inherited from the Italian
The rise of the centralized court is one opera, and the characteristically French
of the economic and political features of five-part disposition (violins, violas—in
what is often labelled the Age of hautes-contre, tailles and quintes sizes—
Absolutism, personified by Louis XIV of and bass violins) had been used in the
France. The style of palace, and the ballet from the time of Louis XIII. He did,
court system of manners and arts he however, introduce this ensemble to the
fostered became the model for the rest lyric theatre, with the upper parts often
of Europe. The realities of rising church doubled by recorders, flutes, and oboes,
and state patronage created the and the bass by bassoons. Trumpets
demand for organized public music, as and kettledrums were frequently added
the increasing availability of instruments for heroic scenes.[26]
created the demand for chamber music, The middle Baroque period in Italy is
which is music for a small ensemble of defined by the emergence of the vocal
instrumentalists.[25] styles of cantata, oratorio,
and opera during the 1630s, and a new
concept of melody and harmony that
elevated the status of the music to one
of equality with the words, which
formerly had been regarded as pre-
eminent. The florid, coloratura monody
of the early Baroque gave way to a
simpler, more polished melodic style.
These melodies were built from short,
cadentially delimited ideas often based
on stylized dance patterns drawn from
the sarabande or the courante. The
harmonies, too, might be simpler than in
the early Baroque monody, to show
expression in a lighter manner on the
string and crescendos and diminuendos
on longer notes. The accompanying bass
lines were more integrated with the
melody, producing a contrapuntal
equivalence of the parts that later led to
Jean- the device of an initial bass anticipation
Baptiste Lully by Paul Mignard of the aria melody. This harmonic
simplification also led to a new formal
One pre-eminent example of a court device of the differentiation
style composer is Jean-Baptiste Lully. He of recitative (a more spoken part of
purchased patents from the monarchy opera) and aria (a part of opera that
to be the sole composer of operas for used sung melodies). The most
the French king and to prevent others important innovators of this style were
from having operas staged. He the Romans Luigi Rossi and Giacomo
completed 15 lyric tragedies and left Carissimi, who were primarily
unfinished Achille et Polyxène.[26] Lully composers of cantatas and oratorios,
was an early example of a conductor; he respectively, and the
would beat the time with a large staff to Venetian Francesco Cavalli, who was
keep his ensembles together. principally an opera composer. Later
important practitioners of this style
include Antonio Cesti, Giovanni Legrenzi, students is Antonio Vivaldi, who later
and Alessandro Stradella, who composed hundreds of works based on
additionally originated the concerto the principles in Corelli's trio
grosso style in his Sonate di viole.[27] sonatas and concerti.[28]
In contrast to these
composers, Dieterich Buxtehude was
Arcangelo Corelli is remembered as
not a creature of court but instead was
influential for his achievements on the
church musician, holding the posts of
other side of musical technique—as a
organist and Werkmeister at the
violinist who organized violin technique
Marienkirche at Lübeck. His duties as
and pedagogy—and in purely
Werkmeister involved acting as the
instrumental music, particularly his
secretary, treasurer, and business
advocacy and development of
manager of the church, while his
the concerto grosso.[28] Whereas Lully
position as organist included playing for
was ensconced at court, Corelli was one
all the main services, sometimes in
of the first composers to publish widely
collaboration with other instrumentalists
and have his music performed all over
or vocalists, who were also paid by the
Europe. As with Lully's stylization and
church. Entirely outside of his official
organization of the opera, the concerto
church duties, he organised and
grosso is built on strong contrasts—
directed a concert series known as
sections alternate between those played
the Abendmusiken, which included
by the full orchestra, and those played
performances of sacred dramatic works
by a smaller group. Fast sections and
regarded by his contemporaries as the
slow sections were juxtaposed against
equivalent of operas.[29]
each other. Numbered among his
Of course! Let's dive deeper into each influential composers of the Baroque
section for a more comprehensive era. He is known for his intricate
understanding of the music of the contrapuntal compositions, including
Baroque period: fugues, and his exploration of various
musical forms. His "Brandenburg
Characteristics of Baroque Music:
Concertos," "St. Matthew Passion," and
Ornamentation: Baroque composers "Mass in B Minor" are among his
frequently embellished their renowned works.
compositions with various ornaments.
