Comparing the Baroque Era and the Classical Era

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Comparing the Baroque Era and the Classical Era There are two distinct eras in music that have impacted it immensely throughout time. They are known as the Baroque era and the Classical era. These eras have helped mold and elevate music, building creative pathways that still hold a strong effect in present day music. The differences in both the Baroque and Classical eras are quite immense but they both hold equal importance to the history of music and are high in their overall influential worth. The Baroque era was a beginning of a new style and a change in music. The name of this era was given in between the Renaissance and the Classical period. This era is dated around 1600-1750 and was a new representation of different shape and varieties in music. It pre dates the Classical era but helped towards its evolution. The music in the early Baroque era originates from the late-Renaissance usage of mannerisms. Composers would frequently use expressive gestures. The Baroque era presented music that experimented with different textures and harmonies. Composers of this era had a way of intertwining old and new styles. Composers were given the option of constructing an acapella or concerto scoring. The concerto scoring could be enhanced with independent instrumental parts that worked to complement instead of double the Robinson 2 vocal lines. The differences between the vocal and instrumental idioms increased. Pieces of the Baroque era favored stringed instruments and allowed more room for improvisation throughout. Two styles that were a part of the Baroque era were known as the prima prattica stemming from the Renaissance era and the newer seconda prattica. “The rise of the seconda prattica and monody marked the beginning of a s... ... middle of paper ... ...al era differ greatly in regards to style and structure but both succeeded at impacting musical history. The greats that we acknowledge today stemmed from these very eras. The Baroque era ushered in the genre of Opera, while the Classical era introduced a new outline for structuring musical compositions. The Baroque and Robinson 6 Classical eras were powerful, influential, and musically stimulating to the masses, forever engraving themselves in history and time. Works Cited Bonds, Mark Evan. A Brief History of Music in Western Culture. 1st. New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc., 2004. Print. Rambles, Baker. "A Distinction Between Classical and Baroque Styles of Music." Education and Science. Hubpages, 05 12 2011. Web. 18 Nov. 2013. Styles-of-Music>.

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