Music #320 - BAROQUE ERA

A great book on ...

THE GREAT COMPOSERS

written by Wendy Thompson

published by Hermes House

The Baroque Era (c.1600-1750)

Music Sets #321 - 339

The Baroque era saw: 

* the birth of opera 

that spread like wildfire for aristocratic patrons and new public opera houses

- its invention is credited to Florentine Camerata, trying to recreate the singing style of Ancient Greek drama

- began as a court entertainment; then public opera houses with high ticket prices were opened

- the new art form would combine a variety of musical styles (recitative, arias, choral and instrumental interludes) into one large narrative structure 

- cf. oratorio 

* a flourishing of instrumental music

esp. for the violin and keyboard

- courts across Europe maintained chamber ensembles, creating a demand for instrumental sonatas and concertos to entertain patrons and guests 

* the growth of the orchestra 

with new instrumental forms: concertos, concerti grossi, sonatas and suites

* Renaissance polyphony gave way to basso continuo 

- which is a simple accompaniment consisting of a bass line with the chords lightly filled in above it

- usyally played by 2 instruments: a keyboard/lute/guitar; a cello/bass-viol/bassoon 

- basso continuo + solo voice = monody 

(L) Italian Basso Continuo 1650-1700

 

(R) Pachelbel's Canon: 

- 3 violins engaged in canon 

(playing the same music, entering in sequence) 

- an independent 4th voice, playing the basso continuo 

(which is a simple passage of 8 notes repeated 54 times).

J.S. Bach's Canon

in Goldberg Variations

Overall:

* the era originated in Italy and Italian musicians dominated the field

* the era reached in its height in the works of Bach and Handel (the great Bach-Handel-Scarlatti triumvirate)

* by the end of the era, distinctive national styles had evolved. 

History of music - Baroque

(L) Baroque social dances

 

(R) Baroque Music for Studying & Brain Power