Before the age of the Baroque came about in the 1600's discriminating classes of people reigned freely in Europe.
This High Renaissance Period showed much significance to the pageantry and fulfillment of courtiers and nobilities. This is the cycle on which the society stood on and then began to rebel against this certain kind of social quo. They began to change the way of the times, hence giving rise to the age of the Baroque music. This paper describes the meaning of Baroque music and the Baroque music period which lasted from 1600 to1750.It also gives a history of roots of baroque music, its evolution and highlights major composers. It further analyses the characteristics of Baroque music in these period as well as baroque music styles.
The term baroque refer to a type of music of which its historical period lasted from 1600 to 1750 and high baroque period from 700 to 1700. The term baroque was derived from French and Italian word "barocco" with meaning of bizarre. It was originally used to refer architecture of cathedrals due to emphasis that was placed on religion at that time. Most people were devoted to God as well as their homes. The term baroque was meant to describe the period.
Baroque music closed the year in which the composer of that music died. Other composers are Vivaldi, Bach and Handel. The characteristics of baroque music include the use of ornamentation and contrasting elements that often expresses the feeling, emotion and music movement, beautified melodies, contrapuntal forms and harmonic complexity, instrumental contrast and vocal contrast. It was composed to combine an array of harmonies that were not explored before in the early artistic work of music like dynamics tonality and rhythm.
