Baroque
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1600-1750



Composers


Schütz


Bach


Handel


Vivaldi


Gluck


Telemann


Purcell


Monteverdi


Lully


Giovanni Gabrieli
(c. 1557-1612)

Girolamo Frescobaldi
(1583-1643)

Heinrich Schütz
(1585-1672)

Giacomo Carissimi
(1605-1674)

Arcangelo Corelli
(1653-1713)

Alessandro Scarlatti
(1660-1725)

Francois Couperin
(1668-1733)

Domenico Scarlatti
(1685-1757)



A musical historic timeline
Musical
Historic
Timeline

Harmony replaces polyphony, and instrumental music takes the lead. Opera becomes the ultimate combination of music and drama. The piano is also born, and Bach praises the clavier with a well tempered hymn.

The lute by Carpaccio, The Academy, VeniceThe Baroque era is marked by harmonyExultate Deo - Alessandro Scarlatti. The first operas appear at the beginning of the 17th century, accompanied by harmony played in the "figured bass" technique. In polyphonicInvention No. 3 - a polyphonic work by J. S. Bach music, meter is indicated, and it is not free, as in the pastPurcell - 'By beauteous softness' for voice & lute.
Instrumental music evolves further, after thousands of years of vocal music (sonata is an instrumental work typical to the Baroque, unlike the vocal cantata). The suite also emerges as a collection of popular dances - it will turn into a purely artistic form.
Bach brings polyphonic writing to its peakFugue No. 2 in Cm BWV 847 by J. S. Bach, and in fact no one continues to write in this style after his death.
Handel, Bach's internationally successful peer, develops the oratorio, which is a musical play on biblical topics (Judas Maccabaeus, Israel in Egypt, Messiah'Hallelujah! For the Lord God omnipotent reigneth' from 'Messiah' - Handel and more).
Gluck develops opera towards a more serious, dramatic direction, yet enriches it with many charming melodies'Dance of the Blessed Spirits' - Gluck. "Orfeo" is his most famous opera.


Notation
Musical notes as they appear in the Baroque



Example music from this period
Examples
Little Fugue in Gm, BWV.578 - J.S. Bach
"Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" - Choral from cantata BWV.147 - J.S. Bach
"Alla Hornpipe" from Suite No.2 in D - Handel
Passacaglia in Cm, BWV.582 - J.S. Bach
Canon in D - Pachelbel
þAdagio for Strings and Organ - Albinoni
Exultate Deo - Alessandro ScarlattiExultate Deo

The main musical forms in this period
Typical forms
Fugue
Rondo
Suite
Concerto Grosso
Aria
Oratorio
Opera
Toccata
Fantasy
Prelude
Cantata



Study the historical events that were connected with music and how
Historic and Scientific events
1605
Telescope invented
1609
First newspaper in history
1609
Galileo develops the astronomical telescope
1618
Thirty Years War - Protestants against Catholics in Europe
1620
First Puritans settle in America
1633
Galileo is forced, by inquisition, to deny that the Earth is not the center of the universe
1642
First digital calculator invented by Blaise Pascal
1642
Cromwell takes over England
1643
Barometer invented
1656
Pendulum clock invented
1666
Great Fire of London
1687
"Glorious Revolution" in England
1689
Peter the Great - Czar of Russia who Westernizes it
1718
Machine gun invented


Musical instruments technology
1677
Lully improves on the transverse flute
1700
J.C. Denner develops the first clarinet in Germany
1709
Precursor to the piano, the Hammerklavier, invented by Bartolommeo Cristofori, Italy


The Baroque on the WWW

Arts
Study about art in that period


Science
Inventions and discoveries in that period


Architecture
This period in the history of architecture


Notes
Read music notes from that period


Period's sites from the internet
Sites
Period's audio & Music from the internet
Audio
Period's videos from the internet
Video
Period's images from the internet
Images
Period's MIDI Files from the internet
MIDI

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