The Baroque period saw the rise of absolute monarchy in Europe from 1600-1750. Music during this time emphasized drama, emotion, and ornamentation. Key developments included the birth of opera, with a new focus on instrumental music and basso continuo accompaniment. The Baroque period also saw the rise of oratorios, cantatas, and instrumental genres like concerto grosso and solo works. Characteristics of Baroque music include emphasis on rhythm, elaborate melodies, frequent changes in texture, and the use of terraced dynamics. Exemplary composers from the period were Henry Purcell, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, and Johann Sebastian Bach.

1. Music of the Baroque Period
(1600-1750)

2. Baroque Historical Highlights
Age of Absolutism; Kings and Queens are allpowerful
 Known for extreme decadence and
extravagance of aristocracy (e.g. Louis XIV and
his palace of Versailles)
 Church Splits in Two; Europe split into Catholic
countries (Italy, France, Spain) and Protestant
countries (England, Germany, Netherlands,
Sweden)


3. The Palace at Versailles

4. The King’s Bedroom,
The Opera House

5. “Baroque”
Defined

Baroque means
exaggerated or
over-ornamented;
these adjectives
relate to music and
visual arts

7. Baroque
Artistic
Highlights

Emphasis on
DRAMA
(extreme and
heightened
emotion) in
music and
visual arts
– Paintings by
Artemisia
Gentilleschi
show this
emphasis on

8. Baroque Musical Highlights
Birth of OPERA - theatrical presentations with
music and elaborate stage spectacle
 New focus on instrumental music and
instrumental accompaniment to voices
 New emphasis on chords and use of BASSO
CONTINUO
 Examples:

– Henry Purcell ”Dido’s Lament " from Dido and
Aeneas
– Claudio Monteverdi “Tu se’ morta” from Orfeo

9. Basso Continuo

Baroque accompaniment made up of a
bass part usually played by two
instruments
– A keyboard (or other chord-generating
instrument such as the lute, organ, or
harpsichord)
– Plus a low melodic instrument (such as the
cello or bassoon)

10. Baroque Music Genres

Vocal Music Genres
– Opera
– Oratorio
– Cantata

Instrumental Music
Genres
– Chamber Music
– Concerto Grosso

11. Opera

Sung theatrical work with orchestral
accompaniment
– Vocal soloists and chorus

Staged with costumes and sets

Example: HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament"
from Dido and Aeneas CD#1/69-70

12. Recitative

Vocal line in a opera, oratorio, or
cantata that imitates the rhythms and
pitch fluctuations of speech, often
serving to lead into an aria

Recitative often gets across mostly plot
information in the opera, while the Aria
communicates the character’s emotions

13. Aria

Song for solo voice with orchestral
accompaniment, usually expressing an
emotional state through its outpouring of
melody; found in operas, oratorios, and
cantatas

14. HENRY PURCELL "Dido's Lament"
from Dido and Aeneas
Aria vs. Recitative
 Listen for Basso
continuo in Recitative
 Aria built on Ground
bass - a repeating
bass line (darksounding harmony,
descending in pitch)

– Listen also for affect of
ground bass

15. Affect
The one basic mood that usually lasts
throughout a single movement or piece
of a Baroque composition
 Emotional states expressed in music
were called “affections”
 Exceptions can be found in some vocal
music where the affect may change if
the character’s emotional changes
within an aria or recitative


16. Recitative
Thy hand, Belinda, darkness shades me,
Dido tells
On thy bosom let me rest;
Belinda to
More I would bet Death invades me; leave her that
alone, so
she can
Death is now a welcome guest.
commit
suicide
Aria
Dido tells
us how she
feels about
committing
suicide
When I am laid, am laid in earth,
may my wrongs create
No trouble, no trouble in thy breast.
Remember me! But ah! Forget my fate.

