Words: 630
The Baroque era was an age of brilliant progression of knowledge. It was also known for the age of the scientific discoveries of Galileo and Newton, and advances in math of Descartes, Newton, and Leibnitz. The baroque time period included production of some of the greatest music of all time. Baroque era of music changed the way music is written today, it also has a very distinct emotional tone and style. Baroque meaning odd pearl was a turning point in the history of music. The Baroque period of history is between the 1600’s and the 1750’s.
The baroque period presented a more harmonic and dramatic focus full of what people called extravagant and unnatural music. It has influenced today’s music by the birth of today’s modern orchestra. Also with the various music pieces written for solo’s. From the baroque period came opera’s, concertos and sonatas. Baroque music aroused from composer Arcangelo Corelli who influenced many of the composers during the time period. Like Georg Friederich Handel who was born in Halle (Germany), on February 23rd, 1685, just a month before JS Bach was born in Eisenach, not so far to the south.
Handel’s father intended him for the law, but his own musical talents soon prevailed. Following his studies in Germany, Handel went to Italy where he spent more than three years, in Florence, Rome, Naples and Venice. In Rome he studied with Corelli, and no doubt met and exchanged ideas with a number of other Italian composers. So as you can see the idea of baroque music spread all over Europe, Not just one individual area. It was a great rise in music history. The baroque era of music is very exquisite and dramatic.
It definitely differs from the music before its time. Not until the baroque period did people do the concept of melody and harmony. Its very distinct musical tone was important in the baroque era. The baroque era consisted of two main vocals(bass, soprano) which usually were the melody, Unfretted instruments, a harpsichord and whatever the composer chose to add. Baroque music was rather emotional. It created musical notations such as forte, allegro, adagio, etc. The characteristics of the baroque period were very dramatic, and somewhat romantic.
Different styles of baroque vocal music are recitative, aria, bel canto, and castrato. Other styles of music would be toccata which is an instrumental piece that alternates between contrapuntal passages, prelude and fugue. During the baroque era there was political and religious tension. At the time the Catholic Church was still a big part of the government, it was also a very big patron of art. The tension between the church and the courts affected everyone. As well as music itself.
The Catholic Church was undergoing a “counter-reformation”. The church wanted as much realism as possible therefore creating the baroque period. The Catholic Church wanted as much realism as possible because they wanted to engage more common people. They also wanted one to be fascinated and devoted as well as connected to the Virgin Mary and god. The church discovered that if they used church like scenes in theatre and opera’s could be used to deepen ones devotion towards the church.
So that way even uneducated common people could understand The Baroque era revolutionized the way music was interpreted. It influenced today’s music, It brought up new styles of music like opera’s or concerto’s and many things during the time affected music. “The age of reason” really progressed music, science, art, and people too. It brought precision to the world. Something that we still have today. All the overly exaggerated feeling to music. The dramatic feeling of movement of energy. All was born in the baroque period.