Classic FM

Baroque

The Baroque period refers to an era that started around 1600 and ended around 1750, and included composers like Bach, Vivaldi and Handel, who pioneered new styles like the concerto and the sonata.

The Baroque period saw an explosion of new musical styles with the introduction of the concerto, the sonata and the opera.

The loosening of the Church’s political control of Europe meant that non-religious music could now flourish, in particular instrumental music. The idea that instruments should be grouped together in a standard way created the first versions of the modern orchestra.

An important type of instrumental music in the Baroque era was the concerto. Two of the greatest composers of concertos were Corelli and Vivaldi.

Opera encouraged composers to devise ways of illustrating moods in their music; affecting the listener’s emotions became a major objective in composition during this period.

Opera spread to France and England, and composers such as Rameau, Handel and Purcell began producing great works.

Bach is regarded as one of the greatest geniuses in the history of music. He demonstrated a standard approach to harmony that dominated music until the late 19th century.