The document provides information about Baroque music between the 17th and early 18th centuries. It describes the social and political context of the time, with monarchies, aristocracies, and the church holding power. Music was used to display authority in courts across Europe. The document outlines characteristics of Baroque music like basso continuo, melodies with accompaniment, and contrasts. It also discusses the development of instrumental music and forms like sonatas, concertos, and suites. Secular vocal music like opera and oratorios are also summarized. The document concludes with brief biographies of important Baroque composers like Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Corelli.

1. •Artistic period that developed
during 17th century until the first
half of the 18th century.
•The institutions in power were the
monarchy, the aristocracy and the
church.
Baroque period

2. Music in the Baroque period
• Music was used to display power and
authority.
• In the courts of Europe, music became
the protagonist of big social events.
• Patronage: musicians were employees
who worked for these institutions in
power to complete assignments with
deadlines.

3. Baroque music: main
characteristics
 Basso continuo: composition
technique that uses a bass line over
which chords are built up. Harpsichord,
organ or lute were the musical
instruments used to play the basso
continuo.
 Accompanied melodies: one voice or
instrument played the main melody
while other instruments played the
accompaniment.

4. Baroque music: main
characteristics
EJEMPLO DE “BAJO CONTINUO”,
“MELODÍA ACOMPAÑADA” Y
“CONTRASTES”
 Corelli - Sonata da chiesa op. 3 n. 2 in Re
maggiore (score)

5. Baroque instrumental music
 Instrumental music achieved total
independence from vocal music.
 Its development was due to the
technical evolution of instruments and
the birth of the Baroque orchestra.
 The violin became the most important
string bowed instrument due to its bright
sound and its expressive effects.

6. Instrumental Baroque music
forms
 Sonata: was written for one or various
instruments and was composed in
different movements of contrasting
tempos, usually in four movements, slow
– fast – slow – fast.
 Domenico Scarlatti - Sonata D-dur (K. 119)
 Trio Sonata in D Major, Op. 3, No. 2 by
Arcangelo Corelli
 A.Vivaldi: Sonata a, RV 86
 J.S. Bach: Sonata in A Major for Violin and
Harpsichord BWV 1015, Presto

7. Instrumental Baroque music
forms
 Concerto: music form written for one or
many different soloist instruments and
orchestra. When is written for more than
one soloist, is called concerto grosso.
 Handel, Allegro from Concerto Grosso in G Major
op. 6 no. 1
 Vivaldi Concerto for violin in E minor RV
273
 A. Corelli, Concerto Grosso op. 68, "fatto per la
notte di natale"
 Bach: Brandenburg Concerto No. 1

8. Instrumental Baroque music
forms
 Suite: was composed in various movements,
usually around six, each one of different
characters and rhythm. Each of the
movements were inspired by ancient dances,
like Allemande, Courante, Sarabande, Bourée
and Gigue.
 Handel - Water Music Suite No. 2
 Johann Sebastian Bach: Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D
major
 Telemann - Suite in A Minor TWV55:a2
(excerpts)

9. Secular vocal baroque music
 The OPERA: music form surged from the
combination of theatre, literature and music.
 The OPERA was born in Italy at the beginning of
the 17th century.
 THE FLORENTINE CAMERATA, also known as
Camerata d´Bardi, was a group of intellectual
nobles and artists who met to discuss topics
related to literature, music and art. They
discovered theatrical representation in ancient
Greece were sung, and they decided to imitate
them.
 They choose a mythological topic, wrote the
text and composed the music. This is how
opera originated.

10. Secular vocal baroque music
 OPERA is a dramatic work with music, in which
the actors speak through singing and are
accompanied by orchestra.
 CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567-1643): is the
most representative composer of Baroque Italian
opera in the 17th. Century.
 Others opera composers in the Baroque period
were Henry Purcell in U.K. and the English
nationality George Friedrich Händel (Haendel),
from Germany.

11. Secular vocal baroque music
 The OPERA is divided in:
1. OVERTURE or PRELUDE, that is an
instrumental part that serves as an
INTRODUCTION.
G.F. HÄNDEL, OUVERTURE ( RINALDO
)
Henry Purcell - Abdelazer / Overture
2. SUNG PARTS, which are ARIAS,
RECITATIVES and CHOIRS.