17. Oratorio

Like opera - [Sung theatrical work with orchestral accompaniment for
vocal soloists and chorus] , but unstaged [without acting, scenery, or
costumes]

Uses a religious story

Example: GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL’s Messiah
– "Hallelujah" CD#2/11-16
– "Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted" CD#2/10

18. GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL’s
Messiah

"Hallelujah"
– Listen for
• Changes in texture
– Hymn-like
Homophony
– Imitative
Polyphony
– Pedal Point
• Emphasis of beat

19. GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL’s
Messiah

"Ev'ry Valley Shall Be
Exalted"
– Listen for
• Terraced dynamics
• Emphasis of beat
• Ornamented melody
• Continuous affect
• Word painting

20. Terraced Dynamics

Abrupt alternation between loud and
soft dynamic levels; characteristic of
Baroque music

21. Ev’ry valley
Extremely
ornamented
melody
Ev’ry valley shall be exalted,
And ev’ry mountain and hill made low,
The crooked straight,
And the rough places plain.
Word Painting
Ev’ry valley shall be exalted,
And ev’ry mountain and hill made low,
The crooked straight,
And the rough places plain.
The crooked straight,
And the rough places plain.

22. Cantata

Like opera, but unstaged,

Usually with religious text & mostly performed in
churches

The church cantata for the Lutheran service in Germany
during the baroque period often includes chorales
– Chorales are hymn tunes set to a German religious text

Example: J.S. BACH Cantata No. 140: Wachet auf, ruft
uns die Stimme (Sleepers Awake) Mvt. 4 [Tenor Chorale]
CD#1/71-73 & Mvt. 7 [Chorale] CD#1/74-75

23. J.S. BACH Cantata No. 140:
Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme
(Sleepers Awake)

Mvt. 4 [Tenor Chorale]
– Listen for
• Extremely ornamented
melody
• Continuous affect

Mvt. 7 [Chorale]
– Listen for
• Hymn-like homophony
• Complete and incomplete
cadences

24. Chamber Music
Uses a small group of musicians, with one player
to a part
 Meant for smaller, more intimate performance
venues
 Includes music for solo instruments

– J.S. Bach’s Organ Fugue in G Minor “The Little”

25. J.S. BACH Organ Fugue in G Minor
(The "Little")

Fugue - polyphonic composition based
on one main theme called a subject
– Subject (Main Theme) stated in different
“voices” during Exposition (imitative)
– Exposition followed by alternating
Episodes (non-imitative) and Subject
Entries (imitative)
– Countersubject - countermelody that
accompanies Subject in Exposition &
Subject Entries

Picardy Third - major chord ending
pieces in minor

26. Concerto Grosso

Composition for several instrumental soloists
and small orchestra; common in late baroque
music

Tutti vs. Soli groups
– Tutti = “all,” the entire ensemble
– Soli = a small group of featured soloists (2 or 3)

Ritornello form - Ritornello (a homophonic or
polyphonic block of music) alternating with
Episodes (contrasting melodic, softer dynamics,
virtuosic scales and arpeggios)

27. Examples of Baroque Concerto
Grosso

J.S. Bach
– Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in
D Major
– Movement 1

Antonio Vivaldi
– Concerto for Violin and String
Orchestra, Op. 8, No. 1, La
Primavera [Spring]
– from The Four Seasons
– Movement 1

28. Baroque Music Style Characteristics
Timbre
new emphasis on instrumental music & instrumental accompaniment to
voices
Rhythm
beat is emphasized; lots of forward motion
Melody
elaborate, ornamented, continuously expanding, long and winding
Form
one main theme repeated over and over
Dynamics
sudden changes from loud to soft and soft to loud called terraced dynamics
Texture
more rapid changes in texture (homophony, imitative polyphony) throughout
a single movement or piece of music
Harmony
new emphasis on chords; orchestra mainly consists of strings and basso
continuo (bass melody instrument like cello or bassoon + chord generating
instrument harpsichord, organ, or lute)
Mood
the same mood throughout movement; this heightened emotional state
called affect (vocal music is exception; vocal music has many changes of
mood, but closely follows text)

31. The Palace at Versailles

32. The Royal Chapel, Hall of Mirrors & Royal Coach

33. The Royal Chapel,

34. The King’s Bedroom, Marie Antoinette’s
Room, The Opera House

36. Henry Purcell

37. George
Frideric
Handel

38. Antonio
Vivaldi

39. Johann
Sebastian
Bach