Baroque Era (jan 1, 1580 – jan 1, 1750)

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Expanding upon the end of the Renaissance period, the Baroque period saw the creation of writing music in a particular key. However, the Baroque period is commonly known for complex pieces and intricate harmonies. Still, this period laid the groundwork for the next 300 years of music.
The idea of the modern orchestra was born, along with opera, the concerto, sonata, and cantata. Choral music was no longer king, as composers turned to compose instrumental works for various ensembles. “Classical” music gradually began to work its way into society, being played outdoors at dinner parties and special functions, or as a spectacle in the form of opera.
George Frederic Handel‘s Water Music is an excellent example of a typical Baroque period piece, composed for King George and performed on the River Thames.

As instrumental pieces became more prominent, individual instruments advanced drastically. Many new instruments emerged, such as the oboe, bassoon, cello, contrabass, and fortepiano (an early version of the piano). The string family of the Renaissance was replaced with stronger sounds from the violin, viola, and cello. The invention of the harpsichord flourished, and all existing woodwind and brass instruments were updated and advanced. The Baroque period also introduced stronger percussion with instruments like the timpani, snare drum, tambourine, and castanets.
Early Baroque composers included Claudio Monteverdi, Alessandro Scarlatti, Henry Purcell, and Jean Baptiste Lully, while later Baroque composers included Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frederick Handel, Georg Philipp Telemann, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Dominico Scarlatti, and Antonio Vivaldi. These later composers contributed substantially in the transition to Classical music.

The Baroque period is divided into three major phases: early, middle, and late. Overlapping in time, they are conventionally dated from 1580 to 1650, from 1630 to 1700, and from 1680 to 1750.

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