Baroque Music: Composers, Instruments, and Styles
Baroque Music (1600-1750)
Baroque melody accompanied the 17th century and the first half of the 18th century until 1750 (Bach’s death). The art of this period is flashy and bright. In the republics and states, Protestant artists reflected the emerging power of the rich class, the *bourgeoisie*. It was a time of great contrasts: religious and political strife, social tension, and economic crisis. Europe had been divided into two camps: Catholics and Protestants.
Performing Arts in the Baroque Era
Performing arts included theater, musical drama, and ballet. “Glory to the King“: The *spectacle total* format included architecture, sculpture, music, and painting. In sumptuous Versailles, operas were presented, a genre of Baroque vocal excellence, and ballets featuring gods of Olympus. Its openings had solemn and slow rhythms for the entries into the royal halls. The king had absolute power; he decided everything, including taste and fashion labels. When the English monarchy was restored, King Charles II wanted to introduce music to emulate the splendors of the court of Versailles. Frideric Handel became a fashionable figure. His music turned the city of London into an immense theatrical stage.
Religious Music in the Baroque
“Glory to God“: In the German states, austerity software, in compliance with the spirit of Lutheranism, needed a less worldly and more meditative music. The faithful sang in choirs and played grandiose organ works. Bach’s cantatas were considered a Bible for the poor. His passions are sung in German, narrating moments of the life and death of Christ according to the evangelists.
In Catholic countries, the dramatic sense of the era is reflected in a vocal and instrumental religious genus: the oratorio, emerging from Italy. The word *oratorio* derives from the Roman oratories. They were in Latin.
The Concept of Harmony
The basic elements of music are rhythm, melody, and harmony. Melody is constructed horizontally to form a sequence of notes that form a melody. Harmony, instead, is formed by the simultaneous combination of two or more sounds; it is a vertical construction. Harmony is a contribution of the Baroque. Baroque music is characterized by its verticality of agreements and how these agreements are chained.
Key Characteristics of Baroque Music
- Major and Minor Modes: In the Baroque, major and minor modes were definitively imposed, and Gregorian modes were abandoned; the notes had a response hierarchy.
- Melody and Bass: To create unity between text and music, a type of composition was used: accompanied melody: vocals accompanied by an acute or main melody instrument. The instrumental accompaniment of the voice was in charge of the worst-known basso continuo: a melody on which agreements were constructed. The bass was also called low encryption. Modern notation was fixed in the Baroque.
- Music of Contrasts: The Baroque exaggerated sound effects and timbre in order to be more expressive and shock the listener.
Instruments of the Baroque
- Violin and Guitar: The nation of Italy had great constructors of bowed string family instruments. They wrote numerous works for viola. In Spain, the vihuela was being forgotten in favor of the Spanish guitar.
- Organ and Harpsichord: The harpsichord was very ductile and able to accompany any other instrument. Baroque music for organ achieved maximum splendor.
Instrumental Music Genres
- The Baroque Sonata: For 1, 2, or 3 instruments, it was divided into several movements. During the Baroque period, the structure of the orchestra was also defined.
- The Concerto Grosso: Featured a small group of instruments.
- Concerto Soloist: The role of concertmaster time is reduced to a single instrument, usually a violin. The director was also the soloist.
- The Suite: It was a sequence of binary rhythm dances.
- A Musical Baroque Drain: A polyphonic piece based on the laws of counterpoint. First, a main voice exposes a known subject matter (the *fugue*).