Baroque Music And The Baroque Era

The Baroque era began in the year 1600, at the end of the Renaissance period (Kamien 99). The word Baroque has had several different meanings. Back in its time, the word Baroque has meant: Bizarre, Flamboyant, and Elaborately ornamented. Historians, however, used this word to indicate the particular style in all different forms of art that fills space; which includes canvas, stone, or sound (Kamien 99). The Baroque Period is also known as “the age of absolutism” because so many different rulers of the time used and abused their royal power to control their subjects. For example, in Germany, the duke of Weimar imprisoned the famous Johann Sebastian Bach into prison for a month just because Bach asked to leave his job as the Duke’s musician (Kamien 99). This era in time was also home to scientific discoveries by Newton and Galileo. The Baroque era has shaped the world, as they knew it, to what the people of the twenty-first century all know and love.

The Classical time period, which spanned a length of seventy years, from 1750 to 1820, was very different in nature from its predecessor, the Baroque time period. The Baroque era featured works that were ornamentally elaborate, where the artists and composers centered their works on a big, bold style that was dramatic in its composition. Artists and composers transferred strong feelings of tension and emotion into their works and it was common for there to be some type of action or movement happening within the work. Those who lived in the Classical time period, valued simplicity and wanted to return to the ideals of the Greeks. Therefore, the Classical time period is characterized by clear structural clarity, simplicity, smoothness, and symmetry. However, though the works took a step back from the grand movement of the Baroque era, the composers and artists of the Classical time period did lay out a tuneful and elegant style in their music and art. Out of the Classical era came many renowned artists and composers, two of those whom are artist Sir Thomas Lawrence and composer Ludwig van Beethoven (“NYU”).

Claudio Monteverdi, who is considered an originator of opera who composed the earliest example of the genre called Orfeo. Based on ancient Greek mythology, which was the initial intention of opera, Orfeo is a drama about the mythical Greek god Orpheus. To rescue his bride Euridice, he goes down to Hades. In the prologue of Orfeo which is “Del mio Permesso amato”, the Greek muse La Música sets the stage for the drama. At first hearing La Música sing, her melodic voice captures my ears and attention, like letting me know to “listen up”. As was Monteverdi’s intention, I can hear how the harmony is the same while the melody changes throughout. The melismatic singing that accentuates certain words emphasize the importance of setting the mood of the opera (Wright, 6-3c).

S. Bach, G. F. Handel, and Domenico Scarlatti. Antonio Vivaldi, Claudio Monteverdi, Couperin, Jean-Phillippe Rameau and Jean-Baptiste Lully are other popular names in the Baroque era. Each composer specialises in different instrument compositions and techniques. Out of all the names mentioned, J. S. Bach remains to this day, one the greatest composers of both the Baroque era and all-time. Each of these composers specialise in different areas or compositions and instruments. Working extensively with keyboard instruments such as the organ and harpsichord, a few of J. S. Bach’s well-known compositions include his Brandenburg Concertos, Goldberg Variations, and St. Matthew’s Passion. G. F. Handel himself composed Italian operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos. His most popular work of all-time is the “Hallelujah” chorus from the oratorio Messiah, which went on to become the most popular Baroque work and considered as a choice of piece often performed in Christmas time. Domenico Scarlatti on the other hand composed in a number of musical forms, but is best known for composing 555 keyboard sonatas.

Baroque and High Renaissance are two very important periods in art history, during that time a lot of different forms of art were created which include architecture, painting, and music. Baroque is just another word for having flashy symmetrical decoration. It’s a style that started around the 1600s in Italy and with its popularity it quickly spread around Europe. High Renaissance artist displaces the importance of draftsmanship, structured, and often-centralized compositions. Many artists quickly rise to stardom during these eras. This paper compares and contrasts these two art periods with the works created by great artists such as Marcantonio Franceschini who lived during the Baroque period and Mariotto Albertinelli who lived during the High Renaissance period.

