Things to Look for in Baroque Art:
- Images are direct, obvious, and dramatic.
- Tries to draw the viewer in to participate in the scene.
- Depictions feel physically and psychologically real. ...
- Extravagant settings and ornamentation.
- Dramatic use of color.
- Dramatic contrasts between light and dark, light and shadow.
What is the original meaning of Baroque?
The word baroque is derived from the Portuguese word ‘bronco’, meaning irregular pearl. Until nineteenth century the word baroque was used mostly as a fancy synonym for ‘absurd’ and ‘grotesque’.
What is Baroque characterized by?
The Baroque style is characterized by exaggerated motion and clear detail used to produce drama, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance, and music. Baroque iconography was direct, obvious, and dramatic, intending to appeal above all to the senses and the emotions.
What does Baroque mean in terms of music?
Derived from the Portuguese barroco, or “oddly shaped pearl,” the term “baroque” has been widely used since the nineteenth century to describe the period in Western European art music from about 1600 to 1750. Comparing some of music history’s greatest masterpieces to a misshapen pearl might seem strange to us today, but to the nineteenth century critics who applied the term, the music of Bach and Handel’s era sounded overly ornamented and exaggerated.
What is the difference between Baroque and Renaissance music?
• Baroque musical genres include both vocals and instrumentals, with the only difference being they were quite larger in number of categories than those of in the renaissance era. • Renaissance music consisted of smooth regular flow of rhythm while baroque music was comprised of a metrical rhythm with varied motion.
How do you identify Baroque?
Things to Look for in Baroque Art:Images are direct, obvious, and dramatic.Tries to draw the viewer in to participate in the scene.Depictions feel physically and psychologically real. ... Extravagant settings and ornamentation.Dramatic use of color.Dramatic contrasts between light and dark, light and shadow.More items...•
What defines the Baroque style?
Baroque emphasizes dramatic, exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted, detail. Due to its exuberant irregularities, Baroque art has often been defined as being bizarre, or uneven.
What are the 4 characteristics of Baroque architecture?
Other characteristic qualities include grandeur, drama and contrast (especially in lighting), curvaceousness, and an often dizzying array of rich surface treatments, twisting elements, and gilded statuary. Architects unabashedly applied bright colours and illusory, vividly painted ceilings.
What are the four 4 main characteristics of Baroque music?
What is the philosophy of Baroque music?A belief in music as a potent tool of communication. ... The realities of patronage. ... Contrast as a dramatic element. ... Monody and the advent of the basso continuo. ... Different instrumental sounds.More items...
What are 5 characteristics of Baroque art?
Some of the qualities most frequently associated with the Baroque are grandeur, sensuous richness, drama, dynamism, movement, tension, emotional exuberance, and a tendency to blur distinctions between the various arts.
What texture is Baroque?
TEXTURE: Baroque texture was often polyphonic (a form of musical texture with several interdependent, overlapping melodic lines), with multiple melodies and countermelodies, a continuous bass line, and occasional homophony (musical texture with a melody and chordal accompaniment).
How can the Baroque style be characterized?
The Baroque style is characterized by exaggerated motion and clear detail used to produce drama, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance, and music. Baroque iconography was direct, obvious, and dramatic, intending to appeal above all to the senses and the emotions.
What is the difference between Baroque and Rococo?
In France, baroque and rococo were stylistic periods that occurred back-to-back. Baroque is a serious, more provocative style, while rococo relies on a sense of lightness and playfulness. You can distinguish these two styles by focusing on their mood, function, and method.
What is the Baroque era known for?
Baroque period, (17th–18th century) Era in the arts that originated in Italy in the 17th century and flourished elsewhere well into the 18th century. It embraced painting, sculpture, architecture, decorative arts, and music.
What are the 5 musical elements of Baroque period?
Contrast. Contrast, as an essential dramatic element, was employed to express the meaning of the text. ... Layered Melodies. Layered melodies were commonly used in Baroque works. ... Monody. Monody in Baroque music is a solo voice singing a free melodic line extravagantly. ... Dynamics. ... Ornamentation.
Which best describes a Baroque music?
Baroque music is a style of Western art music composed from approximately 1600 to 1750. ... The Baroque period saw the creation of tonality. During the period, composers and performers used more elaborate musical ornamentation, made changes in musical notation, and developed new instrumental playing techniques.
