Era Del Barroco

The baroque era (1600-1750)

The term was probably derived from the Portuguese barroco, a pearl of irregular shape mush used in the jewelry of the time. A lot of ornamentation

Social aspects from the baroque era

• Europe’s wealth from the Americas continues to grow

• Imperial battles to dominate the world

• The middle classes acquired wealth and power in the struggle against the aristocracy

• Contradictions: appalling poverty and wasteful luxury; magnificent idealism and savage oppression

• An era of absolute monarchy

The light in pictures as in instance only, and the balance was lost

Baroque culture

• Baroque art: splendor, vigor, elaborated decoration and grandeur.

• The transition from classically minded renaissance to the baroque was foreshadowed by Michelangelo (1475-1564). His turbulent figures, their twisted bodies, reflect baroque love of the dramatic.

• Intensity religious

• Age of reason: Galileo y Copernicus (physics and astronomy); Descartes (mathematics); Spinoza (philosophy); Newton (theory of gravity).

Music in the baroque era

• The rise of the “virtuoso musician”. Great instrumental and vocal technique.

• Evolution of harmony and structure.

• Interest for homophony (texture where a single melody stands out)

• Basso continuo: musical accompaniment by two instrumentalists, usually cello and harpsichords. One played the bass line while the other played the harmonies (chords)

Baroque Musical Style:

• Vigorous rhythm

• Continuous melody

• Greater use of dissonance.

• Terraced dynamics (the shift from one dynamic level to the other).

• The Doctrine of the Affections: a piece or movement was built on a single affection, sometimes using the technique of text painting. This changed in the classical and romantic eras.

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741)

• Composer, virtuoso violinist, teacher and priest (“the red priest”)

• Composed around 770 works, including 447 concertos and 46 operas.

• Author of the four seasons, a group of violinist concertos (with string orchestra and basso continuo)

Concert means that there is a violin player or specific player v an orchestra.

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