Baroque Period 1600-1750

The Baroque period was an important time in the history of the world. Galileo, Kepler and Newton were discovering new ways to explain the universe. In music, art, architecture, and fashion, fancy decoration and ornamentation became the rule. Both men and women wore wigs and coats with lace.

Throughout the Baroque period, composers continued to be employed by the church and wealthy ruling class. This system of employment was called the patronage system. As the patron paid the composer for each work and usually decided what kind of piece the composer should write, this limited their creative freedom.

Form

Dances were popular during this period as well as preludes, fugues, suites, toccatas and theme and variations. Binary and ternary forms were used frequently.

Harmony

Two or more melodies played at the same time created a musical texture called counterpoint. There were frequent harmonic changes. Tonality was based on major and minor keys.

Keyboard Instruments

The clavichord, harpsichord, and organ were used.

Rhythm

Emphasis was on strong beats, upbeats and fast-changing rhythmic motion. Eighths, 16ths and triplets were frequently used.

Style

Phrase and expression marks were not used. Faster notes were normally played legato; slower notes were normally played nonlegato. Ornaments were used frequently.

Trends in Baroque Music

Composers like Johann Sebastian Bach reacted to the Baroque trend of fancy ornamentation by creating complex polyphonic music consisting of elaborate melodies layered top of each other. Often these melodies contained trills and fast moving notes. The idea of using chords to accompany one or more melody lines also became common. In adition, composers began to write dynamics andtempo markings in their music. Improvisation also became common, even in the Church. Finally, composers began to use their music to express emotions such as joy and anger.

Vocal Music

The Baroque period saw the birth of a new form of music called opera. Opera combined music, acting, scenery, costumes, and props. Actors and actresses sing the script, or libretto. Some Operas are serious (opera seria), and some are funny (opera buffa). The first opera was Orfeo, by Claudio Monteverdi.

Similar to the opera is the cantata. The Cantata, like the opera, is a series of arias and recitatives. However, the cantata is not staged or acted.

Instrumental Music

During the Baroque period, instrumental music became as important as vocal music. The Baroque period saw a rise in music for flute, oboe, bassoon, trombone, valveless trumpets and horns, harpsichord, and organ. Recorders became less popular, and viols were gradually replaced by violins, violas, and cellos. Timpani was the only percussion instrument used in serious music.

Much of the music written for instruments contained several contrasting sections or movements. One example is the concerto. Concertos were developed in the second half of the 17th century by Italian composers like Torelli, Alessandro Scarlatti, and Corelli. Within 25 years, almost all major centres had their own concerto composer. One of the most famous concertos is Antonio Vivaldi's Four Seasons.

Concertos sometimes featured one soloist or a group of soloists. Concertos featuring a group of soloists were known as concerto grossos. Concerto grossos were written for a group of solo instruments and orchestra, and usually contained three movements (fast-slow-fast).

Vivaldi, "Winter" Concerto (Op. 8, No.4), mvmt. 1

Vivaldi, "Spring" Concerto (Op. 8, No.4), mvmt. 1

Corelli, Concerto Grosso in D major (Op.6, No.7) mvmt.1 .

George Frideric Handel

Born: February 23, 1685 – Halle

Died: April 14, 1759 – London

Handel Quick Facts:

Teenage Years:

Perhaps just in case Handel’s musical career was not as successful as he hoped it would be, records show that Handel had, in fact, enrolled into Halle University in 1702. A month later, Handel was appointed organist at the Calvinist Cathedral, but after one year, his contract was not renewed. Handel decided that he would follow his musical dreams and shortly thereafter, he left Halle for Hamburg .

Early Adult Years:

In Hamburg , Handel played violin and harpsichord for the only opera company in Germany that existed outside the royal courts, and also taught private lessons. Handel wrote his first opera, Almira in 1704. In 1706, Handel moved to Italy , where he gained a wealth of knowledge on setting Italian lyrics to voice. In 1710, he was appointed Kapellmeister at Hanover , but soon took leave to London . Then, in 1719, he became musical director of the Royal Academy of Music.

Mid Adult Years:

Much of Handel’s time during the 1720’s and 30’s was spent composing operas. However, he still found time to compose many other works. During the last few years of the 1730’s, Handels operas were not as successful. Afraid of his future success, he responded by focusing more on oratorio. In 1741, Handel composed the wildly successful Messiah which was originally sung by a choir of 16 and an orchestra of 40. He left to Dublin for the premiere of the piece.

Late Adult Years:

During the last ten years of Handel’s life, he regularly performed his Messiah. Because of its success, he returned to London and with a new found confidence he composed Samson along with many others. Before his death, Handel had lost his vision due to cataracts. He died on April 14, 1759. He was buried at Westminster Abbey, and it was said that over 3,000 people attended his funeral.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Bach received formal lessons in keyboard, but his virtuosity was self-taught. Bach's works include over 200 church cantatas, the Brandenburg Concertos, B Minor Mass, four passions, and the Well-Tempered Clavie

J. S. Bach Quick Facts:

While in school, Bach studied orthodox Lutheranism, logic, rhetoric, Latin and Greek, arithmetic, history, geography and German poetry.

