Welcome to the first lesson in our music history video series here at Liberty Park Music. In this video we will provide a brief introduction to the Baroque period in classical music history and explore some of its most notable characteristics and practitioners. The Baroque period in classical music witnessed a great expansion of the musical conventions and traditions established during the preceding Renaissance era. Compositions became more complicated, ensemble sizes increased, and the influence of Italian opera brought new drama through the era.
throughout the European musical world. In addition, composers during this time generally enjoyed the benefits of increased arts patronage, as well as the growing acceptance of non-sacred instrumental music, which fueled innovation and experimentation. The term Baroque is taken from the Portuguese word barroco, a pearl of a regular shape that was used in fine jewelry and was considered a pejorative when it was first used in the early 18th century. The term as it is used for music bears association with the extravagant works of art and architecture that were prevalent during this time, exemplified by creations such as the Palace of Versailles in France or the elaborate sacred art within St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City.
The musical trends coming out of Italy served as the greatest source of inspiration for Baroque composers, and many of the practices established by these trends remain standard to this day. Italian terms for dynamics and tempo such as forte and allegro were popularized during this time, and the heightened drama and expressivity of Italian opera greatly influenced composers throughout Europe. While there is a great deal of diversity in compositional style to be found during this period, a few key elements can be pointed to as being idiomatically Baroque. The technique of counterpoint, in which lines of musical material are woven together as independent voices, was carried over from the vocal polyphonic practices of the Renaissance era and remained a continuous influence throughout the Baroque period, reaching some of its greatest heights under the quills of the Baroque composers.
The development of a basso continuo, or continuous bass, to provide a regular reliable foundation over which both harmony and melody could interact became a prevailing compositional device, due in part to the growing acceptance of secular instrumental music and the increasing influence of Italian opera. The musical shorthand of figured bass, which uses small numbers under a bass note to indicate the harmonic intervals to be played above it, was developed in conjunction with basso continuo. Finally, Performers and composers of the Baroque period often decorated their melodies with heavy ornamentation, which could be anything from simple trills or turns to complicated arpeggios or scale figures.
In addition to these primary identifying features, several other important musical developments evolved during the Baroque period. Baroque music practices placed a greater emphasis on player skill, resulting in more virtuosic performances and more technically demanding compositions. Composers during the Baroque came to codify major and minor tonalities, which would govern the harmonic prerogatives of classical music well into the 19th century. Additionally, many instruments that would become staples of the modern classical orchestra either matured or were invented during this period. For example, the legendary Cremonese violin maker Antonio Stradivari established new standards for the construction and quality of violins throughout the early decades of the 18th century.
Meanwhile, Venetian instrument builder Bartolomeo Cristofori would invent the instrument referred to in its earliest phases as the forte piano or piano forte, which would later be shortened to simply the piano. Many of the leading musical figures during the Baroque were pioneers of form and style. Italian composer Alessandro Scarlatti helped to develop and popularize many aspects of operatic form and design, greatly influencing opera composers for generations to come. Virtuoso keyboard performer performer and composer Johann Frohberger established the well-known four-movement Baroque dance suite as a standard genre for keyboard music.
Antonio Vivaldi, a fantastically prolific composer who is most often remembered by modern-day listeners for his series of violin concertos known as the Four Seasons, spent much of his career setting the bar for the composition and performance of instrumental concertos. But the most prominent names to emerge from the annals of Baroque music history are undoubtedly those of George Frederick Handel, and Johann Sebastian Bach, both of whom left vast bodies of work that continue to inspire, amaze, and instruct music lovers the world over. Listed here are some of the major composers of the Baroque period. As with any style of music, the best way to become familiar with the sound of the Baroque is to experience a broad selection of its musical offerings.
Here is a list of pieces that exemplify the sound of the Baroque. Thanks for watching. We will continue our exploration of different periods in classical music history in future videos, so be sure to stay tuned to Liberty Park Music, and keep an eye out for our Composer Bios article series, where we will survey the lives and music of your favorite classical composers.