Approx. 1600-1750
Georg Friedrich Handel
Henry Purcell
John Blow
Georg Philipp Telemann
Johann Sebastian Bach
Claudio Monteverdi
Antonio Vivaldi
Tomaso Albinoni
Context: At this point in the history of Europe, the Church was the real economic and political power in many countries. As a result, most music at this time was written to be played in church; either as part of a religious ceremony (e.g. Mass) or as tribute to God. Composers at the time required a wealthy patron to fund their writing and hire the orchestras required to play it. As a result, the Church was patron to many famous composers of the era. Opera was also a popular art form.
Characteristics;
Heavy ornamentation of notes: lots of trills, mordents and turns.
Use of the Harpsichord (see below).
Melody and accompaniment: The orchestra is broadly separated into melody instruments (flute and violins), harmony instruments (2nd violins, violi and oboe) and the Basso Continuo- formed of harpsichord, ‘cello, bass and bassoon. The Continuo largely play exactly the same part, usually keeping time for the orchestra.
What is a Harpsichord?
A Baroque keyboard instrument and an ancestor of the modern piano. Strings were plucked instead of hammered, which created a strong attack but little sustain of the note. As a result, harpsichord parts tend to be quick and ornate to compensate for the rapid decay of each note.