Baroque Music Characteristics and the Evolution of the Concerto

Characteristics of Baroque Music

The 18th century, known as "The Age of Enlightenment," differs from the past in several ways:

• An increased economic level.
• A wide dissemination of culture.
• The growth of intermediate social classes.

Music was previously for the aristocracy, but now there is more demand. The musician is in the service of a noble, which is a secure job that allows him to dedicate himself solely to music. They also had the experience of directing their own orchestra. New pieces are in demand, and that means an increase in inventiveness, which could also result in plenty of very similar music. On the positive side, we find that musical forms are becoming settled. The "public" was born, leading to the creation of theaters and musical societies, and later, the Paris Conservatoire.

Technical Innovations in Baroque Music

• It reinforces the concepts of the tonic and dominant.
• The subdominant chord reaches its full function.
• The tempered scale: Dividing the octave into 12 equal parts. This is attributed to many theorists, including Bartolomé Ramos de Pareja. It allows music to be played in all keys (shades). A sharp (sustained) note is equal to a flat. It can modulate without limits, providing continuous hearing and unexpected surprises.
• The final triumph of the violin.
• The basso continuo is established.

The Baroque Concerto

The term comes from the Italian concerto ("concur"), which means to collect or arrange, but from the 17th century, it adopted an additional meaning from the Latin for "fight or contend"—the contrast between the soloist(s) and the orchestra (ripieno), which responds to them. In the Baroque era, concertos are of three types:

Three Types of Baroque Concertos

• Concerto Grosso: This is the oldest of the three types, in which a small group of soloists (the concertino) faces a larger orchestra (ripieno). One of the major composers of the concerto grosso is Arcangelo Corelli.
• Concerto Ripieno: These are works for orchestra alone. It features a string orchestra without soloists, accompanied by a basso continuo. There are two distinct types of ripieno concerto: the sonata type (with four movements: slow - fast - slow - fast) and the symphony type (with three movements: fast - slow - fast). In these concertos, a refrain is used, in which the starting material reappears once or several times in different keys (tones).
• Solo Concerto (Concerto a single): This is the last type to appear and is the one that has transcended time. They are written for a single solo instrument (usually the violin) contrasted with the full orchestra. They also have three movements and use the ritornello.

The most important Venetian Baroque concerto composer is Antonio Vivaldi. His concertos reflect great virtuosity by the soloist, and the texture becomes more homophonic. He also uses the three-movement structure.