In our last article<\/a>, we looked at the origins of classical music, beginning with the ancient Greeks and ending with the Renaissance. Western art\/concert music, what we now popularly call classical music, began with simple monophonic chanting and developed more complexity with the introduction of polyphony as time progressed. A primary feature of early Western music was that it was voice-based \u2014 instruments were used sparingly. It wasn’t until the end of the Renaissance that Western music began shifting to become predominated by instruments. <\/span><\/p>\nIn today’s article, we’ll take a musical tour of the Baroque era. Put on your powdered wig, and let’s get going. <\/span><\/p>\nThe Baroque Era (1600-1750)<\/h2>\n
The Baroque era began roughly around 1600 with the composition of the first opera and lasted until the death of Johann Sebastian Bach in 1750. <\/span><\/p>\nThe word “baroque” comes from Portuguese and means “irregular pearl.” It was originally used to unflatteringly describe the art, architecture, and music produced in the 17th and 18th centuries. Early critics thought the art, music, and architecture of the 1600s and early 1700s were too ornate and too flamboyant. But with time, “baroque” lost its reproachful meaning.<\/span><\/p>\nBaroque music is big, elaborate, intricate, and emotional while being governed by logic and order. The logic and order of Baroque music laid the foundation for musical notation and theory that we still use today. <\/span><\/p>\nIt was also during the Baroque period that Western music began to be primarily instrumental. The harpsichord was a favorite instrument of Baroque composers. If you hear a classical piece with a harpsichord, chances are it’s from the Baroque era. <\/span><\/p>\nA funny aside about harpsichords: Conductor Sir Thomas Beecham, who wasn\u2019t a fan of the instrument, once compared the sound of a harpsichord to “two skeletons copulating on a tin roof in a thunderstorm.\u201d Lol. Sir Beecham has no chill. <\/span><\/p>\nWhat was behind the bigness, the ornateness, and the orderliness of Baroque music? Well, a few things: <\/span><\/p>\nFirst, the Baroque period saw the rise of monarchs with absolute power \u2014 think King Louis XIV of France. This centralization of power into a single individual led to a demand for architecture, art, and music that could enhance the prestige of a monarch and their royal courts. Composers were hired to write music that glorified the king and added to his larger-than-life image. <\/span><\/p>\nSecond, during the Baroque era, you saw significant scientific advances. Newton discovered that laws and mathematics governed the universe. Musicians began to apply this scientific view to their music by writing pieces governed by logic, order, and math.<\/span><\/p>\nThird, in response to the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Church began the Counter-Reformation that saw the embrace of music as a way to win souls. You start to see a shift away from plainchant music in churches towards elaborate, dramatic, highly emotional musical pieces designed to inspire religious awe in the listener. <\/span><\/p>\nCharacteristics of Baroque Era Music<\/h2>\n
Counterpoint.<\/b> Counterpoint is a technique of composing with interdependent yet independent melodic lines. A piece with counterpoint will have two lines of melody that can be played independently, but when put together, form a complex and cohesive piece of music rich in texture. The fugue is a musical form developed during the Baroque era that used counterpoint. Here’s an example of a fugue that showcases counterpoint beautifully. Note how complex and textured it sounds:<\/span><\/p>\n
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