Music in The Baroque Period - Essay Example

?Music in the Baroque Period Introduction William Shakespeare, the luminary of English literature remarked in his epoch making romantic comedy, “Twelfth Night” Duke Orsino: “If music be the food of love, play on, Give me excess of it; that surfeiting, The appetite may sicken, and so die” (Shakespeare, W. “Twelfth night, or, What you will: A Comedy”). Since the initiation of the civilization, music has been one of the oldest and truest companions of mankind accompanying him in his pain and pleasure, joy and happiness, in mourning as well as in celebration. Human beings have songs designated for every occasion. Sometimes, it is a mark of ecstasy and sometimes it becomes a pedigree of classicism. There are innumerable genres of music across the globe which has evolved in different ages at different parts of the world. One such classical genre of music is Baroque music and it refers to a precise style of European classical music which tentatively extends from the period 1600 to that of 1750 (Jamini, D., “Harmony And Composition: Basics to Intermediate”). The era is followed by the renaissance era and the classical era follows the Baroque period. The word “baroque” has evolved from the Portuguese word “barroco” which stands for the meaning “misshapen pearl” (Clark, S., “Music Theory and Natural Order from the Renaissance to the Early Twentieth Century”). The meaning of the word stands for a negative description pertaining to ornate and heavily ornamented music of the period which was listened and performed. Also, it is being studied at a wider scale. The music from the baroque period is instrumental in composing a major portion of the canon pertaining to classical music. General Information Regarding the Music from the Baroque Period The music from the baroque period can be chronologically divided into three neat eras namely, Early Baroque Music extending from 1600 to 1654, Middle Baroque Music extending from 1654 to 1707 and Late Baroque Music extending from the years 1680 to 1750. The prominent composers of the Baroque era who have pioneered the music include the names of the illuminating luminaries like Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Alessandro Scarlatti, Antonio Vivaldi, Georg Philipp Telemann, Jean-Baptiste Lully, Arcangelo Corelli, Claudio Monteverdi, Jean-Philippe Rameau and Henry Purcell (Arton, “Baroque Composers and Musicians”). The major technical transition that took place in the music of the Baroque period is that it witnessed the development of the functional tonality. During the Baroque period, the composers and performers started initiating wider and elaborate musical ornamentation. Major changes were also incorporated in the notation and its procedure and major development in playing new instrumental techniques were also evolved in the area of music during this period. Music during the Baroque period considerably and consistently expanded size, range, and the complex features of the instrumental performance. At the same time, the establishment of opera as a genre of music also took place in the world of classical European music. Interestingly, many musical terms pertaining to the technical and instrumental aspects of the music from this period are used elaborately even in the contemporary times. History of the Music of Baroque Period To begin with the history of the music from Baroque, it is evident to discuss the history of the name in the first place and then a brief overview of the three major eras in the music history and finally to culminate in to the transition of the music form the Baroque period to the Classical era preceding it and its influence after 1760. Music of the Baroque Period from 1600 to1654 To begin with the trajectory of music in the Baroque period, one must focus on the division of the Baroque period and Renaissance period. Baroque period began in Italy along with the formation of Folrentine Camerata. Florentine Camerata is referred to a group of humanist which comprised of poets and musicians along with intellectuals and this took place during the latter half of the Renaissance Florence. These intellectuals came together under the patronage of a count named Giovanni de' Bardi. These intellectuals gathered to discuss the latest trends in art, music and drama (Norton, R. “Tonality in Western Culture: A Critical and Historical Perspective”). As regards to the music, the ideals of this group of humanist were based on the perception that depended upon the Classical elements, precisely ancient Greek musical drama. In ancient Greek musical dramas, the elements pertaining to discourse and oration were viewed with great importance. This is the reason why the musicians in this period rejected the complex polyphony that prevailed during the late Renaissance period and tried to revive the ancient form of Greek musical drama, popular with the name of monody, in the music of Baroque period. Monody comprised primarily of a simple solo melody which is accompanied with basic accompaniment. The very early realisations of this intricate details of the