Baroque Art and Architecture, the style dominating the art and architecture of Europe and certain European

colonies in the Americas throughout the 1600s, and in some places, until 1750. A number of its characteristics continue in the art and architecture of the first half of the 18th century, although this period is generally termed rococo and corresponds roughly with King Louis XV of France. Manifestations of baroque art appear in virtually every country in Europe, with other important centers in the Spanish and Portuguese settlements in the Americas and in other outposts. The term baroque also defines periods in literature and music.

The origins of the word baroque are not clear. It may have been derived from the Portuguese barocco or the Spanish barueco to indicate an irregularly shaped pearl. The word itself does not accurately define or even approximate the meaning of the style to which it refers. However, by the end of the 18th century baroque had entered the terminology of art criticism as an epithet leveled against 17th-century art, which many later critics regularly dismissed as too bizarre or strange to merit serious study. Writers such as the 19th-century Swiss cultural historian Jakob Burckhardt considered this style the decadent end of the Renaissance; his student Heinrich Wlfflin, in Principles of Art History (1915; translated 1932), first pointed out the fundamental differences between the art of the 16th and 17th centuries, stating that baroque is neither a rise nor a decline from classic, but a totally different art. Baroque art encompasses vast regional distinctions. It may seem confusing, for example, to label two such different artists as Rembrandt and Gianlorenzo Bernini as baroque; yet despite differences, they shared certain baroque elements, such as a preoccupation with the dramatic potential of light. A. Historical Background

Understanding the various forms of baroque art requires knowledge of its historical context. The 17th century could be called the first modern age. Human awareness of the world was continuously expanding. Many scientific discoveries influenced art; Galileo's investigations of the planets, for example, account for astronomical accuracy in many paintings of the time. The assertion of the Polish astronomer Copernicus that the planets did not revolve around the earth was written

by 1530, published in 1543, and only fully accepted after 1600. The realization that the earth was not at the center of the universe coincided in art with the rise of pure landscape painting devoid of human figures. The active trade and colonization policies of many European nations accounted for numerous portrayals of places and peoples that were exotic to Europeans. Religion determined many aspects of baroque art. The Roman Catholic church was a highly influential patron, and its Counter Reformation, a movement to combat the spread of Protestantism, employed emotional, realistic, and dramatic art as a means of propagating the faith. The simplicity sought by Protestantism in countries such as the Netherlands and northern Germany likewise explains the severity of the architectural styles in those areas. Political situations also influenced art. The absolute monarchies of France and Spain prompted the creation of works that reflected in their size and splendor the majesty of their kings, Louis XIV and Philip IV. B. Baroque characteristics

Among the general characteristics of baroque art is a sense of movement, energy, and tension (whether real or implied). Strong contrasts of light and shadow enhance the dramatic effects of many paintings and sculptures. Even baroque buildings, with their undulating walls and decorative surface elements, imply motion. Intense spirituality is often present in works of baroque art; in the Roman Catholic countries, for example, scenes of ecstasies, martyrdoms, or miraculous apparitions are common. Infinite space is often suggested in baroque paintings or sculptures; throughout the Renaissance and into the baroque period, painters sought a grander sense of space and truer depiction of perspective in their works. Realism is another integral feature of baroque art; the figures in paintings are not types but individuals with their own personalities. Artists of this time were concerned with the inner workings of the mind and attempted to portray the passions of the soul on the faces they painted and sculpted. The intensity and immediacy of baroque art and its individualism and detailobserved in such things as the convincing rendering of cloth and skin texturesmake it one of the most compelling periods of Western art.