Why is it called Baroque?
Derived from the Portuguese barroco, or “oddly shaped pearl,” the term “baroque” has been widely used since the nineteenth century to describe the period in Western European art music from about 1600 to 1750.
How can the Baroque style be characterized?
The Baroque style is characterized by exaggerated motion and clear detail used to produce drama, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, architecture, literature, dance, and music. Baroque iconography was direct, obvious, and dramatic, intending to appeal above all to the senses and the emotions.
What are the characteristics of Baroque fashion?
Elaborate patterns and dark colors were fashionable, and it was common to wear a black cape on top. The hairstyle consisted of curls on both sides of the head. Shoes were usually covered by the dress, so they were very simple. Men's clothing adopted a militaristic look.
What are three things the Baroque style emphasized?
Baroque ushered in a new era for European sculpture, led largely by the work of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, which emphasized sensual richness, dramatic realism, intense emotion, and movement.
What is “baroque,” and when was the Baroque period?
Derived from the Portuguese barroco, or “oddly shaped pearl,” the term “baroque” has been widely used since the nineteenth century to describe the period in Western European art music from about 1600 to 1750. Comparing some of music history’s greatest masterpieces to a misshapen pearl might seem strange to us today, but to the nineteenth century critics who applied the term, the music of Bach and Handel’s era sounded overly ornamented and exaggerated. Having long since shed its derogatory connotations, “baroque” is now simply a convenient catch-all for one of the richest and most diverse periods in music history.
Who were the major Baroque composers, and where were they from?
Many of the well known personalities from the first part of the Baroque period hail from Italy, including Monteverdi, Corelli and Vivaldi. (By the mid- eighteenth century, our focus shifts to the German composers Bach and Handel .) Many of the forms identified with Baroque music originated in Italy, including the cantata, concerto, sonata, oratorio, and opera. Although Italy played a vital role in the development of these genres, new concepts of what it meant to be a nation increased the imperative of a “national style.” Differences between nations are often audible in music from the period, not only in the way music was composed, but also in conventions of performance; particularly obvious was the contrast between Italy and France. While certain countries may seem to claim a larger piece of our experience of Baroque music today, however, every nation played a role. As musicians and composers traveled all over Europe and heard each other’s music, the new conventions they encountered made subtle impressions on them. Some of the best known composers from the period include the following:
What is the philosophy of Baroque music?
Although a single philosophy cannot describe 150 years of music from all over Europe, several concepts are important in the Baroque period.
What are the characteristics of Baroque music?
The new interest in music’s dramatic and rhetorical possibilities gave rise to a wealth of new sound ideals in the Baroque period.
What musical forms came to define the baroque era?
Many of the forms associated with the baroque era come directly out of this new dramatic impulse, particularly opera, the oratorio and the cantata. In the realm of instrumental music, the notion of contrast and the desire to create large-scale forms gave rise to the concerto, sonata and suite.
What was it like to attend a concert in the baroque era?
In modern times, going to a concert is an event. We hear an ad on the radio or see a listing in the newspaper; we purchase tickets; we go to a concert hall and sit quietly until it is time to applaud. In the baroque era, this kind of public concert was rare. Many of the most famous baroque compositions were performed in churches for a service, or as part of a private concert or celebration in the home of a wealthy patron. During the course of the baroque, however, public performances became more common, particularly in the genres of opera and oratorio, and our modern concert tradition began to coalesce in many European cities. As Roger North described a performance in one of the earliest concert series, organized in London in the 1670s:
Why is contrast important in music?
Contrast is an important ingredient in the drama of a Baroque composition. The differences between loud and soft, solo and ensemble (as in the concerto), different instruments and timbres all play an important role in many Baroque compositions.
Did you know?
Eventually, it came to describe an extravagant style of art characterized by curving lines, gilt, and gold. This type of art, which was prevalent especially in the 17th century, was sometimes considered to be excessively decorated and overly complicated. It makes sense, therefore, that the meaning of the word baroque has broadened to include anything that seems excessively ornate or elaborate.
How did Baroque art come to be?
Baroque came to English from a French word meaning "irregularly shaped.". At first, the word in French was used mostly to refer to pearls. Eventually, it came to describe an extravagant style of art characterized by curving lines, gilt, and gold.
What is baroque art?