influence of the ancient Greek musical drama into the music resulted in the beginning of opera music which initiated with the realisation of these ideals in Dafne by Jacopo Peri and L Euridice, can be treated as a phenomenon that acted as a catalyst in the music of the Baroque period. Music in the Baroque Period from 1654 to 1707 The art of every age is influenced by its socio-economic and socio-political conditions. The middle Baroque period witnessed the rise of centralized court and the political and the economic features of the age often label it as the ‘Age of Absolutism’ which is in turn again personified by the Louis XIV of France. The trends of the art and architecture were influenced by style and mannerism that became a model for the rest of Europe. The rise of the church and state patronage resulted in the creation and demand for the organized public music. This resulted in the increase in the availability of the instruments which were created and manifested for meeting the demand of the chamber music. This also included the inclusion and availability of keyboard instruments. The middle Baroque period is distinguished from that of the early Baroque period by the inception of the systematic thinking and new style of a gradual institutionalization of the format, norms and structure of the music. This institutionalization of the format and structure took place particularly in the Opera music. In the arena of the music theory, it is identified by the increasing harmony and harmonic focus of the musical practice and formal methods of teaching getting incorporated in the scheme of things. Music was started to be taken as an art and was considered as a faculty that should be taught in a very systematic and orderly manner. The culmination of the music theory pertaining to the formalisation or institutionalisation was reflected in the later works of the Johann Fux, related with the process of systematizing counter points. Late Baroque Period 1680 – 1750 There is a very thin line between the division of the middle and late Baroque period and this subtle division is subjected to too much debate as well. Debates initiate regarding the inception of the late Baroque style which ranges from 1680 to 1720. Italy is viewed as the first country to enter the canon of the late Baroque style. The music of the late Baroque period is guided by complete absorption of tonality in the phenomena that structures principle of music during this period. This became pertinent in the work of Jean –Philippe Rameau who is seen as the replacement of Lully as an eminent French opera singer during this period. Along with that the work of Johann Fux reflected the Renaissance style pertaining to polyphony and this was made the basis on which the study of the counterpoint developed. The perfect blend of the modal counterpoint with tonal logic cadences resulted in the production of an effect where two distinct styles of compositions evolved in the music during this period. The first style of music in the late Baroque period was that of homophonic style which was dominated by vertical considerations and the next was polyphonic style which was dominated by imitations and contrapuntal considerations. Relevance of the Music from the Baroque Period in Contemporary World With the commencement of the 18th century, the music of the Europe became excessively popular in the United States. Thomas Jefferson, the unparalleled man in the history of the United Sates commented on the music from the Europe as “a delightful recreation through life” and “this favorite passion of my soul” (Arton, “Baroque Composers and Musicians”). The influence of the music from the Baroque period was renewed with the rise of “Authentic” or historically informed performance in the latter half of the 20th century. The influence of the opera is wide in the contemporary world. The influence of the instrumentation and its format is also quite pertinent in the orchestration of the contemporary music. Learning Outcome Music effaces all the barriers of class, caste, society and economy. Good music has immense power to surpass all the hurdles and it cannot be captivated within any parochial frame. The rich music of Europe in the Baroque period surpassed all the barriers of time, nationality and class. It became a common platform where the aesthetic purview of music flourished. The technical aspect of music got an organised form in this period and music as a formal art, which got its institutionalised structure during this period, helped it to get a formal structure. References Arton, “Baroque Composers and Musicians”. April 29, 2011. BAROQUE MUSIC: Historical and Geographical Context. No Date. Clark, S., Music Theory and Natural Order from the Renaissance to the Early Twentieth Century. Cambridge University Press, 2001. Jamini, D, Harmony And Composition: Basics to Intermediate Trafford Publishing, 2005. Norton, R. Tonality in Western Culture: A Critical and Historical Perspective. Pennsylvania State University Press, 1984. Shakespeare, W. Twelfth Night, or, What You Will: A Comedy. Wells and Lilly, 1823. Read More