12. Secular vocal baroque music
ARIA: sung part in which one or two vocal
soloist sing emotive lyrics with expressive
melodies. It allows the singers show.
Claudio Monteverdi, L'Orfeo, Vi
ricorda, o boschi ombrosi
G.F. Händel, "Lascia Ch'io Pianga",
aria

13. Secular vocal baroque music
RECITATIVES: very basic melody with a
very simply accompaniment by the
bajo continuo; its function is to
streamline the storytelling.
Handel - Agrippina 'Nulle sperar da me'.
Gens
CHOIRS: is the part of the opera where
all sencondary characters sing
together.

14. Secular vocal baroque music
3. INTERLUDES, these are instrumental
parts that facilitate the transition
between the different parts of the
OPERA.
H. Purcell, Fairy Queen, Interlude

15. Religious vocal baroque music
 Kept its relevance during the
Baroque era.
 It was used by the Church in
liturgical celebrations, also as an
instrument to influence believers,
and to display economic power.

16. Religious vocal baroque music
 The Protestant Church kept the
chorale as the most representative
music form.
J.S. Bach ,CHORALE Befiehl du deine Wege (
Mathew Passion)
 The Catholic Church kept
Renaissance music forms such as
the mass and the motet, and
created new ones like the oratorio,
cantata and passion.

17. Religious vocal baroque music
 ORATORIO: was similar to the opera,
but with a religious story, lot of choirs
and a narrator, based on religious or
secular text. One of the best known
oratorio is “The Messiah” by G. F.
Händel.
El Mesias de Händel-obra completa-
subtitulada (Aleluya 2:17:00)

18. Religious vocal baroque music
 PASSION: it is a religious vocal music
form, very similar to the oratorio but the
story is based on the Jesus Christ´s
passion and death.
Bach, Matthäus-Passion
 Saint Matthew´s passion: Its lyrics are
based on Martin Luther´s translation of
Saint Matthew´s gospel, poems by
Christian Friedrich Henrici and Lutheran
chorals.

19. Religious vocal baroque music
 CANTATA: it is a vocal music form
based on religious or secular text
which uses solos, orchestras and
choruses but it doesn´t narrate a story.
J.S. Bach composed more than three
hundred cantatas.
Bach Cantata 147 - Chorale - Jesu bleibet
meine Freude - Harnoncourt

20. Composers of Baroque Music
 Johann Sebastian Bach, George
Friedrich Händel, Antonio Vivaldi,
Arcangelo Corelli, George Philipp
Telemann, Henry Purcell, Domenico
Scarlatti, Francoise Couperin, Jean-
Baptiste Lully, Johann Pachelbel were
Baroque Composers.
 The most famous were J.S. Bach, A.
Vivaldi, G.F. Händel, A. Corelli, H.
Purcell and G.P. Telemann.

21. Composers of Baroque Music
 George Friederich Händel (1685-1759):
originally from Germany, he spent most of his
career in England, where he became famous. He
worked for the British court composing works that
contributed to the solemnity of the events
attended by the king. He composed operas,
suites (Water Music and Music for the Royal
Fireworks),concertos and the very famous
oratorio The Messiah (Aleluya).
Handel Water Music: Hornpipe
Händel: La Rejouissance bfrom the Music
for the Royal Fireworks;

22. Composers of Baroque Music
 Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741): He was born in
Venice, Italy; he was a great composer of
instrumental music, he composed more than
five hundred concertos for solo instruments.
 He established the definitive structure for the
concerto, he used three parts or movements
of different character and tempos.
 Vivaldi is celebrated mostly for his four
concertos for violin and orchestras called The
Four Seasons.

23. Composers of Baroque Music
Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)
The four Seasons
1. Vivaldi “The spring" Maria Dueñas
(violín)
2. A. Vivaldi "The summer" Maria Dueñas
(violín)
3. A. Vivaldi "The autumn" Joaquín Torre
(violín)
4. A. Vivaldi "The winter" Joaquín Torre
(violín)

24. Composers of Baroque Music
Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685 – 1750)
 He is probably considered the most great figure
of the Baroque era.
 He was German composer and organist.
 He composed both instrumental music (sonatas,
suites and concertos) and vocal music (cantatas,
chorales, passions, masses).
 He worked as a musician of the court, where he
composed great works such as the Brandenburg
Concertos and his Orchestral Suites.

25. Composers of Baroque Music
Johann Sebastian Bach
(1685 – 1750)
Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G major, BWV
1048
Badinerie_Orchestral Suite_Bwv1067
Bach Concerto for violin and oboe (Adagio)
Concerto for oboe & violin BWV 1060 (Completo)