Definition of baroque. (Entry 1 of 2) 1 art : of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a style of artistic expression prevalent especially in the 17th century that is marked generally by use of complex forms, bold ornamentation, and the juxtaposition of contrasting elements often conveying a sense of drama, movement, ...
Definition of Baroque Music
The standard baroque music definition refers to music written between 1600-1750. Some of its most composers include:
7 Examples of Baroque Music
Baroque history is a rich, complex musical tapestry, and no two composers approached it the same way. Here are some of the best-known examples of baroque music.
Top Five Baroque Musicians
It wasn’t just music that was significant to the baroque era. It was also full of impressive composers, many of whom altered the course of music history. Here are the five most famous baroque musicians.
The History of Baroque Music
Baroque music began in Italy. There, composers took the musical conventions of the Renaissance and began pushing their boundaries. But in a world where musicians traveled to earn their keep, it quickly picked up Germanic and even English influences.
What Is Baroque Music? Conclusion
Baroque music has a lightness and vivacity resulting from its small orchestras, sudden dynamic shifts, and complex harmonic lines.
What were the Renaissance dances?
Common Renaissance dances that Baroque composers crafted into instrumental “Suites” would have included the allemande, the courante, the gigue, and the sarabande. Each dance had a contrasting feel and meter. The allemande would be in a moderate four, whereas the sarabande a slow three.
How many preludes did Bach write?
Bach’s most famous keyboard works could be thought of as his 48 Preludes and Fugues. Many of these keyboard works demonstrate the qualities that were common in the period. Bach’s fugues are a highly complex musical form with interweaving melodic lines that create dense and beautiful textures.
What are the characteristics of Baroque music?
An additional characteristic that is important to listen for in Baroque music is sequence and imitation. The word sequence refers to a certain progression of chords during a section of music that usually follows an easily recognisable pattern. It is employed for colour in the music and to sometimes to seamlessly change key. Vivaldi I consider the master of this and he uses it to great effect in many of his works. Imitation in musical terms is as the word suggests; imitative, where you can hear passages of melody pass from one instrument or voice to another sometimes as a perfect copy.
Why is baroque music so popular?
Baroque music is a great favourite for weddings and celebratory occasions, for good reason. Many pieces that have endured as our musical favourites from the Baroque period are truly magnificent and mirror the opulence of the period’s architecture and fine art.
Which Baroque composers are considered to be the greatest contribution to these musical forms?
Vivaldi and Corelli are often considered to be two Baroque composers who have made the greatest contribution to these musical forms. Vivaldi is perhaps better known today for his dramatic depiction of the seasons in his “Quattro Stagioni”, or Four Seasons. For Corelli the 12 Concerti Grossi, Op. 6 are amongst the best of the period. Corelli was also a master of the trio sonata that grew from the Renaissance canzona and featured two violins plus a continuo.
What was the Baroque period?
In terms of Western Art, the Baroque period followed the Renaissance and is broadly agreed to cover the years from 1600 until around 1750 when the Classical period began. What we discover when we look closely at the characteristics of this period of musical history is that flows as a natural progression from the one that came before. Many of the forms, structures and conventions of the Renaissance provide the basis for the new Baroque style and sound. In this article, I will briefly outline some of the key features of the Baroque period of music to give an idea of what to listen out for.
What was Purcell's first opera?
On the other side of Baroque vocal music, Purcell was also beginning to explore the concept of opera. “Dido and Aeneas”, by Purcell are considered by many as the first example of a full opera written in the period. Keyboard music became a regular part of the musical diet during the Baroque.
What was the furniture style of the Baroque period?
Baroque furniture pieces had a very elaborate ornamentation, plenty of details, and the designs featured an exuberant and sometimes exaggerated decoration with the details integrated with harmony and balance in symmetrical compositions. Some common elements included twisted columns, pedestal feet and heavy moldings. Exotic tropical woods like ebony and mahogany were demanded, and the designs often incorporated inlays of wood, metals, and ivory. Later, the gilded finish became popular.
What are the characteristics of Baroque furniture?
Baroque furniture shares some characteristics with other artistic mediums during this period, the most distinctive being the elaborate ornamentation . Furniture pieces had plenty of details, and the designs featured an exuberant and sometimes exaggerated decoration. In Baroque designs, decorative elements were never too much.
What was the gold finish of furniture?
