Thread: Baroque

Is that Chamber music ???

Baroque is music that was written - give or take a few years one way or the other - between 1600 and 1750.

It's very ornamented with a lot of trills and different instruments or voices doing different things at the same time, almost like two or more melodies playing at once using a technique known as counterpoint. Later works use counterpoint too, but not nearly as much or as noticeably.

This is a quintessential example:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZ9qWpa2rIg

I like the period a lot. It lasted much longer than the Classic period, so I've wondered why we call our music "classical."

Who was William Boyce ???

I need to finally take the opportunity to say that Christi is one of my favorite posters I've ever seen on any forum, ever.


And re: Weston's link: It appears Baroque orchestras really know how to rock! I like that they are all getting into the music.

Originally Posted by Christi

Who was William Boyce ???

William Boyce was an English born composer of the late Baroque era. He is best known for his set of eight short symphonies, operas and sacred music.

Christi if you follow this link, it will explain much more about him...


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Boyce

Originally Posted by Weston

I like the period a lot. It lasted much longer than the Classic period, so I've wondered why we call our music "classical."

Maybe it should be called "Western Art Music"..But I guess classical music rolls off the tongue better....

Originally Posted by Weston

I like the period a lot. It lasted much longer than the Classic period, so I've wondered why we call our music "classical."

Better to name it classical music than to name it after the longest period of all - in which case it would have been called medieval music.

Atually Classical refers to the ancient classical period - Greeks and Romans etc. The term was applied to art in the 18thC which tried to reconstruct the ideals of structural balance and symmetry which characterizes the masterpieces of the ancient world such as the Parthenon and alike. It kind of stuck as being full of high ideals and princilpes which in turn suited the pursuits of music makers everywhere. So we call all music that maintains a connection with these goals directly on indirectly is considered 'Classical'.
FC