Music of the Baroque Period – Lecture Review

These flashcards review key people, terms, genres, characteristics, and historical facts about Baroque music and its major composers.

From which Portuguese word is the term “Baroque” derived, and what does it literally mean?

It comes from the Portuguese word “barroco,” meaning an oddly-shaped pearl.

Between which years does the Baroque period in Western European art and music generally fall?

Approximately 1600 to 1750.

List three common descriptors of Baroque style mentioned in the notes.

Bizarre, flamboyant, and elaborately ornamented

Which astronomer’s 16th-century theory helped expand people’s perception of the universe during the Baroque era?

Copernicus, who proposed that the planets do not revolve around the Earth.

Name two scientists or thinkers, other than Copernicus, who influenced the Baroque intellectual climate.

Galileo Galilei and philosophers such as Descartes, Hobbes, Spinoza, or Locke.

Identify two great visual or literary artists who were contemporaries of the Baroque period.

Rubens, Rembrandt, and William Shakespeare (any two).

What is meant by the ‘Basso Continuo’ (figured bass) in Baroque music?

A continuous bass line providing framework for playing the bass line of the piece.

What Baroque concept states that a single movement should maintain one dominant emotional state or mood?

The Doctrine of Affections

Which instrument family was considered especially important in Baroque ensembles?

The string section.

Which new tonal system replaced medieval modes during the Baroque era?

The major/minor key system.

Why was the invention of the major/minor key system significant for composers?

It enabled modulation from one key to another related key.

Give two contrasting qualities frequently used in Baroque compositions.

Dynamic contrasts (loud vs. soft) and timbral contrasts (different instrumental colors).

What single-melody form is characterized by highly complex contrapuntal development?

The fugue.

Name three common Baroque musical genres other than opera.

The chorale, oratorio, and dance suite (any three from chorale, concerto grosso, dance suite, etc.).

Define ‘monody’ in the context of early Baroque music.

A solo vocal line with instrumental accompaniment.

What does the Italian term ‘camerata’ literally mean, and why is it important?

It means “salon” or “chamber”; it refers to a group of Florentine intellectuals who pioneered early opera and monody.

Translate ‘Le nuove musiche.’ What did it signify?

‘The New Music,’ referring to the early Baroque collection and style promoting monody and expressive solo singing.

What is an opera overture?

An instrumental introduction played at the beginning of most operas.

In opera, what are ‘recitatives’?

Speech-like musical passages that deliver text quickly and advance the plot.

Distinguish between ‘opera seria’ and ‘opera buffa.’

Opera seria has serious subject matter; opera buffa is lighter and often comic.

What is a ‘tragédie lyrique’?

The French Baroque form of serious opera, blending drama, dance, and music.

Explain the structure of a typical concerto grosso.

A small group of soloists (concertino or ripieno) contrasts with a larger ensemble (tutti), usually in three movements fast-slow-fast.

In Baroque terminology, what does ‘tutti’ refer to?

The full ensemble or larger group of instruments in a concerto grosso.

What is the literal meaning of the word ‘fugue,’ and why is it apt?

From Latin ‘fuga’ meaning ‘flight,’ referencing the subject’s musical ‘flight’ from one voice to another.

Define ‘oratorio.’

A large-scale musical work for soloists, chorus, and orchestra on a sacred or serious text, performed without staging.

In Protestant worship, what musical form parallels the Catholic Gregorian chant?

The chorale.

Who initiated the chorale tradition in Protestant services?

Martin Luther.

What title is often given to Johann Sebastian Bach regarding his compositional skill?

The greatest master of harmony and counterpoint.

Provide Bach’s birth and death years.

Born 1685, died 1750.

Name three famous compositions by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Brandenburg Concertos, Well-Tempered Clavier, and Toccata and Fugue in D minor (among others such as Minuet in G or Air on the G String).

Which position did Bach hold from 1723 until his death?

Director of music at St. Thomas Church (Thomaskirche) in Leipzig.

Why was Bach considered ‘old-fashioned’ during his lifetime?

His style was seen as conservative compared to emerging musical trends, and wider recognition of his genius came posthumously.

Which two major Baroque composers were born in the same year, 1685?

Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel.

Where was George Frideric Handel born, and where did he spend most of his career?

Born in Halle, Germany; spent most of his career in London, England.

Give two genres for which Handel is especially renowned.

Operas and oratorios (also anthems and organ concertos).

Which royal position did Handel accept in 1710?

Kapellmeister to George, Elector of Hanover (future King George I of Great Britain).

Name three well-known works by Handel.

Messiah, Water Music, and Royal Fireworks (also Rinaldo, Almira, Rodrigo, Agrippina, Joshua, etc.).

What personal characteristic of Handel is highlighted regarding his private life?

He never married and kept his personal life very private.