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Period: 1567 to
Claudio Monteverdi
Monteverdi was trained in the Renaissance style, but adapted at composing "modern" music. He has 9 books of Madrigals. He also wrote masses, magnificants, vespers, motets, and operas. In 1590 he became the court composer for the Duke of Mantua, but later became the choirmaster at St. Mark's Cathedral in Venice -
Period: to
Girolamo Frescobaldi
Frescobaldi was the finest Organist during the Early Baroque time. He worked at St. Peter's Cathedral and was a big influence on Bach. -
Period: to
Francesca Caccini
Francesca was the first woman to compose operas. She sang many lead roles when she was as young as 13. By 20 she was the highest paid musican in Italy -
Basso Continuo
Basso Continuo is also know as figured bass. This method of writing became very popular in the Baroque era, as it provided harmonic structure. -
Tuning System Change
During the Baroque era, the tuning system improved. All half steps were an equal distance apart. Composers would limit their music to four sharps/flats. -
Period: to
Early Baroque
The Baroque Era brought lots of improvements to music. Each chord finally had its own function. Rhythms also became more definite and regular. The functional harmony established major/minor tonality systems and a tonic that most people understood. -
Dafne
This was the first opera. It was composed by Giulio Caccini and Jacopo Peri. -
Jamestown
The first colony settled in America. They settled in what we now know as Virginia. -
Period: to
The Thirty Year War
The Thirty Year War was a struggle between the Protestants and the Catholics. This war began when the Protestants revolted againts the Holy Roman Empire. Though this war started as a religous dispute, it ended as just a fight for power. -
Period: to
Barbara Strozzi
Strozzi studied under Francesco Cavalli at the Accademia degli Unisoni. She published 8 sets of songs, each set dedicated to a different wealthy patron (except for 1 book of madrigals and 1 book of cantatas). -
La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall'isola di Alcina
This was a ballet writen by Francesca Caccini. It contained all the elements of an opera and a dancing section. -
Opera
Opera became more popular during the Baroque Era. This is because The first public opera theater opened in Venice in 1637. This allowed more than just the higher class to see operas, however, the higher class would sit in the seats, while the lower class would stand in the pit. An opera consists of a Recitative, Aria, choruses, short instrumental pieces for transitions, and beginning pieces. -
Period: to
Louis the 14th of France
The king was a very good ballet dancer. He influenced music because most compsers would make sure there was a section in their work dedicated to dancing, so that the king could dance. Because he was a dancer, there isn't a single painting of him twhere he isnt showing off his legs. -
Arias
An Aria is an extended piece for a solo singer. Compared to a recit, it's more song-like, has a steady beat and tempo, and is formally structured. Arias became very popular during this time. -
The Coronation of Poppea
This was the last opera that Monteverdi composed before he died. It was based on mythology. The Roman Emperor, Nero and Poppea are in love with each other, but are both in relationships. Nero banishes Poppea's Husband and divorces and executes his wife so that him and Poppea can be together. The characters in this opera are spread across the social ladder. This premierd in Venice. -
Period: to
Heinrich Ignaz Franz von Biber
Biber was a Bohemian-Austrian composer and violinist. He compsed Catholic sacred music, violin sonatas, and ensemble music. He creeated a violin technique that allowed him to easily reach 6th and 7th positions, play double stops, and experiment with scordatura. -
Period: to
Middle Baroque
During the mid-Baroque time, Sonata da camera and Sonata da chiesa became more popular. A Sonata da camera is usually a group of stylized dances. A Sonata da chiesa is more serious and has four movements (S F S F). -
Period: to
Arcangelo Corelli
Corelli was the master of trio sonata (two treble lines and basso continuo). -
Period: to
Henry Purcell
Purcell worked in the court of Charles II when state plays were allowed. He was also a singer, organist, and composer. His music had an Italian operatic style, grand aspects of French music, and the lyric melodic quality of English song. -
Period: to
Alessandro Scarlatti
Alessandro Scarlatti was Domenico's father. He was a teacher in Naples. His death marks the end of the Baroque Era -
A New King
As King Louis XIV became king, England became a monarchy once more -
Period: to
Elisabeth-Claude Jacquet de la Guerre
Guerre was a suite composer. She was called "the wonder of our century". -
Telescope
Isaac Newton created his first telescope in 1668. It's quite interesting to see how other subjects are evolving during these times. -
Biber: Sonata No. 1
This is a Mid-Baroque violin sonata written by Biber. The melodic line allows lots of expression from the soloist. Basso Continuo can also be seen in this piece. -
Period: to
Antonio Vivaldi
Vivaldi was know as the red priest because of his red hair. He was the music director at the Pieta. He composed many operas, sacred music, and instrumental works. He wrote nearly 800 concertos. He's considered the greatest master of the Baroque concerto. -
Salem Witch Trials
Men and women were told to be performing witchcraft, and were burned outside of Salem -
Period: to
George Philip Telemann
Telemann helped establish the french-style orchestral suite in Germany. He was also friends with J. S. Bach and the godfather of Bach's oldest son, Carl Philipp Emanuel. -
Period: to
Jean-Joseph Mouret
Mouret served the son of King Louis XIV. He composed opera, suites, adn "grand divertissements". Some of his works have been used today on TV. -
Period: to
Domenico Scarlatti
Scarlatti was a keyboard virtuoso. He had a progressive style and wrote over 500 sonatas for harpsichord, operas, cantatas, and keyboard exercises. -
Period: to
Johann Sebastian Bach
Bach was known as the greatest master of the fugue. A fugue is both a form and a genre thats based on the principle of imitation. He wrote over 200 sacred cantatas, 20 secular cantatas, and plenty other pieces. Bach's most important fugal contribution was "Well-Tempered Clavier". This was a collection of preludes and fugues issued in two volumes. He was working on another collection called "The Art of Fugue", but he died before he could finish it. -
Period: to
Handel
Handel was a very important composer. He understood the Baroque musical style and the newer Galant style. He was trained in counterpoint as well. When he composed Italian opera, his audience grew bored of his music. To please the people, he wrote more english operas. -
Period: to
Late Baroque
The Baroque Era ends with the death of Alessandro Scarlatti -
Water Music
Written by Handel, this piece was performed for a royal party on the Thames river. In the first performance of this song, the harpsichord was not used, as it couldn't fit on the barge. This piece is in Ternary (ABA) form. -
Le Quattro Stagioni
Translating to The four seasons, this is a cycle of four violin concertos. They're named "La primavera" (spring), "L'estate" (summer), "L'autunno" (autumn), and "L'inverno" (winter).