Baroque Time Period

1600-1750

Baroque = oddly shaped pearl

General Characteristics

• Absolute Monarchy (Government ruled by a

Monarch, much like a president)

• Commercial music more important (secular)

• High power of middle class

• Huge exaggeration

Characteristics of Baroque Artwork

• Fancy/elaborate

• Gold used for detail

• Beautiful

• Energy

• Light to Dark

Differences?

Renaissance Art Baroque Art

Differences with Renaissance and

Baroque MusicRenaissance Baroque

Melody Conjunct (step)-wide range Disjunct (leap), Melodic

Sequence

Harmony Controlled dissonance with

emphasis on tension and

release

Major and minor tonality

Rhythm Not complex, beginning to be

notated

Free rhythm, driving rhythms

Form Strophic, Imitative Binary, Ternary, Ritornello,

Fugue

Texture Polyphonic (4-5) parts. Vocal

and Instrumental of equal

importance

Homophonic

Musical developments from

Renaissance to Baroque

• Major/minor tonality

• System of tuning

• New instruments were

invented

The Well Tempered Clavier

• Book written by J.S. Bach

• Described the tuning system for major and minor

tonalities.

• Collection of solo keyboard music written in

every key signature

Famous Baroque Composers

Claudio Monteverdi-May 15, 1567 (baptized)-

November 29, 1643

Henry Purcell-Sept. 10,

1659-November 21,

1695

Johann Sebastian

Bach- March 21, 1685-July

28, 1750

George Frederic

Handel- Feb. 23, 1685- April

14, 1759

Vocal forms

• Cantata-Vocal song with instrument

accompaniment

• Opera-Form of drama

• Chorale-Hymn or 4 part vocal work

• Oratorio-Large music composition, orchestra

and choir.

Instrumental Forms

• Suite- Series of little dances

• Concerto- for solo instrument and ensemble

• Sonata- Instrumental song

• Fugue-Imitative, parts enter at different times

and repeat the melody

Sequence

• A motive that is repeated in a melody, that

moves up or down in a scale.

• Example: Jaws theme

Music Elaboration

• Trumpets were used more

• Addition of Timpani

• Larger ensembles

Doctorine of Affections

• Music appealed to emotions

• Music evoked one emotion throughout the

whole piece

Fugue

X is subject, ~ is countersubject

X ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

X ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

X ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

X ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Why end the Baroque at 1750?

• It is the year J.S. Bach died.

Ritornello form

• A reoccurring passage, much like a refrain or

chorus

• Italian for “little return”

Concerto Grosso

• A large scale concerto called a concertino vs.

the whole ensemble

• String quartet soli section in the middle of a

work

Ground Bass

• A bass line which is repeated throughout the

whole song

• Ex. Pachelbel's Cannon

Basso Continuo

• The “rhythm section” of a piece of music

• Must contain a chordal instrument (guitar or

piano)

• Must contain a bass instrument (cello,

bassoon, trombone)

• Both parts work together to support the

melody

• Often improvised

Development of Instrumental Music

• New forms of music

• Improved tuning

• Increased use of trumpets and timpani

• Musicians used

For balls and dances

Baroque Instruments

• Strings

– Baroque

Guitar

• Woodwind

– Oboe

• Brass

– Serpent

• Keyboard– Harpsichord

Listening example 1

• Composer: Johann Sebastian Bach

• Title: “Toccata and Fugue in D minor”

• Date:1707

• Texture: Polyphonic

• Form: Fugue

• Additional Information: Bach’s most famous fugue

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzR9bhei_o&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1

Listening example 2

• Composer Antonio Vivaldi

• Title: “Spring” from the Four Seasons

• Date: 1723

• Texture: Homophonic

• Form: Concerto

• Additional information: used on the Zalescommercial.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-dYNttdgl0&safety_mode=true&persist_safety_mode=1