Baroque Music I INTRODUCTION Baroque Music, music of Europe from about 1600 to about 1750. Critics applied the term baroque to the period long after it ended, as a negative epithet. From the perspective of the classical style, which followed the baroque and was characterized by symmetry and balance, many critics found the music of the preceding period overexuberant and somewhat grotesque. Not until well into the 19th century was the baroque age viewed as something other than a period of artistic decadence following the Renaissance. (The term baroque, which may derive from a Spanish or Portuguese word for an irregularly shaped pearl, was also applied to art and architecture of this time period. See also Baroque Art and Architecture.) Innovations at the beginning of the baroque period led to the creation of the new genre of opera, while at the end of the period, elements of the classical style emerged in instrumental music and opera. Outstanding composers of the baroque period include the Germans Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel; the Italians Claudio Monteverdi, Alessandro Scarlatti, Domenico Scarlatti, and Antonio Vivaldi; Jean-Baptiste Lully and Jean-Philippe Rameau in France; and Henry Purcell in England. II CHARACTERISTICS OF BAROQUE MUSIC Composers of the early baroque period placed a new emphasis on melody. Chords accompanying the melody began to replace counterpoint. Developments began in Italy and took place first in vocal music, especially opera. Instrumental music started out primarily as an accompaniment to voice. Over the course of the baroque era, it achieved an independent identity. A Baroque Melody The beginning of the baroque period coincided with the beginning of opera. As a result, many of the earliest developments of the period took place in melody, especially in the sung music of opera. Considerable contrast developed during the baroque period between melody used in recitative (a kind of sung dialogue) and melody in

songs and arias. Melody in recitative was declamatory with many repeated notes, free rhythms that followed the text, and limited range. Melody in songs or arias (vocal pieces for a single voice) had more regular rhythms, more expressive and interesting shapes, and great ornamentation. In short, recitative gave greater emphasis to text, and song gave greater emphasis to music. Melodies were often embellished with ornaments of different types, but principally the trill that is, rapid alternation between the main note and the note just above it. Composers in all countries used ornamentation, but it was especially favored by French composers. Baroque melodies, both vocal and instrumental, made prominent use of melodic sequence that is, the repetition of a short motif at a higher or lower pitch. The principal melody in baroque music was supported by a written bass line, the basso continuo, played by a viol, cello, or bassoon. Other parts were added between the melody and the bass by a keyboard instrument, usually a harpsichord or organ. Only the melody and the bass line were written out. Numbers placed over or under the bass notes indicated the type of chord to be played, and the keyboard accompanist added the appropriate notes. Homophony music of a largely chordal style in which the parts move in step with one another remained a feature of much baroque music, both instrumental and vocal. However, polyphony music with several melodies grew in importance. A number of existing polyphonic techniques were further developed during the 17th century. One of the most important was imitative counterpoint, in which the same theme is repeated by different voices or parts, either exactly or with some changes. Imitative counterpoint was important in some of the major compositional forms, such as the fugue, that arose during the baroque period. B Baroque Harmony Harmony came to have central importance in baroque music. During the 16th century the Renaissance harmonic system based on church modes had begun to evolve into a more organized system of harmony based on major and minor tonality. Toward the end of the 17th century principles of harmonic progression within the major-minor system were firmly in place; they were later described by Rameau in

his Trait de l harmonie (Treatise on Harmony, 1722). One result of the major-minor system was the idea of chordal progression the sense of one chord leading to the next. A dominant chord, for example, creates a pull toward the tonic chord. Other chords had different effects. Major-minor harmony thus gave music a much stronger sense of dynamism than did the system of church modes. The new harmonic practices also added richness through the process of modulation the changing of the tonal center within a piece of music. Modulation was a basic compositional tool during the baroque period because it provided an important resource for harmonic variety. Modulation also helped make longer compositions possible: By contributing to a balance between the elements of repetition and contrast, changes of key help sustain the listener s interest. Within the use of modulation came the introduction of the system of tuning known as equal temperament (see Musical Tuning Systems). The steps and half steps of the scale in the church modes were not, in most cases, of precisely equal length. In early tuning systems this unevenness caused problems when performers wanted to move from one key to another. The problem was especially acute in the case of keyboard instruments, with which tones and semitones are expected to be of predetermined length. The equal-tempered, or welltempered, scale was devised for tuning instruments so that semitones were the same size, allowing for a tuning that made each key sound more or less precise, or in tune. Bach wrote The Well Tempered Clavier (1722 and 1744), two sets of preludes and fugues in all major and minor keys, partly to show the advantages of the new system of tuning. quick facts        -RKDQQ6HEDVWLDQ%DFK German organist and composer Birth March 21, 1685

