Classical and Baroque Style - Essay Example

Baroque Versus ical Period Music has changed throughout the ages in a dramatic form. The ical period in music has been generally accepted to have risen between 1750 to 1830. This period falls between the romantic and the Baroque periods. On the other hand, Baroque period has been the most influential as it marked the introduction of all musical devices that have been used in music. It began in 1600 to 1750 (Agay 14). The main instruments that were used during the classical period included the sonata, string, trio, symphony and the concerto.

The famous composers during this period were Joseph Haydn, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Franz Schubert and Wolfgang Amadeus (Downs 41). Furthermore, the period is characterized by works like the “London” symphonies composed by Haydn. Haydn is remembered as the most influential composer. He was born in 1732 and died in 1809. He was an Australian and is remembered for the several contributions he made. Furthermore, there were several important forms that were used during this period. These included the mass, Missa Brevis, Missa Solemnis, requiem, and the vespers (Downs 69).

Furthermore, the classical choral was homophonic and lighter in its texture. In addition, during this era, music was given careful attention by elegance, to form and restraint. The music was objective in nature and emotions were carefully controlled. In contrary, the Baroque period was dominated by chants and choral music. There were poems that were accompanied by instruments meant for praises. Music had the triadic harmony which made the music more complex. Furthermore, this music was dramatic and expansive.

This music marked the beginning of harmony and melody use. Melodies were now played with a group of instruments in a chamber or by soloists in a concerto (Agay 87). For instance, Brandenburg concerto is one of the major Baroque concertos. It was composed by J.S Bach. The period led to the creation of foundations of scales and chords. Modulation in composition was also another style that emerged during this period. The period had composers like Monteverdi and Vivaldi (Donington 90). The period was also characterized by polyphonic approach and the basic form of the period was type of the three parts and it also incorporated the binary form.

However, the two periods have some factors in unison. For instance, most of the instrumental forms like sonata and symphony were invented in the Baroque period but they were used in the classical era. Several vocal forms that were invented in the Baroque period were very popular in the classical period. For instance, the opera and cantata (Agay 113). In addition, the two periods used similar styles. During the Baroque period, counterpoint was the common style which was later adopted by the late classical composers like Mozart (Donington 102).

Work Cited Agay, Denes. The Baroque Period. New York: Yorktown Music Press, 1971. Print. Donington, Robert. Baroque Music: Style and Performance. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1982. Print. Downs, Philip. Classical Music: The Era of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1992. Print.