George Frideric Handel: Handel is
This ornamentation was an essential
celebrated for his operas, oratorios,
element of the music and included
and instrumental compositions. His
trills, turns, mordents, and grace
oratorio "Messiah" is a masterpiece
notes. Musicians were often expected
that continues to be performed and
to improvise ornaments, adding their
loved worldwide.
personal touch to the performance.
Antonio Vivaldi: Vivaldi is famous for
Contrast: Baroque music is
his virtuosic violin concertos,
characterized by stark contrasts in
particularly "The Four Seasons." He
dynamics (loud vs. soft), tempo (fast
also composed numerous operas and
vs. slow), and mood (joyful vs.
sacred music.
melancholic). This contrast was used
to evoke intense emotions and drama Henry Purcell: An English composer,
in the music. Purcell contributed to the development
of English opera. His opera "Dido and
Basso Continuo: The basso continuo,
Aeneas" is a notable example of his
also known as thoroughbass, was a
work.
fundamental component of Baroque
music. It consisted of a bass line (the Jean-Baptiste Lully: Lully was a
"continuo" part) and a keyboard prominent French composer known for
instrument (typically harpsichord or his contributions to French opera,
organ). The basso continuo provided particularly in the court of Louis XIV.
the harmonic framework for the music
Forms and Genres:
and allowed for improvisation.
Opera: Opera was a groundbreaking
Opera: The Baroque period saw the
musical form in the Baroque period. It
birth of opera, a dramatic art form
combined singing, acting, and
combining music, singing, acting, and
instrumental music to convey
staging. Claudio Monteverdi's opera
dramatic narratives. Opera seria
"Orfeo" is often considered one of the
(serious opera) and opera buffa (comic
earliest significant operatic works.
opera) were two common subgenres.
Opera was a platform for showcasing
the human voice and expressing deep Cantata: The cantata is a vocal
emotions. composition that typically features
soloists, choir, and instruments. It was
Key Composers:
often used for religious or secular texts
Johann Sebastian Bach: Bach is and was popular in both sacred and
considered one of the most prolific and secular settings.
Concerto: The concerto is a "Messiah" by Handel is an oratorio that
composition that highlights the remains one of the most celebrated
contrast between a solo instrument or and frequently performed works in the
group of instruments and the Baroque canon.
orchestra. The Baroque concerto often
Vivaldi's "The Four Seasons" is a set of
followed a three-movement structure
violin concertos that vividly depict the
(fast-slow-fast) and showcased
changing seasons through music.
virtuosic playing.
Handel's "Water Music" and "Music for
Fugue: A fugue is a highly structured
the Royal Fireworks" are examples of
and contrapuntal musical form. It
his instrumental compositions.
typically begins with a single theme
(subject) that is imitated and Bach's "Brandenburg Concertos" are a
developed by voices (usually four) in a collection of six concertos that display
complex, intertwining manner. his mastery of form and counterpoint.
Sonata: A sonata is an instrumental Purcell's "Dido and Aeneas" is a
composition that can vary in structure significant English opera of the
and instrumentation. Baroque sonatas Baroque period.
often used binary or ternary forms and
were composed for a variety of Legacy:
instruments, including the Baroque music laid the groundwork for
harpsichord, violin, and flute. subsequent musical styles. The
Innovations: emphasis on structure, ornamentation,
and dramatic expression influenced
Equal Temperament: The development the Classical and Romantic periods.
and acceptance of equal temperament
allowed for a more flexible use of Many of the musical forms and genres
different keys in compositions. This developed during the Baroque era,
contributed to the exploration of new such as opera, cantata, concerto, and
harmonic possibilities. sonata, continued to evolve and shape
the course of Western classical music.
Orchestration: The Baroque era
witnessed the standardization of the The innovative spirit of Baroque
modern orchestra. Orchestras were composers, including Bach, Handel,
organized into sections, including and Vivaldi, left a lasting impact on
strings, woodwinds, brass, and the development of Western classical
percussion, with specific instruments music, making the Baroque period a
assigned to each section. crucial and enduring part of musical
history.
Recitative and Aria: In opera, the use
of recitative (speech-like singing) for
conveying dialogue and action, along
with arias (lyrical, structured solos),
became a hallmark of Baroque
operatic storytelling.
Notable Works: