Opera evolved out of musical interludes called intermedi that were used to segway between acts of a play. The Baroque period also saw the rise of opera, which was an epic marriage of music, storytelling, choreography, acting, set painting, and costume design. Just listen for that driving harpsichord, and you’ll know it’s Baroque music. Consequently, these instruments were known as continuo instruments (Burkholder, Grout, and Palisca 301).īeing able to detect this distinctive accompaniment style is one way to discern Baroque music from all other styles. The basso continuo was usually realized by two musicians: one playing harpsichord, organ, or lute and another playing viola da gamba, cello, or bassoon. One such accompaniment technique was known as basso continuo, or as thoroughbass, and it involved a kind of shorthand for keyboardist and bass instrumentalist to realize musical figures together (Burkholder, Grout, and Palisca 301).įunctioning somewhat like a jazz lead sheet, thoroughbass notation was a straightforward way of writing down the complex ideas involved in musical accompaniment. On a more down-to-earth matter, the Baroque period also saw theoretical advancements in accompaniment technique. Rene Descartes, the French philosopher responsible for defining the “affections” idea, suggested that experiencing music, art, and architecture was akin to experiencing the metaphysical essence of existence itself. Known as the Doctrine of Affections, this theory stipulated that sense stimuli (such as listening to music) caused perturbations within one’s soul that evoked powerful emotions like sadness, love, anger, and joy (Burkholder, Grout, and Palisca 296).
In addition to these styles, a theory based on the interaction between mind and soul evolved during the Baroque Period that greatly affected music. And the concerto was an orchestral piece featuring one focus (or lead) instrument (Burkholder, Grout, and Palisca).The oratorio was a choral composition similar in scale and scope to opera but based on religious themes instead of secular ones.The sonata was a composition for one solo instrument.Many of the common “classical” styles evolved in the Baroque Period, including the sonata, the oratorio, and the concerto: The word Baroque comes from barroco which means “imperfect pearl” in Portuguese and was first used by journalists to pejoratively describe art and architecture of a strange and peculiar nature (Norton/Grove 61). Composers produced music of this sort for an approximately one-hundred-and-fifty-year period between 16. The music of the Baroque Period was characterized by ornate melodies, dense harmonies, and harpsichord-driven orchestras.
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