MUSIC OF THE BAROQUE

PERIOD
1600 - 1750
By
Laurence Dimaguila
Hazle Dacanay
Sarah Millar

BAROQUE PERIOD
Origin / Background History of the Baroque
Period
Genres in the Baroque Music
Composers and their contributions

TRIVIA
1610 - Galileo confirms the Earth is round
1687 - Sir Isaac Newton publishes his Laws of Universal Gravitation
1732 - birth of George Washington
Age of Absolutism; Kings and Queens are all-powerful
Known for extreme decadence and extravagance of aristocracy (e.g.
Louis XIV and his palace of Versailles)
Church Splits in Two; Europe split into Catholic countries (Italy, France,
Spain) and Protestant countries (England, Germany, Netherlands, Sweden)

ORIGIN / HISTORY OF THE PERIOD

Baroque was derived from the Portuguese word barroco which means
oddly shaped or misshapen pearl
Baroque in its era means overly ornamented and exaggerated
The Baroque period is divided into three major phases: early, middle, and
late. Although they overlap in time, they are conventionally dated from
1580 to 1630, from 1630 to 1680, and from 1680 to 1730.
Comparing some of music historys greatest masterpieces to a misshapen
pearl might seem strange to us today, but to the nineteenth century
critics who applied the term, the music of Bach and Handels era sounded
overly ornamented and exaggerated. Having long since shed its
derogatory connotations, baroque is now simply a convenient catch-all
for one of the richest and most diverse periods in music history.

ORIGIN / HISTORY OF THE PERIOD

BAROQUE MUSIC STYLE CHARACTERISTICS

Timbre

new emphasis on instrumental music & instrumental accompaniment to voices

Rhythm

beat is emphasized; lots of forward motion

Melody

elaborate, ornamented, continuously expanding, long and winding

Form

one main theme repeated over and over

Dynamics

sudden changes from loud to soft and soft to loud called terraced dynamics

Texture

more rapid changes in texture (homophony, imitative polyphony) throughout a

single movement or piece of music

Harmony

new emphasis on chords; orchestra mainly consists of strings and basso

continuo (bass melody instrument like cello or bassoon + chord generating
instrument harpsichord, organ, or lute)

Mood

the same mood throughout movement; this heightened emotional state called
affect (vocal music is exception; vocal music has many changes of mood, but
closely follows text)

GENRES IN THE BAROQUE MUSIC

Vocal

Opera
Zarzuela
Opera seria
Opra
comique
Opera-ballet
Masque
Oratorio
Passion (music)
Cantata
Mass (music)
Anthem
Monody
Chorale

Instrumental

Chorale
composition
Concerto grosso
Fugue
Suite

Allemande
Courante
Sarabande
Gigue
Gavotte
Minuet

Sonata

Sonata da camera
Sonata da chiesa
Trio sonata

Partita
Chamber Music
Canzona
Sinfonia
Fantasia
Ricercar
Toccata
Prelude
Chaconne
Passacaglia
Chorale prelude
Stylus
fantasticus

INSTRUMENTS OF THE BAROQUE MUSIC

String

Violino
piccolo
Violin
Viol
Viola
Viola d'amore
Viola
pomposa
Tenor violin
Cello
Bass violin
Contrabass
Lute
Theorbo
Archlute
Mandora
Bandora
Anglique
Mandolin
Cittern
Guitar
Harp
Hurdy-gurdy

Woodwinds

Baroque flute
Chalumeau
Cortol (also known as
Cortholt, Curtall, Oboe
family)
Dulcian
Musette de cour
Baroque oboe
Rackett
Recorder
Bassoon

Brasses

Cornett
Natural horn
Baroque trumpet
Tromba da tirarsi (also
called tromba
spezzata)
Flatt trumpet
Serpent

Sackbut (16th- and early

17th-century English
name for FR: saquebute,
saqueboute; ES:
sacabuche; IT: trombone;
Trombone (English name
for the same instrument,
from the early 18th
century)

Keyboards
Clavichord
Tangent piano
Fortepiano an early
version of the piano
invented ca. 1700
Harpsichord
Organ

Percussion

Timpani
Tambourine
Castanets

TIMELINE OF COMPOSERS
IN THE BAROQUE PERIOD

TIMELINE OF COMPOSERS
IN THE BAROQUE PERIOD

FAMOUS COMPOSERS
OF THE BAROQUE PERIOD

Claudio Monteverdi
Jean Baptiste Lully
Arcangelo Corelli
George Frederic Handel
Johann Sebastian Bach

FAMOUS COMPOSERS
IN THE BAROQUE MUSIC
AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI
Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi was an Italian composer,
gambist, singer, and Catholic priest. Monteverdi's work, often
regarded as revolutionary, marked the change from the
Renaissance style of music to that of the Baroque period.
Born: May 9, 1567, Cremona, Italy
Died: November 29, 1643, Venice, Italy
Spouse: Claudia Cattaneo (m. 15991607)
The most important developer of the then new genre, the opera.
He also did much to bring a modern secular spirit into church
music.
He is known for his musical works that can be categorized into
three categories: madrigals, operas and church-music

JEAN BAPTISTE LULLY

He was an Italian-born French composer, instrumentalist, and
dancer who spent most of his life working in the court of Louis XIV
of France. He is considered a master of the French baroque style.
Lully disavowed any Italian influence in French music of the period.
He became a French subject in 1661.
Born: November 28, 1632, Florence, Italy
Died: March 22, 1687, Paris, France
He is known for his sacred music, ballet de cour, Music for the
theatre and operas and tragedies in music.

