Baroque Timeline

  • Period: 1550 to

    Emilio de'Cavalieri

    One of the founders of the opera
  • Period: 1551 to

    Giulio Caccini

    One of the founders of the opera
  • Period: 1557 to

    Giovanni Gabrieli

    Italian composer famous for his works with instruments in sacred music
  • Period: 1560 to

    Lodovico Grossi Viadana

    The first composer to write a basso continuo part for a sacred concerti in 1602
  • Period: 1561 to

    Jacopo Peri

    One of the founders of opera
  • Period: 1562 to

    Ottavio Rinuccini

    First librettist for opera
  • Period: 1563 to

    John Dowland

    Leading composer of lute music
  • Period: 1567 to

    Claudio Monteverdi

    One of the inventors of seconda pratica
  • Period: to

    Heinrich Schütz

    Most important German composer in the middle baroque era
  • Early Baroque Melody

    There was homophony (meaning several parts and one melodic line) and several strong emotions in the melodies of the early baroque era
  • Early Baroque Rhythm

    Rhythms became more modern and complex than those in the Renaissance Era
  • Early Baroque Texture

    Homophony is a newer style, but polyphony is still flourishing.
  • Early Baroque Form

    Still determined by text
  • Early Baroque Dynamics

    Piano and forte are used, but without gradations like crescendos and decrescendos
  • Early Baroque Timbre

    Contrasting timbres were used in the early baroque era
  • Early Baroque Instruments

    Improvements are made to stringed instruments and organs.
  • Period: to

    Early Baroque

    ~Beginning of the development of functional tonality in a major/minor key system
    ~Opera is invented
    ~Every piece/movement reflects an emotion
    ~Music became more textured than the Renaissance Era
  • American Colonies Are Founded

  • Period: to

    Johann Heinrich Schmelzer

    The leading Austrian violinist and composer before Biber
  • Period: to

    Johann Caspar Kerll

    One of the first composers to create a thematic catalogue devoted to a single composer's works
  • Italy Opens First Public Opera House

  • Period: to

    Dieterich Buxtehude

    Most important organ composer before J.S. Bach
  • Period: to

    Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber

    Austrian violinist and composer
  • Middle Baroque Melody

    Lyrical arias and solo songs became more popular. Melodies became more organized and used more compositional techniques.
  • Middle Baroque Rhythm

    The central element in instrumental music. Dotted rhythms became more common. Dance rhythms are more important, and melodies were created around the 16th note
  • Middle Baroque Harmony

    The 24 major and minor keys developed further
  • Middle Baroque Texture

    Homophony and polyphony are used
  • Middle Baroque Form

    Fugues, da capo arias, and ritornellos became more popular
  • Middle Baroque Dynamics

    Crescendos and decrescendos are understood, but not used
  • Middle Baroque Timbre

    Ensembles are still small and the tuning system gave the music more color
  • Middle Baroque Instruments

    Stringed instruments were the most popular in instrumental music. String ensembles would be complimented by the winds.
  • Period: to

    Middle Baroque

    ~More fugues, chaconnes, and passacaglias appear.
    ~New genres including the concerto, the trio, and the sonata.
    ~Ballet is popular in France
  • Period: to

    Arcangelo Corelli

    Most important Italian composer of sonatas and concertos
  • Period: to

    Michel-Richard de Lalande

    King Louis XIV's favorite composer
  • Period: to

    Henry Purcell

    Most important English composer of the 17th century
  • Period: to

    Alessandro Scarlatti

    Important Italian composer
  • Period: to

    François Couperin

    One of the most important French composers
  • Period: to

    Antonio Vivaldi

    Italian composer who laid the grounds of foundation for the late baroque era
  • Period: to

    Georg Philipp Telemann

    German composer who was more popular than J.S. Bach at the time
  • Period: to

    Johann Sebastian Bach

    One of the most revered composers of all time
  • Period: to

    Georg Friedrich Handel

    German musician admired by Beethoven
  • Period: to

    Domenico Scarlatti

    Composer who served Portuguese and Spanish royalty
  • Early Baroque Harmony

    There was a shift from modality to tonality. Tonality became dominated by the diatonic scale.
  • Late Baroque Melody

    Melodies were often long with a developmental section that moved towards a cadence.
  • Late Baroque Rhythm

    Basso continuo drove the music and kept ensembles steady.
  • Late Baroque Texture

    Polyphony was used in churches, while homophony was used for secular music
  • Late Baroque Form

    Da capo arias are the most popular form of vocal music, ritornellos are the most common ensemble music, and fugues were used in contrapuntal music.
  • Late Baroque Instruments

    The keyboard is being tampered with, and the pianoforte is created. Bassoons could play more than basso continuo, and recorders were still being used
  • Period: to

    Late Baroque

    ~Instrumental music is more important and significant
    ~Opera was the main form of public entertainment
    ~Castrati became more popular
    ~Sevenths chords became an acceptable harmony
  • Late Baroque Harmony

    The diatonic system for the 24 major and minor scales was established. Chromaticism was now being used, and harmonic rhythms were rapid.
  • Late Baroque Timbre

    The symphony is invented in Milan
  • Late Baroque Dynamics

    Hairpin dynamics are used and a demand for dynamics is created