Music Of The Baroque Period

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Music SA #3 The Baroque period saw many changes in music elements, styles, instrument craftsmanship, composer’s roles in societies and it saw the rise in opera. Opera is a dramatic production sung throughout. Opera changed the musical scene, as people knew it. Before this period performance music was mostly used in religious settings or for the very rich or noble classes. The composers of opera were trying to reproduce what they thought was classical Greek theater. There was no real record of musical productions from the ancient Greek time. Individuals only knew that there were actors and a chorus but did not know what each group did specifically. They were slightly off because we now know that the chorus was probably a speaking chorus and the Greek theater was most likely very different from how the Baroque composers imagined. Italian opera was very influential. Italian opera was extremely popular and immediately gained fame even outside of Italy. There was another form of music, very similar to opera, that emerged during this era, oratorio. Oratorio is almost identical to opera but is not staged, was centered on scared subjects and did not have the same embellishments that opera included. They were still large productions with musical accompaniment. Another style that emerged during this time period was concerto. Music written in this style is ideally performed contrasting an ensemble and a soloist. A key feature of concerto, as well as the Baroque period in general, is the contrast between instruments, soloists, ensembles and musical elements. There were different forms of concerto as well. Concerto grosso is when there are multiple soloists. Yet another genre that emerged during this time was the cantata; a work intended to be sung during a worship service. These arose mostly in the late Baroque period. The use of overtures was very popular at the
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