Key Elements of Baroque Musical Composition

The Baroque Era

The Baroque is a stage situated between the Renaissance and Classicism. In this stage lived composers like Johann Sebastian Bach or Handel. In this stage, although they were better considered, musicians were not yet independent and belonged to a nobleman, king, or a patron.

In this stage, the most important instrument is the violin, and proof of this are the builders that appeared in Italy called Stradivarius and Guarnerius, whose instruments today reach millions in auctions. The most important cultural area is going to be Italy, which will impose that musicians who want to be important must compose in the Italian way. It is also important because the opera will be established, and secular music no longer exists as a separate category; the main division is between vocal music and instrumental music.

Instrumental and Musical Forms

The Suite

The suite is a set of pieces chained with different names but within the same work that are arranged to contrast each other.

Variation

Variation is a kind of composition in which the main part is the most important part; it could be changed for each variation while reserving the same chords. It is common that the most difficult of them are at the end.

Religious Music

In religious music, one of the most important positions was the choral created by Luther. This style was used by Johann Sebastian Bach, who was one of the most important composers in the whole history.

The Opera

In the opera, within this style, we mix music and theater, and it is considered the most complete and complex among all the styles.

The Contrast of the Baroque

As in paintings, where we can concentrate on contrast between illuminated areas and others in dim light, in the music of the Baroque, we can also observe contrast; the composer has an easier and faster work.

Kinds of Contrast

Contrast of Tempo

All the important pieces of the Baroque have a structure in three movements: the first fast, the second slow, and the third fast, producing contrasts.

Contrast of Mood

Each of the movements of the Baroque works has a major mode that inspires joy, or a minor mode that inspires sadness, fear… Normally, fast tempo is associated with the major mode and the slow tempo with the minor mode.

Contrast of Intensity

This occurs between equal parts that are repeated, changing the intensity between forte or piano.

Contrast of Timbre

This occurs in parts of the composition that are equal but are interpreted by different sections of the orchestra that contrast with each other by the timbre; for example, the string sections against the woodwind one.

Progressions

Progressions consist of interpreting a piece using fragments that are transported ascending or descending.