The Baroque Era

The word baroque emanates from the term barroom which is Portuguese (Zirpolo, 2018). According to Jean-Jacquese Rousseau, baroque music is a type of music which consists of a confused harmony, filled with dissonances and modulations, difficult intonation, entirely original and hard melody, and limited movement. The baroque period is one that was exceptionally decorated and gives a reflection of the intricacy and challenging form of the musical arrangements. Other individuals have perceived the baroque music to how one can listen to many individuals having a conversation at the same moment. The baroque era was further compared to other types of fine art, which include construction. The period was found to have begun during the 1570s as the Renaissance music developed to a style that featured the baroque aspects. There is much agreement that the baroque era came to an end during the middle of the eighteenth century. The music era of the Baroque period changed culture and knowledge. Changes in protestant ways had altered the religious landscape and theological inclinations in Europe. As a result, Europe had moved towards humanism and rationalism with an objective of guiding philosophy and policies. It is argued that the Baroque period can be regarded as the last stage of the Renaissance or rather the start of a modern period. Despite the numerous arguments in this regard, it is evident that the baroque era was the commencement of Counter-Reformation or rather the response of the Catholic Church to protestant changes as started by Martin Luther and also an end to changes that could shake the universe both in the industrial and political sphere, moved over the Americans and Europeans.

The baroque era was known to be contradictory and complicated (Irwin, 2018). Absolute monarchies and counter-reformation exemplified the more significant part of the Catholic in the Southern part of Europe. In the northern region, there was a development in Protestantism, as well as growth in capitalism. There were hugely different arts that were formed to help in serving the church, free Northern European and monarch burgers. In the philosophy of the southern display, the need to arouse demonstrative states through making appeals to the senses, usually through ways that are dramatic. This predisposition can be experienced, for instance, in the theatrical manifestation created for Louis XIV. On the other hand, most of the Northern European art which was austere and restrained, similar to the middle class that is quiet gestures of Jan Vermeer who was a calm painter.

The baroque was regarded as a time of scientific invention (Braider, 2017). Galileo and Descartes hypothesized a modern technique of seeing things regarding nature that was not founded on church tenets or Greek philosophy, even though it was done on the premise of analyzing laws that are physical. Rene Descartes, a French philosopher, famously affirmed that “I think therefore I am,” positioning itself in the coherent mind thus dividing the understanding from the physical in the bipolar body status. The emphasis on the lucid can further be extended to the sciences of baroque. One of how an individual can comprehend the effects of scientific innovations of the baroque era is through looking at the response received during this time regarding Ptolemy’s assertion in 150 AD that the earth is supposed to be the focal point of the universe. During the period of renaissance, an individual by the name Nicholas Copernicus decided to write that the planets and the earth moved around the sun. The revolutionary thesis that was developed by Copernicus had an insignificant effect, especially during the Baroque era. After a few years, Galileo Galilei started focusing on the moon’s surface using a telescope and proclaimed his results.

The Baroque era is regarded as the initial one among the various pieces of music that individuals currently familiarize with. During this era, the traits of music composers as well as musicians during this period regarded themselves as craftsmen more than music artists. The patrons were not only individuals in the community who are rich but instead it extended to the church and nobility.The music that was composed during the baroque era was used for positive intentions, whether it was a religious occasion or party (Wainwright, 2017). Some of the composers during the Baroque period were recognized as music teachers who created original compositions for their teachers. Because of the specific and deliberate motives of arrangements, personal pieces were not commonly perceived as great compositions that would be used for a long time and have an effect that is long lasting. The portions seemed like the penurious music that is found in the community today, even though they might not be recalled after the current regime. Bass that was figured was the typical type of music that was played during this period and was regarded as varied and diverse.

Many researchers usually categorize and separate the baroque era into the middle, late and early Baroque pieces or even into French, Italian, English and German music (Wainwright, 2017). In art and music of the baroque era, the musicians focused on feelings and emotions. The bass-A notation of music that relied on numbers to show the intervals and chords, as well as other musical features that connect to the bass note of the hymns, were identified. A harmony basso-continuo of the music was regarded as an apparatus that had the capability of playing chords which were founded on bass continuo, including harp, organ, and harpsichord. The individual task with the duty of playing the basso continuo system was able to play the bass note that was shown in harmony and later include other musical notes on the chord as required. The bass that was figured then assisted the artists in playing the Antonio through the provision of figures which were found under the bass note to show the type of chords that were supposed to be performed in a specific spot. Orchestras and Ornamentation which is regarded as the application of musical flourishes that are not essential, including grace tones and trills, to the fundamental harmony or melody. Most of the music creators during this era made use of the widespread ornamentation that was located in their pieces.

The baroque era further focused on a single emotion found in one piece (Pelowski et al., 2018). The excitement that could be captured by one piece was regarded as the musical effect. During this era, orchestras were seen as more prominent instruments that resembled groups containing a string, brass wood instruments, and recursions. The different types of baroque music included certain types or forms of music. According to music researchers, the specific plan that a composer has in their mind is supposed to be referred to as a form. A form was used in providing the construction to a particular composition, whereby composers usually made a compilation of one or more types of music as they formed new categories of music. During the baroque era, opera poppers were defined as the dramatic pieces of work whereby musicians and singers utilized text libretto and musical scores. Composers further made a compilation of broad comedy with elements that were catastrophic. The operas which were comedic were later identified as opera series or opera buffs, which was quite stylized and placed more considerable emphasis on the singer who was determined by a particular group as masterful and experienced. Oratorios which were the same as operas were usually pieces of concerts instead of musical theatres. These pieces used to be more dramatic and severe. They were characterized by big-scale creations which include choirs, orchestras, and soloists.

Another feature of the Baroque era was the instrumental suite which was a sequence of dances. The piece is quite short and comes before the other parts of the suite. The allemande is regarded as the moderate dance tempo which was obtained from dances that originated from Germany. The allemande was considered to be the initial piece of the instrumental collection, but over a long period, the ruled attained the initial spot. Usually regarded as a dance that was serious, the allemande was exemplified by couples creating two lines and later having another arrangement back and forth in a room. In the present universe, the allemande is considered as a dance which has a fast pace and a triple meter. Similar to the political and scientific revolutions, the baroque era brought about alterations to the diverse aspects of art and music.

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