ARCANGELO CORELLI
He was an Italian violinist and composer of the Baroque era. His
music was key in the development of the modern genres of sonata
and concerto, in establishing the preeminence of the violin, and as
the first coalescing of modern tonality and functional harmony.
Born: February 17, 1653, Fusignano, Italy
Died: January 8, 1713, Rome, Italy
He is known for his contributions to the violin conferred him many
titles like World's First Great Violinist", "Father of the Concerto
Grosso and "Founder of Modern Violin Technique". He conducted
extensive concert tours all over Europe and gained immense
popularity.

GEORGE FREDERIC HANDEL

Georg Friedrich Hndel was a German, later British baroque
composer who spent the bulk of his career in London, becoming
well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos.
Handel received critical training in Halle, Hamburg and Italy before
settling in London in 1712; he became a naturalised British subject
in 1727. He was strongly influenced both by the great composers of
the Italian Baroque and the middle-German polyphonic choral
tradition.
Born: 23 February 1685
Died: 14 April 1759
He was considered a dramatic genius as he initiated three
commercial opera companies to supplement the English nobility
with the Italian opera. Regarded as one of the prominent composers
of all time, Handels works gained much popularity as he composed
over forty operas in thirty years. The audiences for Handels operas
increased in number due to the renewal of Baroque music and the
essence of original instrumentation in his works.

JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH

He was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period.
He enriched established German styles through his skill in
counterpoint, harmonic and motivic organization, and the
adaptation of rhythms, forms, and textures from abroad,
particularly from Italy and France.
Born: March 31, 1685, Eisenach, Germany
Died: July 28, 1750, Leipzig, Germany
He is known for his compositions include the Brandenburg
Concertos, the Goldberg Variations, the Mass in B minor, two
Passions, and over three hundred cantatas of which around two
hundred survive. His music is revered for its technical command,
artistic beauty, and intellectual depth. His abilities as an organist
were highly respected during his lifetime, and regarded as one of
the greatest composers of all time.

GENRES IN THE
BAROQUE MUSIC

GENRES IN THE BAROQUE MUSIC

Vocal

Opera
Zarzuela
Opera seria
Opra
comique
Opera-ballet
Masque
Oratorio
Passion (music)
Cantata
Mass (music)
Anthem
Monody
Chorale

Instrumental

Chorale
composition
Concerto grosso
Fugue
Suite

Allemande
Courante
Sarabande
Gigue
Gavotte
Minuet

Sonata

Sonata da camera
Sonata da chiesa
Trio sonata

Partita
Chamber Music
Canzona
Sinfonia
Fantasia
Ricercar
Toccata
Prelude
Chaconne
Passacaglia
Chorale prelude
Stylus
fantasticus

OPERA
Sung theatrical work with orchestral accompaniment
Vocal soloists and chorus

Staged with costumes and sets

Example: HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament" from Dido and Aeneas CD#1/69-70

RECITATIVE
Vocal line in a opera, oratorio, or cantata that imitates the rhythms and pitch fluctuations
of speech, often serving to lead into an aria
Recitative often gets across mostly plot information in the opera, while the Aria
communicates the characters emotions

ARIA
Song for solo voice with orchestral accompaniment, usually expressing an emotional
state through its outpouring of melody; found in operas, oratorios, and cantatas

Recitative
Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me,
Dido tells
On thy bosom let me rest;
Belinda to
her
More I would bet Death invades me; leave
alone, so that
she can
Death is now a welcome guest.
commit
suicide

Aria
Dido tells
us how she
feels about
committing
suicide

When I am laid, am laid in earth,

may my wrongs create
No trouble, no trouble in thy breast.
Remember me! But ah! Forget my fate.

ORATORIO
Like opera - [Sung theatrical work with orchestral accompaniment for vocal soloists and
chorus] , but unstaged [without acting, scenery, or costumes]
Uses a religious story
Example: GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDELs Messiah
"Hallelujah" CD#2/11-16
"Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted" CD#2/10
"Hallelujah"

Listen for
Changes in texture
Hymn-like
Homophony
Imitative Polyphony
Pedal Point
Emphasis of beat

"Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted"

Listen for
TERRACED DYNAMICS
Terraced dynamics Abrupt alternation between loud and
Emphasis of beat
soft dynamic levels; characteristic of
Ornamented melody
Baroque music
Continuous affect
Word painting

CANTATA
Like opera, but unstaged,
Usually with religious text & mostly performed in churches
The church cantata for the Lutheran service in Germany during the baroque
period often includes chorales
Chorales are hymn tunes set to a German religious text

Example: J.S. BACH Sleepers Awake

CHAMBER MUSIC

Uses a small group of musicians, with one player to a part

Meant for smaller, more intimate performance venues
Includes music for solo instruments

J.S. Bachs Organ Fugue in G Minor The Little

CONCERTO GROSSO
Composition for several instrumental soloists and small orchestra; common in late
baroque music
Tutti vs. Soli groups
Tutti = all, the entire ensemble
Soli = a small group of featured soloists (2 or 3)
J.S. Bach
Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D Major
Movement 1

Antonio Vivaldi
Concerto for Violin and String Orchestra,
Op. 8, No. 1, La Primavera [Spring]
from The Four Seasons
Movement 1