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# Baroque (1600-1750) The Baroque era was a period of great developments in European music, marked by the emergence of opera, the growth of the orchestra, and an increase in instrumental music. The style gradually moved away from the complex interweaving music of medieval and Renaissance music, an...

# Baroque (1600-1750) The Baroque era was a period of great developments in European music, marked by the emergence of opera, the growth of the orchestra, and an increase in instrumental music. The style gradually moved away from the complex interweaving music of medieval and Renaissance music, and vocal music became more dramatic. ## Vocal Music * **Barbara Strozzi (1619-1677):** A Venetian female singer who composed more non-religious choral music than any other Baroque composer. Her music developed the *cantata*, a dramatic vocal piece. * **Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687):** An influential composer of the French court, known for grand operas, ballets, and theatrical music. Tragically, he died from gangrene after injuring a toe while conducting. * **Henry Purcell (1659-1695):** An English composer who blended Italian and French musical styles. He composed *Dido and Aeneas*, the first full-length English opera. ## Instrumental Music * **Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706):** A German court organist known for his keyboard and chamber music. He developed canons and fugues, musical forms where a single melody is repeated at different times by different parts. * **Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713):** An influential composer and violinist. Corelli developed new playing techniques, particularly in his *trio sonatas* – pieces for two solo instruments and basso continuo. * **François Couperin (1668-1733):** A French organist and harpsichordist who presented weekly concerts, often playing *suites*, collections of dances for one or more instruments. * **George Frideric Handel (1685-1759):** A German-born composer who moved to England; known for 40 operas, 20 oratorios, other vocal and instrumental pieces including *Water Music* (1717), which consists of three suites in different keys. * **George Philipp Telemann (1681-1767):** A famous German instrumental composer who wrote many concertos for unusual combinations of instruments and experimented with combinations of sounds from old and new instruments. * **Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741):** A violin virtuoso known for composing *The Four Seasons*. His work helped develop the concerto, a musical form with three sections for a solo instrument and accompanying orchestra. ## Other important information **Polyphony and Sacred Music:** * Polyphony became a key feature of sacred music. Plainchant was merged with multiple vocal lines, each with different words, creating pieces like motets. * Giovanni Gabrieli created elaborate masses. * Thomas Tallis composed repetitive, less complex anthems. **Musical Developments:** * **Music Staff (around 1030):** An Italian monk Guido d'Arezzo created the music staff to give notes a definite pitch. This system used four lines and spaces allows musicians to read and write music. * **15th Century Cultural Changes:** The Renaissance saw changes in Europe. Trading increased, wealthy families supported music. Music publication helped it become widely available * **12th-16th Centuries:** Composers developed polyphonic music – continuous, flowing pieces with melodic lines sung by different voice parts. Léonin, Pérotin, Guillaume Dufay, Josquin des Prez, Giovanni Palestrina, and Orlande de Lassus were important composers from this period. **Instruments:** * Many instruments originated during the Renaissance, including viols, sackbuts, and recorders. * The virginal and harpsichord were popular keyboard instruments. **Early Baroque Composers:** * **Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643):** Monteverdi's influence was crucial at the start of the 17th century. He influenced new musical styles, particularly his dramatic music or opera which used simple vocal part accompanied by an instrument playing chords underneath (basso continuo).