What was the Baroque Era? Here are some quick facts that will give you a brief idea.
- Baroque is a term that comes from the Portuguese word barroco which means an "oddly shaped pearl".
- The Baroque period was an elaborate and ornamental time in music, architecture & art.
- We now use the term Baroque to refer to Western European music written around the years 1600-1750.
- The Baroque era took place between the Renaissance and the Classical eras.
- A major development during the Baroque era was the idea of tonality, or having a tone center.
- Another development was counterpoint -two independent musical lines played at the same time.
- Basso continuo gave the harmonic and rhythmic foundation to an ensemble. The "continuo" typically consisted of, but was not limited to, harpsichord and cello. The musicians in the continuo team would read numbers, or figured bass, that provided them the structure of the music. They were then allowed freedom to improvise and add other motives from the other parts.
Come to our concerts and enjoy the Baroque music of Buxtehude, Bach and Monteverdi!
For more information about the Baroque Period in music: The Baroque Period
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