Baroque Vs Classical Era

Musical genres of the Baroque and Classical eras were greatly influenced by their respective societies and the ever evolving world around them. Western European civilization during the Baroque period (1600-1750) was one of contrasts between the rich and the poor, the Catholics and the Protestants, and the monarchs and the rising middle class. There were religious wars and instability. Religion was the center of men’s lives which overflowed into all aspects of the society, both politically and culturally. The Reformation and the bloody Counter-Reformation split religious viewpoints. In contrast, the Classical period (1750-1825) regained economic stability with the beginnings of the Industrial Revolution, and enabled a substantial middle class to grow and flourish. Philosophers emerged that harkened back to the ancient Greeks, who in turn influenced society. Emphasis shifted to social values focused on human rights and the power of human reasoning in overcoming the problems of

Some of these are a result of building on what was begun in the previous era. Both the Baroque era and the Classical era wrote choral music of a sacred nature, and moved from the acapella choirs of the past eras. Prominent composers such as Bach in the Baroque era wrote cantatas for the Lutheran service, and Handel wrote oratorios for the Catholic Church. These were performed with SATB voices with instrumental accompaniment. As was the style of Baroque composers they were dramatic, used imitative polyphony, moved to major and minor scales, and had a type of base line. The basso continuo was very much present in Baroque music. Classical era composers such as Haydn and Mozart wrote oratorios and music for the Mass, and Mozart wrote most of his own Requiem. These works were different in that they were on a much larger scale with the use of more instruments, and were mostly