By the turn of the 18th century, the gilded finish was the trend. It was made by covering the surfaces of a furniture piece in gold leaf. Gold was associated with wealth, and having golden furniture was the ultimate luxury. Golden chandeliers and frames for mirrors or paintings also became popular among the European courts. Even doorknobs had an elaborate design and golden decoration.
What are inlays made of?
The inlays were made by inserting veneer (which are thin pieces of wood) of contrasting colors or from different materials, like metals and ivory. Marble tabletops were also common, and craftsmen used different types for creating contrasting compositions.
What style of furniture did Louis XIV make?
Some of the pieces produced for the French king Louis XIV became symbols of Baroque furniture and are also known as the Louis XIV style, which is highly demanded by many antiques enthusiasts and collectors.
What woods were used in Baroque furniture?
Ebony and mahogany were used in many pieces, while some of local woods included oak, walnut and chestnut. Elaborate compositions made with inlays became characteristic of Baroque furniture.
What was the Baroque style?
But, the Baroque was present in many other arts and utilitarian objects, including furniture, with many elaborate pieces that could be considered as works of art on their own. The Baroque period in art history came after the Renaissance and was characterized by the use of abundant ornamentation. Baroque style started in Italy at the beginning ...
Overview
The Baroque is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1740s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including the Iberian Peninsula it continued, together with new styles, until the first decade of the 19th century. It followed Renaissance art and Mannerism and preceded the Rococo (in the past often referred to as "late Baroque") and Neoclassical styles. It was encoura…
Origin of the word
The English word baroque comes directly from the French. Some scholars state that the French word originated from the Portuguese term barroco ("a flawed pearl"), pointing to the Latin verruca, ("wart"), or to a word with the suffix -ǒccu (common in pre-Roman Iberia). Other sources suggest a Medieval Latin term used in logic, baroco, as the most likely source.
In the 16th century, the Medieval Latin word baroco moved beyond scholastic logic and came int…
Architecture: origins and characteristics
The Baroque style of architecture was a result of doctrines adopted by the Catholic Church at the Council of Trent in 1545–63, in response to the Protestant Reformation. The first phase of the Counter-Reformation had imposed a severe, academic style on religious architecture, which had appealed to intellectuals but not the mass of churchgoers. The Council of Trent decided instead to appeal to a more popular audience, and declared that the arts should communicate religious t…
Painting
Baroque painters worked deliberately to set themselves apart from the painters of the Renaissance and the Mannerism period after it. In their palette, they used intense and warm colours, and particularly made use of the primary colours red, blue and yellow, frequently putting all three in close proximity. They avoided the even lighting of Renaissance painting and used strong contrasts of light and darkness on certain parts of the picture to direct attention to the central a…
Sculpture
The dominant figure in baroque sculpture was Gian Lorenzo Bernini. Under the patronage of Pope Urban VIII, he made a remarkable series of monumental statues of saints and figures whose faces and gestures vividly expressed their emotions, as well as portrait busts of exceptional realism, and highly decorative works for the Vatican such as the imposing Chair of St. Peter beneath the dome in St. Peter's Basilica. In addition, he designed fountains with monumental groups of sculp…
Furniture
The main motifs used are: horns of plenty, festoons, baby angels, lion heads holding a metal ring in their mouths, female faces surrounded by garlands, oval cartouches, acanthus leaves, classical columns, caryatids, pediments, and other elements of Classical architecture sculpted on some parts of pieces of furniture, baskets with fruits or flowers, shells, armour and trophies, heads of Apollo or Bacchus, and C-shaped volutes.
Music
The term Baroque is also used to designate the style of music composed during a period that overlaps with that of Baroque art. The first uses of the term 'baroque' for music were criticisms. In an anonymous, satirical review of the première in October 1733 of Rameau's Hippolyte et Aricie, printed in the Mercure de France in May 1734, the critic implied that the novelty of this opera was "du barocque," complaining that the music lacked coherent melody, was filled with unremitting di…
Dance
The classical ballet also originated in the Baroque era. The style of court dance was brought to France by Marie de Medici, and in the beginning the members of the court themselves were the dancers. Louis XIV himself performed in public in several ballets. In March 1662, the Académie Royale de Danse, was founded by the King. It was the first professional dance school and company, and set the standards and vocabulary for ballet throughout Europe during the period.