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Period: 1551 to
Giulio Caccini
Caccini was an Italian composer, singer, teacher and instrumentalist. He was also known as one of the founders of opera during this time period. He gave a description of the new singing style in his book of "songs" of 1602. His works include 4 stage works and more than 75 songs and arias. -
Period: 1557 to
Giovanni Gabrieli
Gabrieli was an Italian composer and organist. He was noted for his use of instruments in his sacred music, His works include 90 motets, grand concertos, and instrumental music. -
Period: 1561 to
Jacopo Peri
Peri was another composer known for being one of the founders of opera. He was claimed to be the first in 1537 with his 'Dafne'. He was significant in his contributions towards monody and the recitative style. His works include 20 stage works and 30 songs. -
Period: 1563 to
John Dowland
Dowland was known as an English lutenist and composer. He served in the court of Denmark and later in life was appointed in London as one of the King's lutenists. His works include 3 books of songs, many pieces for lute, and some sacred music. -
Period: 1564 to
William Shakespeare
Shakespeare was a well known English playwright and poet. He was important in the field music from his day to the present as well. He has written numerous poems and plays, well known ones being 'Romeo and Juliet' and 'Hamlet' to name just a few. -
Period: 1567 to
Claudio Monteverdi
Monteverdi was the most important composer of the early Baroque era. He was one of the inventers of second practice- or the modern style. His works include 8 books of madrigals, vespers, and 13 operas- though not all of his works survived. -
Period: 1570 to
Florentine Camerata
In the Baroque era, intellectuals to discuss the arts, including Caccini, Peri, Girolamo Mei, and Vincenzo Galilei- this group was known as Florentine Camerata. -
Period: to
Girolamo Frescobaldi
Frescobaldi was the first modern keyboard virtuoso and composer. He was the most influential keyboard composer of the early baroque. He was the first European composer to focus on instrumental music. His works include instrumental works, sacred and secular vocal works. -
Period: to
Orlando Gibbons
Gibbons was the English composer of Anglican Church anthems. He was a keyboardist and a leading composer in 17th century England. His works include sacred choral music, anthems, and consort music. -
Period: to
Heinrich Schutz
Schutz was the most important German composer of the Middle Baroque. He studied in Venice and was reported to have composed the first German opera- though it has been lost. His works include madrigals and hundreds of choral works. -
Cantata
This is a musical genre that was created in the Baroque era, though there is no precise date- it was prominent in the 17th century. -
Period: to
Giacomo Carissimi
Carassimi was a leading composer of Roman cantats and oratorios, he was also the teacher of Charpentier. His works include a mass, motets, oratorios, and 150+ cantatas. -
30 years war
This was a war fought between European countries, which is a home to many of the composers in the Baroque era. This war may have caused many to escape and seek refuge. -
Period: to
Barbara Strozzi
Strozzi was a virtuoso singer and the most prolific composer of cantatas in the 17th century. Her works included madrigals, cantatas, and arias. -
Period: to
Giovanni Legrenzi
Legrenzi was an Italian composer and organist. He was widely influential in the middle Baroque era and used many short arias in his operas. His works include 19 operas, 7 oratorios, sacred and secular vocal works, and instrumental works including sonatas. -
Period: to
Jean-Baptiste Lully
Lully was an establisher of French opera and ballet. He was a dancer and violinist. Despite being Italian at birth, he was claimed by France. His works include 16 operas, 30+ ballets, motets, and instrumental works. -
Period: to
Dieterich Buxtehude
Buxtehude was a German organist and composer. He was one of the most important organ composer before Bach and was respected by him. His works include 100+ sacred vocal works, 100+ works for organ, and instrumental works. -
Period: to
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Charpentier was a composer of French operas and a pupil of Carissimi. He was an equal to Lully and extremely prolific. His works included 11 masses, magnificats, motets, antiphons, psalms, oratorios, airs, cantatas, operas, incidental music, and instrumental works. -
Period: to
Arcangelo Corelli
Corelli was the most important Italian composer of sonatas and concertos and was known as the most influential violinist of the Baroque era. In his time, he had 6 published collections that we know of. -
Period: to
Johann Pachelbel
Pachelbel was a German composer and organist and was a leading composer of his time. His works include liturgical organ music, Protestant church music, other keyboard works, and 2 masses. -
Period: to
Giuseppe Torelli
Torelli was a composer who contributed the most to the development of concertos around 1700. He wrote for trumpet and strings and was known as a virtuoso violinist. His works include 5 collections of chamber works. -
Period: to
Henry Purcell
Purcell was the most important English composer in the 17th century. His works include songs, anthems, sacred music, 6 stage works, incidental music, and keyboard works. -
Period: to
Alessandro Scarlatti
Scarlatti was an important Italian composer and a teacher in Naples. His death ends the Baroque opera period, but he was a teacher to many composers to come. His works include many operas, serenatas, oratorios, arias, hundreds of cantatas, 10 masses, motets, madrigals, keyboard works, concertos, theoretical and pedagogical works as well. -
Period: to
Francois Couperin
Couperin was a French composer and keyboardist. He was one of the most important French composers. His works include sacred and secular vocal works, chamber music, 27 ordres of keyboard works as well. -
Period: to
Antonio Vivaldi
Vivaldi was a famous Italian composer. He laid the foundations for late Baroque instrumental music and began to teach. He was a pioneer of orchestral music, but his death lead to being virtually forgotten by his contemporaries. -
Period: to
Georg Philipp Telemann
Telemann was the most prolific German composer during his time. He was more popular than Bach during the Baroque era and contributed significantly to concert life in Germany. His works include cantatas, Passions, oratorios, masses, psalms, motets, operas, overtures, concertos, sonatas, quartets, quintets, keyboard works, and theoretical publications. -
Period: to
Johann Sebastian Bach
Bach was considered a Baroque master as well as the master of counterpoint. He wrote no operas and became an icon for future generations and is still one of the most revered composers today. His works include 205+ cantatas, masses, magnificat, motets, suites, oratorios, passions, fugues, concertos, sonatas, keyboard works, and chorales. -
Metronome
Metronomes were roughly being experimented with at this time. Loulie stumbled across the metronome mechanics in 1694 whilst experimenting with his chronometre. -
Cristofori Harpsichord
Though the harpsichord dates back to around the 16th century, it still went through many transformations during the 17th century. During this time, Cristofori invented a harpsichord with both loud and soft dynamics, which has helped further progress the harpsichord.