Musical Eras: Baroque Innovations & Classical Forms
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Baroque Music: Evolution & Key Characteristics
The Baroque era saw the birth of many important genres, including opera, oratorio in vocal music, and the concerto and instrumental suite. These characteristics define a new style, distinct from the Renaissance:
- Bass Continuo: A new texture in Baroque music, based on a melody underpinned by a deep voice. Scores were written with melody and bass figures, often using numerical alterations (figured bass) to guide the player in filling out accompanying notes.
- Use of Contrast: Characterized by the interplay of large and small instrumental groups, diverse timbres, vocal and instrumental parts, and alternating fast/slow movements or dynamic extremes. This style is known as concertato stilo.
- Movement: Baroque music often features a regular, marked pulse. During this period, meter emerged as a succession of strong and weak beats. Rapid rhythmic figures, especially in instrumental music, also contributed to a sense of motion.
- Birth of the Tonal System: While Medieval and Renaissance music relied on the modal system, the late Baroque period saw the implementation of tonality. This system reduced modes to two primary scales: Major and Minor. Since then, the tonal system has formed the basis of Western music.
Classical Instrumental Music & Sonata Form
In the Classical period, instrumental music gained prominence over vocal music. The orchestra and chamber groups largely replaced Baroque ensembles. The sonata form became a pivotal musical element, permeating instrumental music throughout Classicism and subsequent periods. Its significance stems from its common use in the first movements of major Classical instrumental genres, which include:
- The Sonata: An instrumental genre for one or two instruments, typically with several movements. The first movement usually adheres to sonata form.
- The String Quartet: Composed of two violins, a viola, and a cello. Like the sonata, it typically has four movements, with the first in sonata form.
- The Solo Concerto: Retained its three movements, similar to the Baroque concerto, but incorporated innovations from the sonata form and introduced a new element: the cadenza. In the cadenza, the solo instrument showcases its virtuosity, typically played without orchestral accompaniment at the end of a movement, serving as a recap of the musical themes.
- The Symphony: Essentially a sonata for orchestra. It typically has four movements, with the first movement in sonata form.