What are the characteristics of 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 ... Select a box below to hear a representative sample of music from that time period. ... What are the characteristics of Baroque music? read more

The new interest in music’s dramatic and rhetorical possibilities gave rise to a wealth of new sound ideals in the Baroque period. Contrast as a dramatic element Contrast is an important ingredient in the drama of a Baroque composition. read more

The Baroque period was a golden age for theater in France and Spain; playwrights included Corneille, Racine and Moliere in France; and Lope de Vega and Pedro Calderón de la Barca Spain. During the Baroque period, the art and style of the theater evolved rapidly, alongside the development of opera and of ballet. read more

Before the historical period of the Baroque (starting at the end of the XVIth century), the predominant style was that of the Renaissance. This style was interested in perfection, beauty and rational thought over emotions- one of the most famous artworks of the era, Leonardo DaVinci’s Vitruvian Man, shows a human fitting perfectly inside a square and a circle, the most perfect, symmetric shapes in existence. read more