Bach was a keyboard virtuoso. He mastered organ and later harpsichord.

Although Bach received formal lessons, his virtuosity was self-taught.

Bach's Family Background:

Bach's father, Johann Ambrosius, married Maria Elisabeth Lämmerhirt on April 8, 1668. They had eight children, five of which survived; Johann Sebastian (the youngest), his three brothers and his sister. Bach's father worked as a houseman and a musician in the ducal court of Saxe-Eisenach. Bach's mother died in 1694 and a few months later, Bach's father married Barbara Margaretha. Unfortunately, three months into his second marriage, he died of a serious illness.

Childhood:

When Bach was 9 years old, he attended his oldest brother's (Johann Christoph) wedding where he met Johann Pachelbel, composer of the famous Pachelbel Canon. When Bach's father died, he and his brother were adopted by Christoph. Christoph was an organist at St. Michaels church in Ohrdruf. Bach received his first lessons in organ from Christoph, but became "a pure and strong fuguist" by himself.

Teenage Years:

Bach attended Lyceum until 1700. While at Lyceum, he learned reading, writing, arithmetic, singing, history, natural science, and religion. He was forth in his class when he finished his schooling. He then left school and went to Lüneburg. Bach learned a bit about organ building while staying with his brother in Ohrdruf; due entirely to the frequent repairs of the church organs.

Early Adult Years:

In 1707, Bach was hired to play for special services at a church in Mühlhausen; Bach composed the music in which he was to play. Shortly there after, his uncle died and left him 50 gulden. This provided him with enough money to marry Maria Barbara. In 1708, Bach received and accepted a job offering with a higher salary from the Duke of Weimar, Wilhelm Ernst, to play in his court.

Mid Adult Years:

While in Weimar , Bach was appointed court organist, and it is supposed that he wrote much of his organ music there. Much to the Dukes liking, along with Bach's salary increases, he earned the title of Konzertmeister (concert master). Six of Bach's children were born in Weimar. After seeking the more prestigious title of Kappelmeister (chapel master), he accepted an offer from Prince Leopold of Cöthen in 1717.

Late Adult Years:

After his days in Cöthen, Bach accepted the job as Kantor at the Thomasschule. He was in charge of arranging the music of the four main churches in the town. Bach became extremely involved and composed much of his music in Leipzig . Bach spent the rest of his days there and in 1750, he died of a stroke.

Antonio Vivaldi

Vivaldi Quick Facts:

The letters "LD" or the expanded "LDBMDA" appearat the top of many of Vivaldi's scores, especially operatic scores. The letterspossibly stand for "Laus DeoBeataeque Mariae Deiparae Amen".

The scores of 21 operas, including his first and last, are stillintact.

Vivaldi once earned a 50,000 ducat annual income according tothe Venetian commonplace book Commemoriali Gradenigo.

Vivaldi wrote over 500 concertos. He is believed to be theinventor of the ritornello form.

Vivaldi's FamilyBackground:

Vivaldi's father, Giovanni Battista Vivaldi, was born in1655. Eleven years later, after the death of his father, he moved toVenicewith his mother.He worked as a barber before becoming a professional violinist. In 1676, hemarried Camilla Calicchio. Vivaldi was born in twoyears later. He was the oldest of nine children.

Childhood - TeenageYears:

Vivaldi was taught how to play violin at a young age byhis father. Together, they touredVeniceplaying the violin; similar to Mozart and his father. In 1693, Vivaldi entered into priesthood at the local churchesof S Geminiano and S Giovanni in Oleo, while livingwith his parents in the parish ofS Martino.In late 1706, Vivaldi withdrew from the priesthood, claiming that it wasbecause of his asthma. Others suspect that his musical aspirations andinterests lead him to withdrawal.

Early Adult Years:

In 1703, Vivaldi became maestro diviolino at the Pio Ospedale dellaPietà, a home for orphaned, abandoned, and indigentchildren. The Pietà specialized in the teaching ofmusic to girls who showed aptitude; comparable to modern day musical therapy.Many concerts were held and many nobles attended them. Vivaldi was in charge ofteaching the music, the upkeep of instruments, and acquiring new ones. In 1709,he was let go for economic reasons, but in 1711, he was offered the job again.

Mid Adult Years:

Vivaldi was promoted to maestro de’concertiin 1716. It was during these years that Vivaldi wrote much of his music, including many operasand concertos. In 1718, Vivaldi began to travel. Despite his frequent travels,the Pietà paid him to write two concerto's a monthfor the orchestra and to rehearse with the at least four times when inVenice. The Pietà's records show that he was paid for 140 concertosbetween 1723 and 1729.

Late Adult Years:

Vivaldi continued to lead a busy life. He traveledextensively, worked on again off again for the Pietà,and composed for many different people. Vivaldi died on July 28, 1741, while ona tripVienna,and was given a pauper's burial.