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1567
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643)
A composer who trained in Renaissance style but also composed “modern” music. He would use dissonance in his music for text expression. He was a transitional figure from the Renaissance to the Baroque. His extant works includes 9 madrigal books (with some in Baroque style after 1600), masses, motets, vespers, magnificats, and operas. In 1590, he became a court composer and wrote L’Orfeo in 1607. His final opera was The Coronation of Poppea and was premiered in 1642. -
Girolamo Frescobaldi (1583-1643)
An Italian composer and virtuoso keyboard player. He’s considered to be the finest organist of the Early Baroque period. He was also a great influence on J.S. Bach. -
Francesca Caccini (1587-after 1641)
The daughter of Giulio Caccini and a soprano singer. She is the first woman to compose operas and would sing lead roles in early opera as well. By 20, she was the highest paid musica in Italy and she would compose balli, intermezzi, and sacred opera. La Liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola di Alcina is her only extant opera but she composed many more. -
Opera
Opera was invented in Florence, Italy through innovations that were promoted by the Florentine Camerata. One of the first operas was Dafne produced in Florence by Jacopo Peri in 1598. -
Dafne (1598)
One of the earliest known works to be considered opera. Dafne was produced in 1598 in Florence by Jacopo Peri. Dafne is a story that mainly focuses on the love story between the god Apollo and the nymph Dafne. -
"Baroque"
A term taken from the Portuguese word "barroco" which refers to a pearl with an irregular shape. This term was used to describe the music of the Baroque period as odd and not well-formed. -
Monody (1600s)
Refers to a solo voice accompanied by basso continuo and it considered to have homophonic texture. -
Basso Continuo
An accompanying part that involves a solo bass instrument (cello, bass viol, or bassoon) and a chording instrument (harpsichord, organ, lute, harp, etc). -
Ground Bass (1600s)
A Baroque musical form that uses a repeated figure in the bass line. -
Basso Ostinato (1600s)
A short musical idea that’s repeated over and over. -
Terraced Dynamics (1600s)
Music that suddenly gets louder or softer by adding or taking away instruments. -
Keyboards During the Baroque
The keyboards often used and were available during the Baroque period include the harpsichord, organ, clavichord, and the virginal. -
Women as Baroque Musicians
Women now had more opportunities to become professional musicians and could be employed as singers and harpsichordists in courts. -
Euridice (1600)
The first extant opera composed by Giulio Caccini and Jacapo Peri. -
Musical Style of the Baroque Era
During this era, there was a lot of ornamentation being used in the music and a lot was improvised. With this, virtuosos were highly favored. In Baroque music, the harmonies, texture, and forms were more free. Polyphony was not as important, but instead was as important as homophony. Rhythms were more regular and definite and functional harmony had been established, with each chord having its own function. Another Baroque idea was to have music arouse emotion in listeners. -
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Early Baroque (1600-1650)
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Baroque Instruments
String instruments were made of gut rather steel and woodwind instruments were often made of wood. Horns and trumpets did not have valves. -
Barbara Strozzi (1619
The daughter of a servant and Giulio Strozzi. She studied under Francesco Cavalli at the Accademia degli Unisoni which Giulio founded for her. She published eight sets of songs (dedicated to wealthy patrons), the first being published in 1644. Most of her works were arias and ariettas except for a book of madrigals and a book of cantatas. -
Aria (1640s)
Arias are extended pieces for a solo singer that has more elaboration than recit. They’re more song-like, have a steady beat, tempo, formally structured, and were very appreciated and desired during this time. -
The Coronation of Poppea (1642)
The final opera of Monteverdi that he composed at the age of 75. While early operas were based on mythology, this one was historical. -
New Genres of the Baroque Pt. 2 (1650)
The Baroque suite is a set of dances, usually contrasting in character but are in the same key. There are four types of dances: Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, and Jig (also Gigue). Allemande is German and is in 4 with a moderate tempo. Courante is French and is in 3 with a moderate tempo. Sarabande is Spanish and is in 3 with a slow and stately tempo. Jig is English and is in 6/8 or 6/4 with a fast tempo. -
New Genres of the Middle Baroque
When the middle of the Baroque era approached, there were new genres of music: sonata, concerto (three types), suite, overture, fugue. A sonata is a chamber piece for a solo instrument and keyboard or solo keyboard. The first types of sonatas were violin sonatas. Solo concertos are orchestral works for a solo instruments and orchestra. Concerto grosso is similar to solo concertos, except the soloist would be a concertino. Ripieno concertos have the entire ensemble function as one. -
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Middle Baroque (1650-1700)
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Henry Purcell (1659-1695)
A singer, organist, composer of instrumental and vocal music. He worked in the court of Charles II when stage plays were allowed. Purcell took in Europe’s musical styles of the Italian operatic style, grand aspects of French music, and the lyric melodic quality English song. -
Opera in England (1670s)
With the spread of opera throughout Italy and French, it finally arrived to England around 1670. However prior to this, during Commonwealth (1649-60), stage plays were forbidden in England because Puritans thought theaters were invention of the devil. -
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
Music director at the Pieta and a composer who composed many operas, sacred music, and instrumental works. He wrote nearly 800 concertos and is considered to be the greatest master of the Baroque concerto. -
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
One of the most skilled musicians in the Baroque and he wrote a ton of music in all genres except opera. He’s written more than 200 sacred cantatas, 20 secular cantatas, 2 Passions, and 7 choral motets. -
Dido and Aeneas Act III, Final - “When I am Laid in Earth” (1689)
Follows the ground bass form which is repeated 11 times. It is also monody. -
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Late Baroque (1700-1730s)
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Le Quattro stagioni (1725)
Le Quattro stagioni, also known as The Four Seasons, is a cycle of four violin concertos. There’s word painting in instrumental music and each concerto is accompanied by a poem that he possibly wrote.