Something about Baroque Period

The word 'baroque' is derived from the Portuguese Barroco or "oddly shaped pearl." In general, the term applied to the ornate architecture of Germany and Austria during the 17th and 18th centuries, and borrowed to describe comparable music developments from about 1600 in particular to the deaths of J.S. Bach and F.G. Handel in mid 18th century.

Baroque music then is used to describe a particular musical style, a term originally borrowed from the style of architecture popular between 1600 and 1750. The buildings were ornate or elaborately decorated, and often flamboyant. The music of the time can be seen in this way too, that is, elaborate and heavily ornamented.


The 17^th century music that describe the period in Western European art music is usually divided into two: the early Baroque period, from 1600 to 1680, and the late Baroque period, 1680 to 1750.

The Baroque era was a period in which harmonic complexity grew with emphasis on contrast. For example, in opera, interest was transferred from recitative to aria; in church music the contrasts of solo voices, choir and orchestra were developed further; in instrumental music the period experienced the emergence of the sonata, the suite, and the concerto grosso, as in the music of Corelli, Handel, Bach and Vivaldi.

Most baroque music uses basso continuo.  Baroque organ is the 18th century type of instrument meant to be more brilliant in tone and flexible that its 19th century counterpart.

In science, Galileo's work helped us understand the cosmos more as well as Copernicus's theory that the planets didn't revolve around the earth, and numerous more inventions that follow. In light of the great thinkers, for example, Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza and Locke tackled the big questions of existence. More geniuses from other fields of disciplines like Shakespeare, Rubens and Rembrandt, amongst others also offered unique perspectives through their art.


Today, Baroque music is a convenient catch-all for one of the richest and most divers periods in music history. The era expanded our musical horizons, aside from the music of the prominent composers. Famous examples of Baroque music are compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Henry Purcell, Georg Telemann, Johann Pachelbel, and Antonio Vivaldi, among others.


Resources:

Kennedy, Michael & Joyce, & Tim Rutherford-Johnson, Eds.  Oxford Dictionary of Music, 6th Edition. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2007.

Sadie, Stanley, Ed.  The Grove Concise Dictionary of Music, New Updated Edition.  London: Macmillan, 1994.

Image credit:

Baroque-music.com.