Music History Between 1600-1820
...ontebverdi and in the Venetian School. The major-minor tonality actually emerged from this period and composers began to note the key within the titles of their music. Also pertinent to Baroque style of music, “a regular persistent rhythmic pattern was frequently used throughout a movement of an instrumental piece in order to constantly maintain a single basic mood.” The main texture of the Baroque was a similar rhythm in all of the parts with the horizontal motion mostly existing in the bass and soprano. There was also an emphasis on chord structure where improvisation was important to the main voice or instrument. There are two main practices in the composition of Baroque music: the music being governed by the text and the text being governed by the music. Writers also began to write music for certain voices and/or instruments instead of something that is transposable to any voice or instrument. “The true beginnings of opera coincides with the beginning of the baroque period.” “Opera was originally used in the Renaissance as an interlude between comedic and tragic plays.“ Opera had its beginnings in Italy where it was created and made popular by the Camerata, a group of Florentine noblemen. They included the figured bass, a solo song and the concept of drama with nearly continuous music. The first full opera was performed at the wedding of King Henry IV and Maria de’ Medici. Opera was an event except for in Venice where it was much more popular. Mainly, on a professional note, chamber music was produced for the nobles. Vocal chamber music was composed for a few performers and an intimate audience in a small room and usually included solo songs and vocal cantatas. Most new style changes began to have an influence on church music. Both the Protestant and Catholic Churches eventually accepted the changes. The Catholic Church was slower to accept such changes in their masses and the like. For the first time, instrumental music became equally as important as vocal music in both quantity and quality. George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) was originally German, but became an English citizen. He did most of his work in England. Originally destined to study law, while in the university, he took a job as an organist and wrote his first opera at age 20. During his lifetime, he wrote nearly 40 operas, all in Italian. Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750) was also German. He was married with a large family and trained as an organist and sting player. He wrote a lot of music for his children that was published after his death. The majority of his early work was written for the organ. The Classical period followed the Baroque with a fairly large change in style. “The most important new instrumental media to develop during the classical period were the ...