The Rise of the Soloist Documentary - Assignment Example

The use of the voice was now given the freedom to lengthen and shorten the sounds as the emotional content moved the vocalist. This began to spread into other instrumentations so that the soloist could be from almost any type of instrument. The importance of this is reflected today in the way that music has developed. Rarely in popular music does one see a group performing without highlighting the work of one performer. Most often, the vocalist drives the music, expressing himself through the lyrics and the sound.

As well, one can see the breakaway of the drum, guitar, or bass soloist as they create an interlude between the verses. If one thinks about it, most music is now created from the advent of this rise in popularity of solo performers. The many pieces from the period reflect this shift, but the way in which most music is created in modern popularity has the soloist focus so that the emotional content is given to the audience through a focus on one person. The instrumental background becomes secondary to the focus that the audience puts on the work of the soloist.

After all, when Elvis hit the stage, who was cheering for the band? The use of the voice, or any other instrument, as a focal point that set the tone, mood, and tempo, slowing and speeding up as his or her interpretation allowed has allowed the audience to go on the journey that the soloist creates. This journey is a far more personal event with the freedoms that were discovered in the Baroque period.