Music Composers: Different Forms During The Baroque Era

Bach and Handel are often compared against each other as the great composers of the Baroque period. They both were masters of the Baroque music and wrote many pieces that are still part of the normal and required repertoire. However, Paul Henry Lang makes an argument against comparing these two composers together as well as an argument against the idea of Handel being a German national composer. Lang had extensive education in this field, and so he was able to argue these points with facts behind him.

A concerto grosso is small group of solo instruments that accompany a string orchestra. A solo concerto is instead only one instrument. They both generally have three movements

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”).

The art of the Baroque period was very colorful and dramatic, which translated into the music created at the time. The idea of being very expressive and embellishing in detail would lead to the development of opera. Opera is a dramatic play that is acted out through music. In opera, a soloist must be able to act and sing out the mood of the text or libretto. This expressive singing accompanied by a bass line or basso continuo is called monody. This idea of a new texture would feature the distinction between the high voice that carries one melody and the low voice or bass. The accompanying bass line was played by harpsichord with the addition of a bassoon or cello (Wright 6-3a,6-3b).

•The use of the basso continuo, also known as thoroughbass, is a bass line running

Since the Baroque era, the concerto has played a vital role in the music world. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, a concerto is “a composition for one or more soloists and orchestra with three contrasting movements.” There are two main types: the concerto grosso and the classical concerto; both will be discussed later. While the term concerto is relatively easy to understand in context, when put into use the term becomes more complicated to define.

During the Baroque period, instrumental music was written for every conceivable size of ensemble. On the smaller side, the Baroque sonata offers one of the finest examples of chamber music. Two types of sonata are found during this period: the sonata da chiesa (church sonata), and the sonata da camera (chamber sonata). The sonata da chiesa was more somber, while the sonata da camera was, much like the suite, usually comprised of dance forms. The gigue from Corelli's Sonata for 2 violins and lute is a fine example of the sonata da camera

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

Corelli also used this concept in his teachings; especially to such composers like Francesco Geminiani and Pietro Locatelli. Other composers such as Antonio Vivaldi and Bach studied Corelli’s compositions. Towards the end of his life, Corelli toured all over Europe and gained popularity. Corelli died a famous and rich man on January 19, 1713. His compositions eventually gave him the name “Father of Concerto Grosso”. The composition I chose from Corelli’s works is his Christmas Concerto, Concerto Grosso Opus 6, that made Corelli the prime of his time. Corelli’s composition consists of a small group of solo instruments against a larger group of instruments. This creates the terrace dynamics in the composition. The beginning of the composition starts out with the two violins playing on different beats slow. The slow tempo makes the conjunct melody have a smooth and pleasing texture. Then the melody jumps to an allegro tempo that is fast paced and intense. The composition’s tempo has a slow-fast-slow movement throughout the whole piece. The fugal style contains stressed rhythms and vocal delays are a perfect example of his built concept of Concerto

First, in the baroque period vocal and instrumental music had the same importance, this allowed that the composers had a wide range in composition types. Some composers chosen more vocally style and others preferred the instrumental style, which generated an amount of balance in composition during this period. In addition, instruments were created with specific features to perform the baroque music, they presented a sound and form characteristic, they were built to sound full and rich, but in small-type-sized, mainly strings instruments. The bow and the technique to play this kind of music required a careful and distinct method which caused that its texture and timbre were unique and special for that era. The most representative instruments of baroque period were organ and harpsichord, however, in most of the compositions of this period strings, woodwinds and brass instruments were also used by the compositors, and these instruments were important for the baroque orchestra. Some instruments used in the baroque period were: violin, viola da gamba, lute, violoncello, oboe, bassoon and trumpet. Moreover, baroque orchestra was characterized as small number of instrumentalists, and it was form mainly by strings instruments with a few woodwinds and brass, which gave the colorful contrast in the orchestra, this was called chamber orchestra. On

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.

The meaning of the term partita is complex. Partita is the Italian form of the word and it developed as a variation technique. In Germany it was used to refer to a collection of contrasting dances played one after another on festive occasions. It was this usage that was adopted by Froberger and other German composers of the 17th century when they applied it to the collections of dance movements for the keyboard. It seems that Bach was aware of the many implications of the term partita. It is possible that the suites which he assigned this name were so designated because they more nearly fulfilled the varied implications of the name that did his other suites.

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

The baroque period of music commenced in the year 1600 and ended around 1750 (Fuller – “Baroque”). Its texture was mainly polyphonic (Fuller – “Classical”). Polyphonic means that two or more different melodies are played simultaneously (McComb). This provides an energetic rhythm, long melodies, and many ornaments. The most famous composers of this time period were Vivaldi, Corelli, Monteverdi, Purcell, Handel, J.S. Bach, and Couperin. Many new styles of music were introduced, such as operas, sonatas, oratorios, suites, fugues, and concertos. Orchestras began to develop, but it was not until the classical period when orchestral music was perfected (Fuller – “Baroque”).

Baroque Period, during which a few of the greatest composers on this planet were born, brought classical music onto a whole new level. The word “Baroque”, which came from the Portuguese for “the imperfect pearl”, implies strange, extravagant and overblown. Toccata, fugue, chorale, ortario, and the concerto Grosso, all of these special musical forms were created and represent this period. The six main characteristics: increased emotional expression, contrast, use of basso continuo, continued harmonic development, use of ornament, and the emphasis of improvisation, molded the unique style of music of the Baroque period.