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Baroque Music

A period of Western classical music (1600-1750) characterized by ornate detail, structured forms, and the establishment of major and minor tonalities.

Key Composers of Baroque Music

Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, and Henry Purcell.

Basso Continuo

Provides continuous harmonic support and rhythmic drive throughout the piece, typically played by a chord-playing instrument and a low bass instrument.

Terraced Dynamics

A feature of Baroque music involving abrupt volume shifts between loud (forte) and soft (piano), without gradual crescendos.

Polyphonic Texture

Multiple independent melodic lines played simultaneously, often featuring imitation.

Functional Tonality

The use of major and minor key systems that replaced the modal system in Baroque music.

Diatonic Harmony

Harmony built primarily from the prevailing key, using standard cadences.

Concerto Grosso

A Baroque musical form featuring a small group of soloists contrasting with the full orchestra.

Fugue

A contrapuntal composition based on a short melody (subject) introduced in imitation across voice parts.

Recitative

Speech-like singing in vocal music used to advance the plot.

Ornamentation

Decorative musical elaborations added to melodies, including trills, mordents, and appoggiaturas.

Arias

Solo songs with orchestral accompaniment, often in da capo (ABA) form.

Baroque Instrumentation

Instruments typically in a Baroque orchestra include strings (violin, viola, cello, double bass), woodwinds (recorders, flutes, oboes, bassoons), brass (natural trumpets, horns), percussion (timpani), and keyboards (harpsichord, organ).