Baroque music describes an era and a set of styles of
European classical music which were in widespread use between
approximately 1600 and 1750. This era is said to begin in music after the
Renaissance and was followed by the
Classical music era. The original meaning of "
baroque" is "irregular pearl", a strikingly fitting characterization of the
architecture of this period; later, the name came to be applied also to its music. Baroque music forms a major portion of the classical music canon. It is widely performed, studied and listened to. It is associated with composers and their works such as
J.S. Bach's Fugues,
George Friedrich Händel's Hallelujah Chorus from
Messiah,
Antonio Vivaldi's
Four Seasons, and
Claudio Monteverdi's
Vespers of 1610. During the period,
music theory,
diatonic tonality, and
imitative counterpoint developed. More elaborate musical ornamentation, as well as changes in musical notation and advances in the way instruments were played also appeared. Baroque music developed an expansion in the size, range and complexity of performance, as well as the establishment of
opera as a type of musical performance. Many musical terms and concepts from this era are still in use today. It has general characteristics, unity of emotion, ornamentation, and a contrasting rhythm with improvisation. Its melodies usually had a continuous line moving, terrace dynamics and extensions (either adding to the music or subtracting).
See more at Wikipedia.org...
Free Download Now!
