The Baroque Style

Definition and Characteristics of Baroque Music

Baroque music is a style of Western art music composed from approximately 1600 to 1750.
The term Baroque comes from the Portuguese word barroco, which means “misshapen pearl”. It was initially a term of scorn before it was later redeemed by historians.
Distinguishing features of the Baroque style include polyphonic texture, a strong sense of rhythm, and complex ornamental melodies.

Some notable composers during the Baroque period include Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and George Frideric Handel.
Johann Sebastian Bach is famous for his complex compositions, particularly his fugues, and his use of counterpoint.
Antonio Vivaldi is well-renowned for his concertos, particularly “The Four Seasons”.
George Frideric Handel is known for creating many bold and virtuosic works, including his impressive series of oratorios.

The concerto was a popular form of music during the Baroque era, especially the solo concerto where a single solo instrument is accompanied by an orchestra.
A Baroque Concerto usually follows a three-movement structure (fast-slow-fast), enabling the soloist to show off their virtuosity and teamwork with the ensemble.
Concerti grossi, a form of baroque concerto, have a contrasting group of instrumental soloists (the concertino) act in opposition to the full orchestra (the ripieno).

Improvisation played an extremely important role in Baroque music, and performers were expected to add their own embellishments, especially in the solo parts of concertos.
Improvisation procedures might also have been used in preludes to larger pieces, or to develop simple figured bass into a full keyboard part.

The Baroque style often incorporates terraced dynamics — sudden shifts in volume level rather than gradual fades.
This is linked to the invention and use of the harpsichord, which doesn’t allow for gradual changes of volume. Instead, the volume can only change by adding or subtracting additional voices or parts.

The innovations of the Baroque era - including the establishment of major-minor tonality and advances in instrumental technique - laid a foundation for much of the music that followed, making it a vital period in musical history.