The Baroque Era (1600-1750)

To generalize, Renaissance composers tried to express celestial harmony, Baroque composers tried to depict human emotion. Compositionally, Renaissance music is a congruence of equal parts. Baroque music is built hierarchically above a bass line (continuo).

In Baroque music: *The highest (melody) voice and the bass (lowest) voice are prominent. *The rhythm is usually steady and propels the music forward. *Instrumental music is now more important than vocal music. *Basso continuo (“continuous bass”) It is the “motor” of the music. The continuo part is shared by a bass instrument(s) and a harmony instrument like harpsichord or lute. *Baroque music can have a wide variety of tempos and a wide range of dynamics. *Melodies are often ornamented freely. *Increased use of dissonance *Establishment of disciplined rules of counterpoint and harmony led to the modern system of “Tonal” harmony.

New musical forms Opera - A staged musical work for orchestra, solo voices, and chorus which tells a story Overture (short opening piece for the orchestra) Recitative (music written with free rhythm to imitate speech) Da Capo Aria (A-B-A form) Chorus Important composers: Claudio Monteverdi, Jean Baptiste Lully, George Frederic Handel

Sonata - A “sound” piece - a piece for instruments usually in several movements Solo (featuring one solo instrument with continuo accompaniment) Trio Sonata (featuring two solo instruments with continuo) Important composers: Henry Purcell, Archangelo Corelli, Antonio Vivaldi, Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach

Concerto - A musical work featuring a solo instrument or group of instruments in a contrasting role to the orchestra Solo Concerto (featuring a single solo instrument) Concerto Grosso (featuring a group of soloists) Important composers: Corelli, Vivaldi, Handel, Bach

Suite - A group of short pieces based on dance forms Instrumental/Orchestral or Keyboard Important composers: Marin Marais, Francois Couperin, Matthew Locke, Johann Schein, Bach

Cantata - A small-scale piece for voices and instruments (often with a religious theme) Important composers: Dietrich Buxtehude, Alessandro Scarlatti, Bach

Oratorio - A large scale musical work for voices and orchestra telling a story (usually with a religious theme) but not staged like an opera Uses operatic features - (overture, aria, recitative, chorus) Important composers: Handel, Bach