The Music before the Classics
The rise of instrumental music; The Baroque Era 1600-1800
The Baroque Era
- Music was often written for special occasions including churches, courts, opera houses and municipalities.
- This music was the main source of entertainment for the aristocracy of this time.
- The average man was typically exposed to music from the baroque era at church because there were few public concerts.
- The Baroque era was the first era which instrumental music was just as important as vocal music. Which lead to the advance of instruments of the time.
Important Instruments of the Baroque Era
The Sonata and the Concerto
The Sonata was a very common instrumental piece that included 6 instrumental parts.
The Concerto was another common instrumental piece that was written with 2 contrasting groups of instruments, a smaller and larger group.