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Music of the Baroque Music PeriodThe baroque music period began around 1600 to 1750 and involved a musical language depicting affections that include agitation, grief, and joy (Collins). There were distinct styles and practices in the baroque period that include theater (Opera), church and chamber for the styles, while the practices include the Stile Antico which is highly polyphonic and the Stile Moderno that involve homophonic w/solo voice. The opera style of music is a drama in which all the dialogue is sung (Mitchell). For the opera music, there are two main types of singing, and they include aria and recitative. For the recitative section of opera music is a sung speech containing dialogue that is highly rhythmic and syllabic. For the aria type, it involves a fully developed melody for a vocal soloist. Stile Antico is the practice for the opera music, and an example of the stile Antico is that of Claudio Monteverdi, with the opera ‘The Coronation of Poppea.’

Another style of the baroque music is the Church that served the purpose of awakening the passion for the religious subjects (Koenigsberger). The practice is Stile Moderno. The churches spent a lot of money on lavish decorations that conveyed the authority of the church as well as inspiring religious fervor. The sound of the baroque organ filled the brilliant interiors with its powerful resonance and a striking variety of timbres created an awe. An example of the Church style is the work of Johann Sebastian Bach, ‘Toccata and Fugue in D minor.’ The chamber is the third style of the baroque music (Rangel-Ribeiro). The concerto was characterized by multi-movement and involved a musical work that featured an instrumental soloist accompanied by an ensemble. The concerto was of two types that include solo concerto and concerto grosso. Antonio Vivaldi is a renowned musician of the concerto, and an example of his work include his famous masterpiece Le Quattro Stagioni translated as the four seasons.

Work Cited

Collins, Paul. The Stylus Phantasticus and free keyboard music of the North German Baroque. Routledge, 2017.

Koenigsberger, Helmut Georg. “Music and Religion in Early Modern European History.” Music and the Renaissance. Routledge, 2017. 275-306.

Mitchell, Brittney S. “The Secret Society of Opera.” (2016).

Rangel-Ribeiro, Victor. Baroque music: A practical guide for the performer. Courier Dover Publications, 2016.