Modern Music During The Baroque Era

The Baroque and Classical periods are where we see the emergence of renowned composers like Handel, Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart and Beethoven. The music from these famous composers are some of the world’s most recognizable and beautiful classics of all time. Music of these eras are still being used in many of today’s movies and commercials. Musical characteristics developed from these eras are still used and heard presently in popular music.

The forces grew in size and became more widely used across many genres of music. Composers such as Bach built large works that included many instruments to go along with vocalists. The Opera, setting a play completely to music, emerged and used many instruments as accompaniment. A basso continuo was the early rhythm section in the Baroque period which included a keyboard instrument such as harpsichord, organ or clavichord and a bass instrument such as cello, violone, or bassoon. Figured bass notation was written with interval numbers above a bass line to tell the keyboardist what intervals to use to build the chords. Bach's Flute Sonata in C Major, BWV 1033 is an example of this technique with one melodic line on the top staff with a single bass line with numbers underneath in the second bass clef staff. Instrument making techniques also improved with technology during this period which allowed instrument makers to streamline their processes and create instruments faster and for less money. This made instrument buying even more affordable and proliferated the spread instruments around Europe (Westrup &

Bach’s compositions are very versatile. They can be played as warm ups or on a major symphony orchestra’s concert program (Patterson). Bach’s contributions to the musical world are

Baroque music was first constructed between 1600s through 1750. Baroque music originates in Rome, and Italy, thought out time the music migrated across Europe. The word Baroque is Italian for bizarre, which corresponds with the music because it is very lively and energetic. I choose the baroque period because the music is very interesting and one of a kind, that is not played anymore in our time. There are many different parts that make up the Baroque Opera, from composers to the actual Opera itself.

A body of instruments accompanying the concertino in an orchestra in a baroque concerto grosso

Visual arts of the Baroque Era contain a variety, asymmetry, subjects beyond the borders, dynamic, chaotic,

Despite his genius, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was not primarily regarded for innovating compositional styles, but rather, his greatest achievements were taking styles to an unattainable level. One case in particular is his mastery of a style developed by a composer he held with the highest regards – Johann Christian Bach. J.C. Bach’s own innovations laid the groundwork for the prodigious Mozart to develop a uniquely distinctive style of composing. Through a glance at the concerto genre of the 18th century, an explanation of J.C. Bach’s own development as a composer, and a comparison of Mozart’s set of three early concertos, K.107 to the corresponding Opus 5 Clavier Sonatas by Johann Christian Bach, a comprehension of how J.C. Bach provided Mozart

The Baroque period brought many dark historic moments throughout its decades. The counter-reformation, the Protestantism, and the people lives being controlled by the King, the Pope, and the pastors. Due to these circumstances, the artists were obliged to create arts that had religious symbolic meanings. (CBSNews / AP)The one artist that would not accept these rules was named Caravaggio. Caravaggio would later become one of the well-respected and an inspirational figure to many artists.

According to the Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, “the baroque period was thus one of stylistic duality.” It was an era that displayed emotional extremes through art and architecture. One of the ways art was expressed was through music. During the early baroque era, music became more appealing to the people of Italy. It was a way of how people can voice their emotions and feelings in different forms through other senses besides their eyes. Unlike the other kinds of arts such as paintings and sculptures that have a visual, emotional effect, the baroque music affected the people through their sense of hearing. Music became more popular with the middle class, and amateur musicians started to appear. Because of the conflict between the Catholics

The pieces Sonata in A Major, H. 186, Wq. 55/4, keyboard sonata, excerpt: Second movement (1765) by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and Sonata in D Major, K. 119, keyboard sonata (ca. 1740s) by Domenico Scarlatti are both very unique pieces. Both Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach and Domenico Scarlatti were keyboard composers during their time in the 1700’s. Both of their pieces have more similarities then they do differences. One similarity that stands out the most in these two pieces is that they are both keyboard played sonatas. Both pieces are in major key and have a very unique melody. Even thought Domenico Scarlatti’s piece is a little more disjointed or harsh sounding, it still has a soothing melody in the majority of its course. Both Carl Philipp

Baroque has a generalized history of art that expands to the styles/types of art, religious grandeur, greater realism, easel art, famous paintings and painters, famous sculptures and sculptors, famous architects and building designs. The style of Baroque is distinguished by overemphasized proposition and clear detail that is used to produce drama, expression, and greatness in a sculpture, a painting, an architecture, a literature, a dance, and music. Baroque’s value of his architecture style was represented by the Queluz National Palace in Portugal by placing bold spaces, domes, and large masses. Baroque’s music style has a substantial part of the classical canon. Important songwriters that were included are; Johann Sebastian Bach, George Handel,

In regards to the decoration of Baroque music, amateurs often think that Baroque music is extremely ornamented. This practice is a more recently acceptable practice: scholar Ronald

The period following the Renaissance Period, the Baroque era, lasted from 1600-1750. Throughout this historical age, “the foundations were laid for the following 300 or so years of musical expression: the idea of the modern orchestra was born, along with the opera (including the overture, prelude, aria, recitative, and chorus), the concerto, sonata, and modern cantata,” (History of Classical Music). These advances caused choral music to appear lackluster compared to the newly brilliant instrumental works composers were creating. Individuals such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Handel, Telemann, Rameau, Francois Couperin, Domenico Scarlatti, and Vivaldi were at their peak at this time, creating various sophisticated works to be spread amongst society (History of Classical Music).

Harpsichord (Italian cembalo; French clavecin), stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are plucked to produce sound. It was developed in Europe in the 14th or 15th century and was widely used from the 16th to the early 19th century, when it was superseded by the piano. In the 20th century the harpsichord was revived for performance of music of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, as well as for new compositions. The incisive sound quality of the plucked metal strings adds clarity to melodic lines. The harpsichord is particularly effective in performing contrapuntal music—that is, music that consists of two or more melodies played at the same time, such as that of the German

Baroque was an interesting period of time. It was originally originated from Rome, as a way to glorify the Counter-Reformation Catholic Church, and then spread beyond Italy to Spain, France, Germany, Austria, the Low Countries, and England. In Baroque musicians started to practice multiple instruments being used at the same time. As opposed to Renaissance era, Baroque art mainly worked for pope, and important ruler throughout Europe.