Music in the Emerging Modern World

654 Words3 Pages
Baroque vs. Classical music: The Baroque and Classical style of music are from two different periods based in Europe. The Baroque period is from (approx.) 1600 – 1750 and the Classical Period from (approx.) 1750 – 1820. Music from these two periods has different characteristics and can be identified easily. With the Baroque style, the melody, the rhythm and the mood of a piece of music stays relatively constant throughout. Also, distinctive is the use of the harpsichord that is predominately used during the Baroque period. The harpsichord was phased out and replaced with the invention of the piano during the Classical period. During the Baroque period, two bass instruments would read off the same line of music with numbers written above notes for the third bass to play. Music from the Baroque period seems very one dimensional and intended to be played to a smaller audience. The text described it best (Sporre, 2013), “Classical in contrast to Baroque style, which typically dealt with a single emotion, Classical pieces typically explore contrasts between moods. They may contrast moods within movements and also within themes (Pg. 302).” The piano took the place of the harpsichord during the classical era and was favored by the composers of the time. Mood plays a big part of Classical music with its fluctuation of movement within each piece of music. Classical music is said to have five basic characteristics according to Sporre (2013), “1. Variety and contrast in mood, 2. Flexibility to rhythm, 3. A predominantly homophonic texture, 4. Memorable melody, 5. Gradual changes in dynamics. (Pg. 302 – 303).” Figure 1: a standard set up for a baroque orchestra from “http://dandanmusic.weebly.com” Figure 2: The typical arrangement of the early classical orchestra from “http://dandanmusic.weebly.com” Listening to Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 2, it is as lively a
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