Instru-MONUMENTAL No words No prob!
Welcome to the Baroque Era!
And Thus the Orchestra is Born!
Instruments were granted credit for their individual and unique importance during the Baroque era, as the transition was made from the Renaissance in which composers weren't very specific about the instruments needed to be played. During this new time, composers specifically choice the instruments rather than the genre. The instruments themselves gained some attention as their crafting became more advanced. Organs, clavichords, and harpsichords were very important and saw the stage for both solo instrumental music, free forms and structured, and for accompanying vocal music. Sonatas were a very popular piece written for up to six instrumental parts in contrasting sections, and was most commonly a combination of two violins and a keyboard. The concerto, another instrumental form, was written for two contrasting groups, one being smaller than the other. These concertos were embraced by the well known European artists Bach and Handel. Vivaldi famously wrote over 500 concertos, traveled across Europe, and conducted and all-girls orchestra. It was truly an instru-monumental time!
Baroque Clavichord Keyboard
This was a soft toned instrument that many people had in their homes. It was a predecessor to the piano.
Johann Sebastian Bach
This German composer really embraced the originally Italian song form called a concerto.
Antonio Vivaldi
Vivaldi sure made himself memorable by writing more than five hundred concertos!