Baroque and Classical and the modern song - Essay Example

The effect of how the Baroque ical period on modern songs The Baroque period refers to the styles of music that prevailed between 1600 and 1750(“Baroque Music”) whereas the Classical period refers to the musical styles that prevailed between 1730 and 1820. The Baroque and Classical periods have always influenced and continue to influence the modern music to date. From the early 80’s till 1995, many heavy metal bands found interest in the Baroque and classical music. Although Yngwie Malmsteen, a young guitar player from Sweden spearheaded these genres, yet this movement’s roots can be traced back to the 60’s (Richardson).

Musicians’ inspiration with the Baroque period reflects not only in the musical techniques they adopt but also in their dressing. Likewise, many young rock musicians’ inspiration leads them to the discipline and seriousness of the classical music. This paper analyzes the Baroque and Classical influences on Yngwie’s “Black Star”. “Black Star shows off the many facets of Yngwie’s singular style” (Walster 95). Yngwie writes following the musical theory’s rules and the Baroque counterpoint.

A very good example of his style of writing is the song “Black Star” from his debut LP Rising Force, that reflected many examples of Baroque and classical writing. “Black Star” has a form that adjusts into the A B A C A B A, though the ending of the song is improvised in that the song does not get back to A after the second B section. Instead, the song reaches the end with the improvisation of C section. Numerous facets of Yngwie’s guitar playing reflect in the song “Black Star”.

The song starts with a prelude that, in a way, is suggestive of Bouree of Bach in the E minor. The harmony becomes reminiscent of the standard chamber music when it comes in with guitars, though the fact that the song is played with the electric guitars brings in the difference. At the end of the passage, there is an exposition which employs the use of volume swelling along with an echo effect and volume knob that releases the sound like spiccato that is a technique of classical violin. The theme melody of the song “Black Star” is based upon a mode of E harmonic.

The song proceeds toward the B key that is the dominant, and provides an example of yet another gesture of the Baroque-classical harmonic used by Yngwie. Yngwie plays the piece quite symmetrically that makes him mimic the classical violin. In addition to that, Yngwie played bass line in “Black Star”. The aria bass and the running bass line reflect the Baroque influence in the song. Despite the end of the Baroque period about two and a half centuries ago and that of the Classical period almost two centuries ago, vestiges of these eras are still evident in the modern music.

Many different kinds of musical genres that are used even today, including the opera, the concerto, and the ontario can be traced back to the Baroque and/or Classical period. Yngwie is one of the musicians who have paid homage to these musical styles in their works. Works Cited: “Baroque Music.” 2013. Web. 16 Jan. 2013. . Richardson, Todd. “Baroque and Classical Influenced Rock Music.” N.d. Web. 16 Jan. 2013. . Walster, Robert. Running with the Devil: Power, Gender, and Madness in Heavy Metal Music.

Wesleyan University Press, 1993. Print.