The Baroque Period

1
The Baroque Period

• 1600-1750

2
Historical Facts

• Galileo Newton were discovering new ways to
  explain the universe
• In music, art, architecture, and fashion, fancy
  decoration ornamentation became the rule
• Men Women wore wigs and coats with lace
• Composers continued to be employeed by the church
  wealthy- the patronage system
• Patrons paid for the composers work, so they
  decided what they wrote- limiting creative
  freedom
• Important Composers
• Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frederic Handel,
  Johann Pachelbel, Georg Phillip Telemann, Henry
  Purcell and Antonio Vivaldi.

3
Baroque Characterisitics

• Form
• Dances were popular during this period as well as
  preludes, fugues, suites, toccatas and theme and
  variations. Binary ( 2 beat) and ternary ( 3
  beat) forms were used frequently.
• Harmony
• Two or more melodies played at the same time
  created a musical texture called counterpoint.
  There were frequent harmonic changes. Tonality
  was based on major and minor keys.

4
Baroque Characteristics, Contd

• Keyboard instruments
• clavichord, harpsichord, and organ
• Rhythm
• Emphasis was on strong beats, upbeats and
  fast-changing rhythmic motion. Eighths, 16ths and
  triplets were frequently used.
• Eighth note ½ beat
• 16th note ¼ beat
• Triplet divides the beat in 3
• Style
• Faster notes were normally played legato-
  connected smooth
• Slower notes were normally played nonlegato.-
  seperated
• Ornaments were used frequently

5
Trends in Music

• Complex polyphonic music
• Accompanying chords
• Dynamics tempo markings
• Dynamics- volume
• Tempo- speed
• Improvisation
• Used music to express emotions- joy anger

6
Vocal Baroque Music

• Opera- combined music, acting, scenery, costumes,
  and props
• Actors and actresses sing the libretto (script)
• Opera Seria- Serious Opera
• Opera Buffa- Funny Opera
• First Opera- Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi
• Cantata- series of arias and recitatives, not
  staged or acted

7
Instrumental Baroque Music

• Instruments- flute, oboe, bassoon, trombone,
  valveless trumpets and horns, harpsichord, organ,
  timpani
• Music written for instruments contained several
  sections called movements
• Concerto
• featured one soloist or a group of soloists
• usually contained three movements
  (fast-slow-fast).
• Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons

8
Composers

• Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
• Dietrich Buxtehude
• Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713)
• Francois Couperin (1668-1733)
• Girolamo Frescobaldi
• George Frideric Handel (1685-1759)
• Elizabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre (1659-1729)
  
• Jean-Baptiste Lully
• Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
• Jacopo Peri
• Georg Phillip Telemann
• Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
• Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1764)
• Alessandro Scarlatti
• Heinrich Schutz (1585-1672)
• Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)