Death Place of Birth Principal Residence

July 28, 1750 Eisenach, Thringen, Germany Leipzig, Germany

1700-1703 Studied and worked as a Milestones chorister at the Church of Saint Michael in Lneburg 1703-1707 Held the position of church organist in Arnstadt 1705 Went to Lbeck to hear the famed organist Dietrich Buxtehude 1707 Became organist at the Church of Saint Blasius in Mlhausen 1708-1717 Worked as court organist for Duke Wilhelm Ernst in Weimar; became court concertmaster in 1714 1711-1720 Composed the Brandenburg Concertos 1717-1723 Held the position of court chapelmaster and director of chamber music at Anhalt-Kthen 1722 Composed the Well-Tempered Clavier 1723-1750 Held the positions of choirmaster and musical director of Saint Thomas's Church and church school in Leipzig 1727 or 1729 Composed the St. Matthew Passion 1745?-1750 Composed the Art of the Fugue 1747?-1749 Assembled the Mass in B Minor Did You Bach was imprisoned for a month in 1717

Know

by Duke Wilhelm, who wanted to prevent him from accepting a position at Prince Leopold's court in Anhalt-Kthen. Bach had 7 children with his first wife, and 13 children with his second wife. The Bach family produced more than 50 noted musicians over several generations.

Bach became sight-impaired during the last year of his life. Microsoft Encarta 2009. 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. quick facts *HRUJH)ULGHULF+DQGHO German-born English composer of the baroque era Birth Death Place of Birth Principal Residence Milestones February 23, 1685 April 14, 1759 Halle, Germany England 1705 Saw his first opera, Almira, performed in Hamburg 1706-1710 Lived in Italy, where he composed the opera Agrippina, first performed in 1709 1710 Became court composer for the elector of Hannover 1711 Produced the opera Rinaldo in London 1717 Produced Water Music for King George I of England 1717-1718 Composed the 11 Chandos Anthems while employed by the Duke of Chandos

1719-1728 Worked as musical director of the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he produced several operas, including Radamisto (1720) and Tamerlano (1724) 1729 With Swiss opera manager J. J. Heidegger, founded a new music academy where he produced several operas, including Orlando (1733) 1742 Produced the oratorio Messiah in Dublin 1749 Produced Music for the Royal Fireworks to celebrate the end of the War of Austrian Succession Did You Know Handel's salary was doubled when his employer, the elector of Hannover, was crowned King George I of England in 1714. Handel lost his eyesight during the last few years of his life. Handel's father was 63 years old when Handel was born. Born Georg Friedrich Hndel, Handel anglicized the spelling of his name after becoming a British citizen in 1727. Handel never married. Microsoft Encarta 2009. 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), Italian musician, the most influential composer and violinist of his age. A prolific composer, he wrote nearly 500 concertos and established the concerto form for the baroque period. Vivaldis best-known concertos are The Four Seasons (1725). Vivaldi was born in Venice and trained by his father, a violinist at Saint Marks Cathedral. Ordained a priest in 1703, Vivaldi began teaching that year at the Ospedale della Piet, a conservatory that trained

