| A “Great” Composer | ||
| Historical Period One (1) | Historical Period Two (2) | |
| Which historical period? | The Baroqueperiod represents Western music composed between 1600 and 1750, following the Renaissance and leading up to the classical era. The term is borrowed from the Portuguese language and means an oddly shaped pearl. The music during this period was embellished with many ornaments. | The classical era slightly overlaps with the Baroque period because it is approximated to have started in 1730 and lasted until 1820, and preceded the romantic era. Compared to baroque, the music of this era was less complex and lighter, with clearer texture. |
| Name all the influential composers for the period you chose. | This period had influential composers whose works are appreciated to date. Johann Sebastian Bach is the most famous musician of the era of German origin. He is well-known for his creative works in instrumental music, such as Goldberg Variationsand Brandenburg Concertos. Other composers of the era are Antonio Vivaldi, Henry Purcell, Johann Pachelbel, and Claudio Monteverdi. | Classical music is still played on radio today, and this fact is attributed to the amazing works of the period’s composers. Johann Sebastian Bach contributed to both baroque and classical music and influenced the use of concerto styles, which dominated those periods. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is another important Austrian composer of the time who borrowed composition techniques from Bach. He is famously known for his prowess in opera and symphony styles. Other composers of the classical period include Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, and Joseph Haydn. |
| What are the hallmarks, or unique characteristics, of the composers’ styles? | The composers’ musical styles were unique during the Baroque because they used four-part music to create harmony. They also incorporated basso continuo, baseline phrases that enriched the music’s texture (Vaubel 281). Additionally, they introduced modulation and ornamentation. Bach predominantly used the techniques demonstrated in the Goldenberg Variationspiece. | The peculiarity of this era’s compositions compared to baroque is manifested in the simplicity of the music style. The composers used few ornaments and focused on balance and elegance. Harmony was majorly diatonic and not four-part like in the works of the baroque (Georges 40). Furthermore, melodies were brief and well-balanced, and textures were homophonic with an accompanying instrument. |
| Choose one composer for each period. Name a musical work and composer’s name for each period you chose. | One of the Baroque period’s musical works is St Matthew Passionwritten by Johann Sebastian Bach in 1727. The piece is a sacred oratorio composed of solo voices with a double orchestra and a double choir in the background. The composition also includes a libretto section that was written by Picander, a poet living during the era. The soloist, choir members, and instrumentalists in the performance were all men because, at that time, only males were allowed to present items of music in the church. | Requiemis one of the major compositions of the classical period. It was written partly by Wolfgang Mozart on his deathbed in 1791 and completed by Franz Sussmayr a year later. As the name suggests, the work was composed as a funeral song for church services to repose the soul of the dead. The piece integrates the use of instruments and voices. Additionally, its structure is divided into eight distinct sections. |
| Similarities between the two (2) musical works. | St Matthew Passionis a sacred piece and Bach intended it to be used during Christmas and Easter celebrations. The piece has a double choir and a soloist section for string instruments and voice. Bach uses four-part harmony in the piece. | Requiem is also a sacred work but meant for funeral services. The composition also employs double-choir and solo presentations in sections of the performance. Even though the piece is dominated by soprano and baritone solos, there are sections with four-part harmony. |
| Differences between the two (2) musical works. | The piece was only performed by men because women were not allowed to participate in church performances. St Matthew Passion is in the key of E Major with a BPM of 76. The composition is divided into two main movements. | The piece was performed by a mixed choir. Women began to participate in church services during the Classical era. Requiemis in the key of D Minor, with a faster tempo of 104 BPM. The music is categorized into eight movements and is longer compared to St Matthew Passion. |
| Can you think of a modern artist or song that may have been influenced by each style? | Eduard Ferlet is French jazz and classical musician who built his career by improvising Bach’s works (Thomas). One of his solo piano compositions, Think Bach (2012)imitates the composition style of the Baroque period. | The classical styles of Mozart continue to influence the composition of modern music. Artists such as One Republic, Avicii, and John Bellion have incorporated classical elements into their music (Wildridge). The musicians have borrowed the minor and major chords and triads as used by Mozart. |
Works Cited
Georges, Patrick. “Western Classical Music Development: A Statistical Analysis of Composers Similarity, Differentiation, and Evolution.” Scientometrics, vol. 112, no. 1, 2017, pp. 21-53. Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Web.
Thomas, Doug. “How Bach Has Influenced Musicians.” Interlude, 2019, Web.
Vaubel, Roland. “The Role of Competition in the Rise of Baroque and Renaissance Music.” Journal of Cultural Economics, vol. 29, no. 4, 2020, pp. 277-297. Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Web.
Wildridge, Dr Justin. “How Classical Music Has Influenced Modern Music – CMUSE.” CMUSE. 2019, Web.