Download Baroque era - John Mindeman

The Baroque Era (1600-1750)
To generalize, Renaissance composers tried to express celestial harmony, Baroque composers
tried to depict human emotion. Compositionally, Renaissance music is a congruence of equal
parts. Baroque music is built hierarchically above a bass line (continuo).
In Baroque music:
*The highest (melody) voice and the bass (lowest) voice are prominent.
*The rhythm is usually steady and propels the music forward.
*Instrumental music is now more important than vocal music.
*Basso continuo (“continuous bass”) It is the “motor” of the music. The continuo part is
shared by a bass instrument(s) and a harmony instrument like harpsichord or lute.
*Baroque music can have a wide variety of tempos and a wide range of dynamics.
*Melodies are often ornamented freely.
*Increased use of dissonance
*Establishment of disciplined rules of counterpoint and harmony led to the modern
system of “Tonal” harmony.
New musical forms
Opera - A staged musical work for orchestra, solo voices, and chorus which tells a story
Overture (short opening piece for the orchestra)
Recitative (music written with free rhythm to imitate speech)
Da Capo Aria (A-B-A form)
Chorus
Important composers: Claudio Monteverdi, Jean Baptiste Lully,
George Frederic Handel
Sonata - A “sound” piece - a piece for instruments usually in several movements
Solo (featuring one solo instrument with continuo accompaniment)
Trio Sonata (featuring two solo instruments with continuo)
Important composers: Henry Purcell, Archangelo Corelli, Antonio Vivaldi,
Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach
Concerto - A musical work featuring a solo instrument or group of instruments in a
contrasting role to the orchestra
Solo Concerto (featuring a single solo instrument)
Concerto Grosso (featuring a group of soloists)
Important composers: Corelli, Vivaldi, Handel, Bach
Suite - A group of short pieces based on dance forms
Instrumental/Orchestral or Keyboard
Important composers: Marin Marais, Francois Couperin, Matthew Locke,
Johann Schein, Bach
Cantata - A small-scale piece for voices and instruments (often with a religious theme)
Important composers: Dietrich Buxtehude, Alessandro Scarlatti, Bach
Oratorio - A large scale musical work for voices and orchestra telling a story (usually
with a religious theme) but not staged like an opera
Uses operatic features - (overture, aria, recitative, chorus)
Important composers: Handel, Bach