BAROQUE MUSIC

1600-1750
 BAROQUE?
The term Baroque is probably derived
from thePortuguese
wordbarroco(Spanishbarrueco), (Italian
barocco) used to describe an irregular or
imperfectly shaped pearl, and this usage
still survives in the jewelers term
baroque pearl.
In informal usage, the wordbaroquecan
simply mean that something is
"elaborate", with many details, without
reference to the Baroque styles of the
17th and 18th centuries.
BAROQUE ART
 BAROQUE PERIOD
TheBaroque is a period of artisticstylethat used
exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted
detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and
grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture,
literature, dance, and music. The style began
around 1600 inRome,Italyand spread to most of
Europe.
Thearistocracyalso saw the dramatic style of
Baroque architecture and art as a means of
impressing visitors and expressing triumph, power
and control. Baroque palaces are built around an
entrance of courts, grand staircases and reception
rooms of sequentially increasing opulence.
What is Baroque Music?
Baroque Music is a style of European Classical Music between

1600 to 1750. The baroque period is notable for the

development of counterpoint, a period in which harmonic

complexity grew alongside emphasis on contrast. In opera,

interest was transferred from recitative to aria, and in church

music the contrasts of solo voices, chorus, and orchestra were

developed to a high degree. In instrumental music the period

saw the emergence of the sonata, the suite, and particularly the

concerto grosso, as in the music of Corelli, Vivaldi, Handel, and

Bach. Most baroque music uses continuo. Note that 18th century

writers used 'baroque' in a pejorative sense to mean 'coarse' or

'old-fashioned in taste'.
 Who composed Baroque
Music?
There are several well-known
composers of baroque music,
such as Johann Sebastian Bach,
George Frideric Handel, Antonio
Vivaldi, and many more.
 What is counterpoint?
Counterpoint describes two or more
independent lines of music played
simultaneously, in other words "note
against note. Counterpoint reached a high
level of development in the baroque era,
especially the music of J.S. Bach.
What styles and forms were
used in Baroque Music?
Instrumental forms such as Concerto
Grosso; Fugue; Suite (often containing
Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Gigue,
Gavotte, Minuet); Sonata (such as Sonata
da camera, Sonata di chiesa, and Trio
Sonata); Partita; Canzona; Sinfonia;
Fantasia; Ricercar; Toccata; Prelude;
Passacaglia; Chaconne; Stylus
Fantasticus.
sVocal forms such as Opera (Opera seria,
Opera comique, and Opera-ballet);
Oratorio; Passion; Mass; Cantata;
What instruments were used in Baroque Music?

String instruments such as the lute, violin,

viola, cello and double bass.
Brass instruments like the trumpet, horn and
sackbut were used.
Popular wind instruments included the
recorder, flute, oboe and bassoon. Baroque
keyboard music was often composed for the
organ or harpsichord.
Occasionally, baroque composers utilized
other unique and lesser-known instruments
which have since become obscure.
 The Baroque Trumpet

The Baroque trumpet is a lot different

from the modern day trumpet which is
equipped with valves.
The Baroque trumpet is very limited in
its range.
It is sometimes referred to as the
natural trumpet
 The Harpsichord
Harpsichord (Italian cembalo; French
clavecin), stringed keyboard instrument
in which the strings are plucked to
produce sound. It was developed in
Europe in the 14th or 15th century and
was widely used from the 16th to the
early 19th century, when it was
superseded by the piano.
 The Lute.

One of the string instruments used

during the Baroque period is the Lute.
It has a flat fir belly, or soundboard,
and a deep, extremely lightweight,
pear-shaped body made by bending
narrow strips of wood (ribs) and gluing
them side by side.
Viol or Viola de Gamba
The Viol looks like a Cello with frets and
six strings.
It was made in three principal sizes
(treble, tenor, and bass), it has a deep
body and sloped shoulders; a violin-like
bridge; C-shaped sound holes; and tied-
on gut frets that contribute to its clear,
penetrating sound.
 The Baroque Flute
The baroque flute was wooden with holes
as opposed to the more recent ones
made of metal and are fitted with keys.
The word flute was used indiscriminately
to denote both types during medieval
times, but in the baroque period flute or
flauto specifically meant the end-blown
recorder.