Baroque Music
Instrumental music is important too!! ♩ ♪ ♫ ♬
The Baroque Era dominated music’s development in the 1600-1800. During this time period, music was believed to be a potent tool for communication. Also, the realities of patronage were evident in that only musicians belonging to a political or religious institution received a payroll.
The Musical Style and Different Forms:
With contributions from numerous composers, the music had an international style. Improvisation also impacted the musical style emenously. The most popular forms of music were opera, oratorio, cantata, sonata and concerto. Opera is still practiced today and it is a drama performed through song with choruses and dances frequently included.
Significance of the Instrumental Portion and Instruments:
In this time period, the instrumental portion of music became equally as important to music as the vocal portion was. This was done through keyboard instruments. The clavichord and harpsichord allowed for diversity in pitch throughout the music. The sonata and concerto were developed to be played by a clavichord or harpsichord. The instruments' construction was far advanced. They were made from high-quality woods by skilled workers.