In the Bach Cantata piece to of the pieces that go together and also create a great emotional response is the third Erwage doch and the fourth Komm in mein Herzenshaus in the recording with trumpets and timpani added. The two pieces demonstrate clear examples of grace and mercy. The piece Erwage doch (Recitativo) was sung by a bass singer who sung deep and low and would alternate between singing louder and lower. In the piece the text began with saying “Consider yet, child of God, the so great Christ himself with his blood to you wrote down”. Grace is undeserved love and often the love that Christ gives to the people on earth is not always earned yet Christ and God continue to love. Then the Bass singer ends by saying “Repent your guilt with grief, so Jesus’ heart may now to yours bond strongly”. By repenting and asking for forgiveness Jesus will forgive demonstrating his mercy towards the people on earth.

Oddly-shaped pearl. Not a name most would associate automatically with music. Yet oddly-shaped pearl is exactly where the word baroque comes from. Baroque is derived from the Portuguese word barroco. This meaning is almost a foretelling of the unique music style of this period. Ranging from 1600 to 1750, a new style emerged. This one unlike the Renaissance period prior. The oddly-shaped pearl stormed Europe with musical style, instruments, composers, and life.

The scientific revolution is traditionally considered to be framed between 1543—the year of On the revolutions of the heavenly spheres by Nicolaus

As a result, his whole life was based around music. From an eight year old boy who attends gigs his dad arranges to a man who created his own work. His life was rounded by support from his family and his church people. They created a boy to be humble and passionate about his music. His musical styles consist of chamber, keyboard, choral, symphony, and vocal. In his work “Violin Sonata in A Major”, it is a keyboard and chamber music. His work was inspired by his marriage, which it was first performed at his wedding celebration. A violin and piano are used, which have a low and high beat throughout the song. Due to it being in Romantic musical period, and him getting married, this song is perfect. In the first movement on the song, it has a slow medieval start. As if love could be dangerous and he is on the verge to find out. Dynamically, it is at speaking voice and goes up higher then lower every time. The beat start off simple, with one by one keys. The second movement, the keys progress faster. Suddenly, a pause occurs in the song and again, keys start to go crazy fast and start off

The components of opera style music included a combination of poetry, music, vocal virtuosity, dance, and so much more. During the making of opera style music, librettists build up drama as a whole from short texts changing with one another, for recitatives and arias. The baroque era consisted of cantatas and oratorios. Both are different from each other, one betraying a musical composition of choruses, recitatives, and aris. The other which is “Oratorio” portraying an opera on a religious subject, basically a sacred story in a way. The chorale was incorporated into the cantatas of Bach by both being the same piece. Both of the two related to the same thing, so they felt the need to combine

The eighteenth century was a very creative time in world history. It gave birth to art that expresses feelings. This art was in the form of music paintings and is even seen in Architecture. The name baroque was borrowed from art history and actually came from a jeweler term meaning odd pearl or irregular pearl. Europe rulers sponsored the arts until France “rose to new heights in the seventeenth century” (Joseph Kerman) this is in contrast to merchant princes of the renaissance who were the first supporters.

The Baroque Period (1600-1750) was mainly a period of newly discovered ideas. From major new innovations in science, to vivid changes in geography, people were exploring more of the world around them. The music of the baroque period was just as extreme as the new changes. Newly recognized composers such as Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Monteverdi were writing entirely new musical ideas and giving a chance for new voices to be heard that were normally not thought of sounds. Their musical legacy is still recognized today, and is a treasured discovery of outstanding compositions being reiterated with every performance of them.

In 1600 a new style of music began to evolve, this form of music was

At this time last year, I would have considered all music before the 20th century to be classical. However, after taking a Dual Credit Music Appreciation course, I realized that “old” music cannot simply be grouped into a single category. There are so many differences that I had no idea existed. Throughout the years, music has changed and evolved, meeting the needs of listeners and performers. Different composers have been catalysts in this change as they have developed new styles and genres. Even though the classical period is directly subsequent of the baroque period, baroque and classical music have countless different qualities and characteristics.

First of all, one of the most important characteristics of music in this period was the increased emotional expression. During the Renaissance, emotions of