THE BAROQUE PERIOD

The Classical Music Periods

There were no such things as musical periods when the music was written and performed in the last 1500 years; only music that was in style and music that was not.

Since then, historians have grouped similar-sounding styles into periods according to their time and characteristics.

The Baroque Period of Music

An artistic and intellectual movement that began in Rome, Italy about 1600 and quickly spread to most of Europe, lasting until about 1750.

The Baroque style emphasized movement and drama in art, sculpture, architecture, literature and music.

Contemporary Events in America

1607: Jamestown, Virginia established—first permanent English colony on American mainland. Pocahontas saves life of John Smith.

1620: Pilgrims in Mayflower land at Plymouth Rock.

1732: Benjamin Franklin begins publishing Poor Richard's Almanack.

Contemporary Events in Europe

1611: King James Version of the Bible published in England.

1618-48: Thirty Years' War German Protestants revolt against Pope.

1642-58: English Civil War. King is executed and Oliver Cromwell becomes Lord Protector.

1661: Louis XIV “Sun King” begins rule as absolute monarch.

1685: “Glorious Revolution” in England. William & Mary become co-King-Queen

Contemporary Events in Science

1610: Galileo sees the moons of Jupiter through his telescope

1618: Kepler proposes last of three laws of planetary motion.

1644. Descartes's Principles of Philosophy.

1684: Leibniz's calculus published.

1740: Capt. Vitus Bering discovers Alaska.

Patrons: Church & Nobles

A patron is a wealthy person or institution that pays for an artist or musician’s living so they can focus on doing their art.

Since Medieval times, Churches and Nobles were the only patrons who paid musicians to create and perform music.

Churches paid organists, choir directors, soloists and composers to write and perform music for their worship services.

Nobles paid musicians and composers to write and perform dance music for their private balls and concerts.

Entrepreneurial Composers

Towards the end of the Baroque additional patrons began to emerge from the growing middle class.

Composers began to publish and sell sheetmusic books (mostly keyboard) for instruction and leisure.

Instead of just performing them for nobles, composers opened opera companies in large cities, selling tickets to middle-class public.

Baroque Textures

Musical texture is the way the song’s different performers go together.

Counterpoint: When a song has multiple parts that are different but interact together. (A kind of polyphony)Example: Rose Red/Ah Poor Bird

Homophony: When one or more parts play the melody and the other parts play accompaniment.Example: “Jesu, Joy of My Desiring”

Italian Music Terms

Because Italy was the major center for music in the Renaissance & Baroque, many composers went down there to study and perform. For this reason, many musical terms are in Italian, even today.

Dynamics

“Piano” = soft “Forte” = loud “Mezzo” = medium “--issimo” = very.

(pianissimo = very soft)

“pp” = pianissimo “p” = piano “mp” = mezzo

piano “mf” = mezzo forte “f” = forte “ff” = fortissimo

Dynamics is the level of loud/softness in music.

Tempo

Grave = extremely slow

Largo = very slow Adagio = slow

Andante = “walking”

Moderato = moderate

Allegro = fast Presto = very fast

Tempo means “time” in Italian and indicates the speed of the beat.

Instrument Families

Baroque String Instruments

From smallest & highest to biggest and lowest:

• Violin• Viola• Cello (sometimes called “violincello”)

Baroque Woodwind Instruments

From left to right:

• Flute• Oboe• English Horn• Clarinet• Bassoon

Baroque Brass Instruments

French Horn (round)

Trumpet (highest)

Trombone (long slide)

Tuba (hadn’t been invented yet)

Baroque Keyboard Instruments

Organ (oldest keyboard instrument)

Harpsichord(plucked strings)

Clavichord(small, house-hold instrument)

Piano(aka. Pianoforte; invented 1700s)

Old Instruments Still in Use During the Baroque

Recorders (came in different sizes)

Lute(ancestor of the guitar)