Baroque Era Music and Opera History

Music of the Baroque Era

• Baroque music (1600-1750) is characterized by dramatic expression, ornate ornamentation, and contrast to evoke emotion.
• The orchestra was born, and new musical forms like opera and concerto emerged during this period.
• The harmonic system that dominates Western music today was established, and many popular pieces were written.

History of Opera

• Opera originated in Florence, Italy at the end of the 16th century.
• The Camerata, a group of intellectuals and musicians, played a crucial role in the development of early opera.
• The first opera, "Dafne," was composed by Jacopo Peri and performed in Florence around 1597.
• During the Baroque period, Italy remained the center of opera development, and Venice became a major hub.
• Later, Giuseppe Verdi and Giacomo Puccini were leading figures in the Romantic period.

History of the Violin

• The violin emerged in Italy during the Renaissance period, with Cremona becoming the center of violin making.
• Other towns in northern Italy, such as Brescia, Milan, Venice, and Naples, also had master luthiers creating great violins.
• Andrea Amati developed the prototypes for the violin, viola, and violoncello in the mid-1500s.
• Antonio Stradivari crafted iconic violins that set the standard for perfection.

History of the Pianoforte

• The history of the pianoforte spans several centuries, evolving from early keyboard instruments like the harpsichord and clavichord.
• Bartolomeo Cristofori, an Italian harpsichord maker, built the first piano prototype around 1700.
• Cristofori's innovation was the use of a hammer mechanism that struck the strings, allowing for dynamic volume.

Scarlatti

• Domenico Scarlatti (1685-1757) was an Italian composer known for his keyboard music, particularly his 555 keyboard sonatas.
• Scarlatti was born into a musical family in Naples and received musical training from his father and other prominent musicians.
• He served as a composer and musician in the courts of several nobles and royalty, including Queen Maria Barbara of Spain.
• Scarlatti's time in Spain influenced his musical style, incorporating elements of Spanish folk music, dance forms, and imitative counterpoint.

Vivaldi

• Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) was an Italian Baroque composer, violinist, and teacher.
• Vivaldi was best known for his violin concertos, especially "The Four Seasons."
• He wrote over 500 concertos, 46 operas, and numerous sacred choral works and other instrumental pieces.
• Vivaldi was a significant influence on the development of the concerto form and the Baroque style.
• "The Four Seasons" depicts scenes from each season of the year, with each concerto accompanied by a sonnet describing the scenes and events that the music portrays.