Baroque Period
(1600-1750)
All About The Baroque Period
• Term “baroque” has been widely used since
the 19th century to describe the period in
Western European art music.
• Baroque comes from the Portuguese word
barocco means misshapen pearl.
• This period is divided into three major phases:
early (1580-1630), middle (1630-1680), and
late (1680-1730).
Early Baroque Music
• Claudio Monteverdi- transformed music
through his imaginative development of
traditional forms.
• Church organ music was also included
• Jan Sweelinck pioneered a number of forms,
including the fugue- a contrapuntal piece,
developed mainly by imitative counterpoint
Middle Baroque Music
• In Italy, this period is defined by the
emergence of the cantata, oratorio, and opera
during 1630’s.
• More polished melodic style
Late Baroque Music
• Handel, Bach, Vivaldi, Talemann and other
composers advanced the baroque era to its
climax
EARLY BAROQUE
COMPOSERS
Claudio Monteverdi
– wrote the Vespero della
beate Vergine (Vespers of
the Blessed Virgin)
– also composed the earliest
opera which is the Orfeo
(1607)
Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
• First to write an organ
fugue
• Aquired the informal title
of the “Orpheus of
Amsterdam”
MIDDLE BAROQUE
COMPOSERS
Arcangelo Corelli
• Published collection of
concertos, sonatas, and
other works for violin
• Considered to be one of
the preeminent violin
virtuosos of his day
Jean-Baptiste Lully
• Completed 15 lyric
tragedies
• began work at the Court of
Louis XIV as an
instrumental composer and
dancer.
Henry Purcell
• Composed a number of semi-
operas such as King Arthur
(1691) and The Fairy Queen
(1692)
• He was also involved with the
advent of public concerts in
London, and composed
harpsichord and trio sonatas
for performances at these
events
LATE BAROQUE
COMPOSERS
Antonio Vivaldi
• Nicknamed il Prete Rosso (The
Red Priest) because of his red
hair, was trained in music as a
child but was ordained as a
priest
• Famous piece is the Four
Seasons
• Began his association with the
Ospedale Della Pieta, a home
for abandoned children
Alessandro Scarlatti
• Became the maestro de
cappella of the viceroy of
Naples (1684)
• Wrote over 100 operas
• Also composed 600
cantatas and number of
oratorios
Domenico Scarlatti
• Sixth son of Alessandro Scarlatti
• Likely received the best musical
education Naples had to offer
• Known for his keyboard
sonatas, in which his
borrowings from Hispanic folks
tunes and rhythms create a
unique sound that is called
“Iberian Baroque”
Georg Philipp Talemann
• By the age of 10, he was
proficient on the violin,
flute, keyboard, and zither
• He even wrote an opera,
Sigismundus, at the age of
12
George Friedrich Handel
• Secretly taught himself to play
harpsichord and later gained access
to a church organ and started to play
• Heard by the duke, he was given a
formal music education
• Became England’s favorite composer
• Lost both of his eyesight in 1753
• Famous creation: Messiah- written in
the space of 20
Johann Sebastian Bach
• Known for his compositions
for organ, orchestra, and
oratorio
• His works include the
concerto grosso, masses,
cantatas, fugue, and the
works for clavichord and
harpsichord
Music Genres
• Concerto- solo instrument accompanied by an
orchestra
• Concerto grosso
*Concertino- small group of solo instruments
*Tutti- whole orchestra
• Fugue-usually written in 3 or 4 parts
• Oratorio- narratives on religious themes
• Chorale- harmonized a version of hymnal tunes of
the Protestant Church