musically talented orphaned girls. He remained associated with the Piet until 1740, at first as a teacher of violin and composition and from 1716 on as music director, although he traveled widely and was often absent. In addition to training the students, he composed concertos and oratorios for weekly concerts, and established an international reputation. From 1713 on, Vivaldi was active as an opera composer and producer in Venice and traveled to Rome, Mantua, and elsewhere to oversee performances of his operas. In 1740 he traveled to Vienna, Austria. He died in poverty in Vienna the following year. Microsoft Encarta 2009. 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Renaissance, series of literary and cultural movements in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. These movements began in Italy and eventually expanded into Germany, France, England, and other parts of Europe. Participants studied the great civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome and came to the conclusion that their own cultural achievements rivaled those of antiquity. Their thinking was also influenced by the concept of humanism, which emphasizes the worth of the individual. Renaissance humanists believed it was possible to improve human society through classical education. This education relied on teachings from ancient texts and emphasized a range of disciplines, including poetry, history, rhetoric (rules for writing influential prose or speeches), and moral philosophy. Sidebars HISTORICAL ESSAYS Renaissance Consumerism Encarta Historical Essays reflect the knowledge and insight of leading historians. This collection of essays is assembled to support the National Standards for World History. In this essay, Lisa Jardine of the University of London examines the blossoming of art and learning in Europe known as the Renaissance within the context of a consumer revolution. The entrepreneurial spirit, she argues, is as significant as Europes admiration of classical Greece and Rome. open sidebar The word renaissance means rebirth. The idea of rebirth originated in the belief that Europeans had rediscovered the superiority of Greek and Roman culture after many centuries of what they considered intellectual and cultural decline. The preceding era, which began with the collapse of the Roman Empire around the 5th century, became

known as the Middle Ages to indicate its position between the classical and modern world. Scholars now recognize that there was considerable cultural activity during the Middle Ages, as well as some interest in classical literature. A number of characteristics of Renaissance art and society had their origins in the Middle Ages. Many scholars claim that much of the cultural dynamism of the Renaissance also had its roots in medieval times and that changes were progressive rather than abrupt. Nevertheless, the Renaissance represents a change in focus and emphasis from the Middle Ages, with enough unique qualities to justify considering it as a separate period of history. This article begins with a brief overview of the characteristics of the Renaissance and then discusses conflicting views on how to define and interpret the Renaissance. This analysis is followed by a discussion of the economic, social, and political changes that began in the 14th century and contributed to the development of the Renaissance. The ideas of the Renaissance, particularly of humanism, are then explored, and their impacts on established religion, on science, and on the arts are examined. Microsoft Encarta 2009. 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Renaissance, series of literary and cultural movements in the 14th, 15th, and 16th centuries. These movements began in Italy and eventually expanded into Germany, France, England, and other parts of Europe. Participants studied the great civilizations of ancient Greece and Rome and came to the conclusion that their own cultural achievements rivaled those of antiquity. Their thinking was also influenced by the concept of humanism, which emphasizes the worth of the individual. Renaissance humanists believed it was possible to improve human society through classical education. This education relied on teachings from ancient texts and emphasized a range of disciplines, including poetry, history, rhetoric (rules for writing influential prose or speeches), and moral philosophy. Sidebars HISTORICAL ESSAYS Renaissance Consumerism Encarta Historical Essays reflect the knowledge and insight of leading

historians. This collection of essays is assembled to support the National Standards for World History. In this essay, Lisa Jardine of the University of London examines the blossoming of art and learning in Europe known as the Renaissance within the context of a consumer revolution. The entrepreneurial spirit, she argues, is as significant as Europes admiration of classical Greece and Rome. open sidebar The word renaissance means rebirth. The idea of rebirth originated in the belief that Europeans had rediscovered the superiority of Greek and Roman culture after many centuries of what they considered intellectual and cultural decline. The preceding era, which began with the collapse of the Roman Empire around the 5th century, became known as the Middle Ages to indicate its position between the classical and modern world. Scholars now recognize that there was considerable cultural activity during the Middle Ages, as well as some interest in classical literature. A number of characteristics of Renaissance art and society had their origins in the Middle Ages. Many scholars claim that much of the cultural dynamism of the Renaissance also had its roots in medieval times and that changes were progressive rather than abrupt. Nevertheless, the Renaissance represents a change in focus and emphasis from the Middle Ages, with enough unique qualities to justify considering it as a separate period of history. This article begins with a brief overview of the characteristics of the Renaissance and then discusses conflicting views on how to define and interpret the Renaissance. This analysis is followed by a discussion of the economic, social, and political changes that began in the 14th century and contributed to the development of the Renaissance. The ideas of the Renaissance, particularly of humanism, are then explored, and their impacts on established religion, on science, and on the arts are examined.