Baroque and Classical Music: Composers and Characteristics
Concerto Grosso: An Overview
One of the most exciting types of Baroque music is the concerto grosso (a word which may come from Italian, meaning “get together”). We can trace the idea of the concerto back to the Renaissance. The seeds were sown in the Polychoral pieces written by composers such as Giovanni Gabrieli. The ideas of opposition and strong contrast led to the baroque concerto grosso. In this form, composers like Corelli, Haydn, and Bach contrasted two groups of instruments: a small group of soloists called the concertino, against an orchestra of strings called either the ripieno or tutti. A harpsichord or organ continued to fill out the texture when the ripieno group was playing and continued to provide supporting harmonies on occasions when the concertino instruments played on their own.
Baroque Music and Art: Key Characteristics
“Baroque” probably comes from a Portuguese word, barocco, meaning an irregularly-shaped pearl or piece of jewelry. It was first used in connection with the highly ornamented style of architecture and art of the 17th century. Later on, musicians came to use the word “Baroque” to describe the period of musical history from the birth of opera and oratorio to the death of J.S. Bach. The 17th century saw the invention of several new forms and designs, including opera, oratorio, fugue, suite, sonata, and concerto. Baroque art introduced new techniques of painting such as contrast, chiaroscuro, and movement which was created with oblique lines, spirals, and curved lines. Artists tried to put emotion and dramatism in their paintings. The period of Baroque art lasted from 1600 to 1750.
Important Baroque Composers:
- J.S. Bach
- Giulio Cesare
- Handel
- Henry Purcell
- Corelli
- Couperin
- Domenico Scarlatti
- Antonio Vivaldi
- Giulio Caccini
- Claudio Monteverdi
- Lully
- Rameau
- Giovanni Gabrieli
Classical Music: Defining Characteristics
The word “Classical” refers to the music that was composed between 1750 and 1810. It is divided into two styles: the style galant (that is aimed chiefly to please the listener) and the Classical style that introduced more qualities such as the grace and beauty of the melody, the shape and the proportions, balance, moderation, and control. Classical music is lighter, clearer, and less complicated than Baroque music. The most important composers were Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. The orchestra typically included 2 horns, 1-2 flutes, and 1 pair of oboes.
The Legacy of Guarneri and Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) and Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù (1698-1744) are the two most celebrated violin makers of all time. The Stradivari family was a very important family of luthiers in the 17th century in Italy. Stradivarius instruments are considered some of the most precise and exclusive in the history of music.
Mozart’s Letter: A Glimpse into His Life
This text is from a letter written by Mozart to his friend M. Puchberg, on his return to Vienna on July 12th. In it, he asks him for another week to repay him, because he owed him eight ducats. He mentions that next week he will begin with his concerts at the casino, where he will obtain a loan of 100 florins and he could easily return him 136 florins.
Classical Composers: Patronage and Employment
Classical composers often worked for rich families, composing and playing music for them in exchange for money. They had to do everything the person who contracted them wanted; they had to follow his instructions, they couldn’t work for more than 1 person at the same time, and they had to work for as long as the artist wanted. Haydn worked for the Esterhazy Family, Mozart for Salzburg (Vienna), and Beethoven did not work under such constraints.