3 The Baroque
Introduction
During the Baroque period, music, like visual art of the time, contained numerous small details and ornamentations while being monumental in scope. The origins of opera, the rising popularity of instrumental music, and the late Baroque figures of Handel and Bach were especially important during this time.
As we dive into the music of the Baroque, it’s worth reviewing what the term “Baroque” means—the word comes from the Portuguese barroco, irregularly shaped pearls used for decor and jewelry. Related terms include extravagant, ornate, excessive, rough, bold, and convoluted. Originally, the term was used negatively, to describe a work that was ornamented to the point of distortion or excess. If you like it, it comes across as detailed and rich. If you don’t, it appears busy, jagged, and over-the-top. What do you think about Baroque music and art? Do all of the ornaments and details appeal to you, or do they make it too busy?
Generally speaking, musically, Baroque works tended to use the same general rhythmic patterns and convey the same general mood or affect throughout a piece; composers began indicating the dynamics, or volume, or their pieces, and dynamics would dramatically shift from loud to soft or soft to loud.
A Sample of Events from History and the Arts
- 1607: Monteverdi performs Orfeo in Mantua, Italy
- 1618-1648: Thirty Years War
- 1623: Galileo Galileo publishes The Assayer
- 1642-1651: English Civil War
- 1643-1715: Reign of Louis XIV in France
- 1649: Descartes publishes Passions of the Soul
- 1678: Vivaldi born in Venice, Italy
- 1685: Handel and Bach born in Germany
- 1687: Isaac Newton publishes his Principia
- 1741: Handel Messiah performed in Dublin, Ireland
- 1750: J. S. Bach dies
Baroque Architecture and Music
For examples of Baroque architecture, consider images of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome (particularly the tall altar canopy in Figure 3.2 below) or the Palace of Versailles (Figure 3.1 above). Note how large surfaces are covered in ornate detail, from smaller sculptures to gold leaf patterns. In comparison, Baroque music is supported by a foundation called “basso continuo,” where a few performers build a harmonic foundation of chords over a moving bassline—the melody sitting on top of this support is filled with all sorts of ornamentations and embellishments.
Baroque Painting and Music
The Baroque is interested in the dramatic, and this is especially seen in painting. The subjects are often dramatic, as in Artemisia Gentileschi’s Judith Beheading Holofernes. There are often strong contrasts in colors and lights and darks. In addition to Gentileschi, find some images of Baroque painters like Rubens or Caravaggio. Note how dark and light sharply contrast against each other or the powerful, emotional imagery. Baroque music often sought to evoke a specific emotion; an entire piece would reflect one mood. Contrast was used to stark effect in music, like the terraced dynamics (sudden and dramatic chan