The Baroque Era

1585-1750
Copyright2005FrankelConsultingServices,Inc.

What was going on in the

world?

1607 - English settle Jamestown

1610 - Galileo confirms the Earth is
round
1643-1715 - Louis XIV rules France
1687 - Sir Isaac Newton publishes his
Laws of Universal Gravitation
1732- George Washington born
1744-1748 - French & Indian War

What does the word Baroque

mean?
Baroque is a French word from
Portugese origins that means an
irregularly shaped pearl.

Originally the term Baroque was

used for the art works created

during this
period in that
there

Characteristics of Baroque Music

Known as Europes Gilded Age
Musicians were employees of
the wealthy
Returned to the Greek and
Roman ideals

Characteristics, cont.

Characteristics of Baroque
Music

Use of a Basso Continuo - harpsichord and

cello providing the base of the composition.
Emphasized contrasts in texture, pace and
volume.
Strong use of improvisation in both
melodies, and the embellishments of those
melodies.
Most importantly - if you hear a
harpsichord, its almost always
Baroque.

Baroque
Composers

Johann
Sebastian Bach
1685-1750
From Germany
Composed
cantatas

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH

Famous for his fugues : Toccata

and Fugue in D Minor
Wrote S.D.G. at the end of all his
pieces (to the Glory of God)
His entire family was musical

Domenico Scarlatti 1685-1757

Francois Couperin
1668-1733

Henry Purcell
1659-1695

Georg Philipp
Telemann
1681-1767

Archangelo Corelli
1653-1713

George Frederic Handel

1685-1759
From England
Composed oratorios

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL

Famous for oratorios

Composed Messiah Hallelujah
Chorus is in this piece
Handel was a world traveler and man
of the world

Antonio Vivaldi
1678-1741
From Italy
Composed concertos

Antonio VIVALDI

Virtuoso violinist

Ordained priest

Taught violin at a girls

orphanage in Venice

Wrote over 800 concertos (500

for solo violin & orchestra)

Majority of his works were

unknown until the 1920s

The Four Seasons (c. 1725)

Wrote over 800 concertos

(500 for solo violin & orch)

Also wrote 100 operas

Majority of his works were

unknown until the 1920s
(stored in a church archive)

Baroque
Instruments

Flute

Oboe

Recorder

Bassoon

Trumpet

Horn

Viol
a

Cello

Harpsichords & Claviers

Pipe
Organ

Baroque music differs

greatly from Medieval and
Renaissance music.

Uses of Baroque Music

Church Music
Other Religious Songs
Secular Songs (love, politics)
Instrumental Dances
Courtly Entertainment

Baroque Music Characteristics

Tried to paint pictures music portrayed emotion.

The stabilization of music as we know it today.
Instrumental music is popular. It gained equal
importance with vocal music.
There was a transition from the church modes as
represented in Gregorian chants to a major-minor
system, as represented in the major and minor
scales we have today.

Composers used mixed groups of

instruments to perform works of great
complexity.
Music was no longer only functional, it
was made to be enjoyed as its own entity.
Composers began to search for inspiration
for their compositions in not only the
church, but in nature.
Baroque music is very similar to jazz in
its use of improvisation and figured bass.

Polyphony (many sounds) returned to a

high status.
Composers employed key characteristics in
their music, including: 1)Unity of mood;
2)Continuity of rhythm; 3)The repeated use
of a melody; 4)The use of terraced
dynamics; 5)The use of polyphonic texture

Even More about Baroque Music

The 1st opera of note was written in 1600 in

Florence, Italy.
Operas often used text from Greek and
Roman mythology
Orchestra, chorus, soloists, staging,
costumes, dancing

Baroque Music Vocabulary

Sonata

Instrumental music with several

movements.

Oratorio

Opera-length works with a clear storyline

but without the production elements.

Counterpoint

Two different notes play simultaneously.

This system began during the Renaissance.

Fugue

This is a polyphonic composition

consisting of a series of successive melody
imitations or the restatement in succession
of identical or nearly identical musical
material in 2 or more parts. A theme is
introduced by one voice, repeated by other
voices, and developed throughout the
piece.

Cantata

Designed specifically to be used in the

Lutheran church service. It is a work for
vocal soloists, chorus, orchestra, and organ.
Various churches today use cantatas to
celebrate such holidays as Easter and
Christmas.

Tomorrow,
Bach