Baroque

Features of the baroque period included:

Use of the harpsichord
polyphonic textures
contrapuntal harmonies
Terist dynamics (just loud and soft)
Small orchestra, often consisting of 4 violins, wind and brass were only used as solo instruments.
Mostly orchestras contained string instruments
ornaments were frequently used

Facts:

Opera was first composed in the baroque period. concertos, concerti grossi, sonata's and suites were the most popular forms of the baroque period.

Typical composers and there works: click on the composers to find out about them.

Fact file:

Name: Purcell

Birth and death: (1659 - 1695)

Nationality: English

Specialist genres: operas, music for stage, odes, ātheems and instrumental music.

Major works: Dido and Aeneas (1689), The Fairy Queen (1692), Te deum and Jubilate in D (1694) and Funeral music for Queen Mary (1695)

Name: Vivaldi

Birth and death: (1678 - 1741)

Nationality: Italian

Specialist genres: Instrumental music, mainly violin concertos

Major works: Over 400 concertos. including The Four Seasons (1724)

Name: Bach

Birth and Death: (1685 - 1750)

Nationality: German

Specialist genres: sacred music mainly cantatas, instrumental music and keyboard music

Major works: Brandenburg concertos (1721), 7 harpsichord concertos, 3 violin concertos and 200 contatos.

Name: Handle

Birth and Death: (1685 - 1759)

Nationality: German

Specialist genres: Italianate operas and English oratorios.

Major works: Water music (1717). Messiah (1742), 46 operas 12 concerti grossi an 15 oratorios.