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de'Cavalieri was one of the founders of the genre of opera. This Roman nobleman was the first to publish a figured bass, as well as compose the earliest surviving play set entirely to music. He was a teacher, organist, pianist, dancer, and choreographer.
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Another founder of opera, Caccini was an Italian composer, teacher, singer, and instrumentalist. He wrote a book of songs describing the new style of singing (opera) called "Le nuove musiche."
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Gabrieli was an Italian organist and composer, as well as the nephew of Andres Gabrieli (of the Renaissance era). G. Gabrieli was best known for his use of instruments in his sacred music.
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Peri is another founder of the genre of opera. His opera, "Dafne," is recognized by most as the first opera, produced in 1597. His other notable achievements are his work in monody (a single actor singing an ode in a Greek tragedy) and the recitative (music arranged like speech) style.
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Rinuccini was the first librettist for opera. He worked closely with Monteverdi, among others, and was an important part of shaping this new genre. In addition to being a librettist, Rinuccini was also a poet.
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Dowland was a lutenist and known as the leading composer of music for the lute at the time. He served courts in Denmark and later in London. His music was picked up in 2006 by Sting, which re-popularized his music.
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Shakespeare is one of the most well-known playwrights and poets, even today. His works have always been important for the field of music, dating back to when he first started writing and still today.
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Monteverdi was ahead of his musical time; being the most important pivotal figure between the Renaissance and Baroque eras. He is credited with creating the seconda pratica style, moving from the older style of prima pratica. He wrote 8 books of madrigals as well as 13 operas, but unfortunately not all survived.
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The Camerata was group that began in the 1570s, where many intellectuals of the time, such as Peri, Caccini, Girolamo Mei, and Vincenzo Galilei, gathered to discuss the arts. The Camerata's musical experiments and explorations helped facilitate the birth of dramatic music, the recitative style, and opera.
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d'India was an Italian singer and composer. He was the second-most distinguished and well-known composer of secular music during the time period of Early Baroque. He was second only to Monteverdi.
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Gibbons was a leading composer and keyboardist in 17th century England. He was a big proponent of Anglican Church anthems.
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Frescobaldi was the most influential composer for keyboards in the Early Baroque period. In addition, he was the first modern composer and keyboard virtuoso, as well as the first European composer who focused attention on composing instrumental music.
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Schütz was the most important German composer of the Middle Baroque era. He wrote the first German opera, which unfortunately has been lost to time.
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Opera became one of the pivotal shifts from the Renaissance era to the Baroque era. Opera started in Italy when the 16th century was nearing its end. "Dafne" is known as the first 'opera,' written by Jacopo Peri in 1597.
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Early Baroque ushered in basso continuo, which led to the rise of homophony- a stark contrast from the favored texture of the Renaissance, polyphony. Monody and recitative music were focuses of this era, furthering this homophonic move. Another big thing of this early Baroque period was emotion. Composers believed that every piece or movement should convey an emotion, not from the perspective of the composer, but from the audience themselves.
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Carissimi was a leading composer of oratorios and cantatas. He was also the teacher of Charpentier, a notable figure in the Middle Baroque period.
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Strozzi was the most prolific cantata composer of the 17th century. In addition to her compositions, Strozzi was well know for being a virtuoso singer.
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Legrenzi was quite influential in the Middle Baroque time period. Legrenzi was an Italian composer and organist, and operas were known for having many arias, close to 90, in them.
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Though born Italian, Lully is claimed by the French, as his work contributed to them. Lully is known as the founder French ballet and opera. In addition, he was a dancer and violinist.
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Buxtehude was the most important German composer and organist until J.S. Bach. His compositional organ work was respected by Bach.
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Charpentier was a student of Carissimi and as distinguished as Lully. He was an extremely prolific composer of French operas, as well as masses, oratorios, and many other works.
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Blow was an English organist and composer of odes. In addition to his extensive repertoire of over 100 songs, he was the teacher of Purcell.
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In the Mid-Baroque era, instrumental music started to become popularized, creating genres like trios, sonatas, and concertos. Italian operas were more refined in how recitatives and arias were arranged, and in 1637, Venice opened a public opera house, allowing it to become more accessible to the general public. This era also ushered in counterpoint in instrumental compositions, creating new forms of music there as well. Rhythm became the central element in instrumental compositions.
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Corelli was the most important and influential violinist of the Baroque period in general. In addition, Corelli was the most important composer of sonatas and concertos.
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Pachelbel was a leading composer of his time. He was a proficient German composer and organist; developing organ music, church music, 2 masses, and other keyboard works.
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Torelli was a virtuoso violinist who composed for trumpet and strings. He is known for contributing the most to developing concertos in the 17th century.
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Purcell is considered the most important English composer of he 17th century. He wrote sacred works, stage works, anthems, and much more.
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Scarlatti was so important to Baroque music, that his death marked the end of the Baroque opera period. He was a teacher of many galant (simpler style than Baroque) composers to come in the Classical era.
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Couperin was a French keyboarder and composer. His works were so well-known, he himself is known as one of the most important French composers.
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Keiser was a German composer, most known for his operas, of which he composed over 80. He was the central figure of the late Baroque for German opera.
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Vivaldi laid the groundwork for the Late Baroque style of instrumental music. He was a pioneer of orchestral music as well. However, his work was forgotten by his peers at his death.
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Telemann is hailed as the most prolific composer of his day, even surpassing J. S. Bach during the Baroque era. Telemann's work significantly contributed to concert life in Germany.
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Rameau was a popular composer and theorist of the 17th and 18th centuries. Though he composed quite a number of works, he is better known for his work as a theorist.
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Durante was a leading composer of church music. In addition to his galant style of composing, he was also a teacher to other composers.
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Bach is known as the master of counterpoint and of the Baroque style. Though he never wrote an opera, as did many of the time period, his work became an icon for future generations and is still frequently used today.
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Händel was a German composer who lived in England. His works were an object of Beethoven's respect above all others. Händel also was the inventor of the English oratorio.
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D. Scarlatti was the son of Alessandro, and followed in his father's footsteps as a keyboard composer and virtuoso. He had a more progressive style of composing that he was very aware of, and his works allowed him to serve on Spanish and Portuguese courts.
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Quantz was a German composer and flutist. He also was the flute teacher of Fredrick the Great in Berlin. In addition, Quantz wrote 204 sonatas, as well as over 300 concertos.
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As the late Baroque era began, instrumental music continued to elevate in importance. Serious opera became the primary source of entertainment, but public concerts also became a source. Composers' livelihoods depended on public venues and courts, and the courts were the primary patrons of the arts. Some churches also offered composers and performers steady jobs, but the best money was in opera. Lastly, the success of opera brought about competition among composers for the best singers and gigs.
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Pergolesi was a composer in a galant Neapolitan style who died very young. His achievements were romanticized in death, and one of his intermezzos sparked a war in Paris in 1752.