MUL 2010 Chapter Notes - Chapter 6: Le Nain, Intensify, Da Capo Aria
11 Mar 2020
School
Department
Course
Professor
Baroque Music
PRELUDE
The early Baroque period is best reflected in Italian art and shows the recovery of the Roman
Catholic Church after the Protestant challenge. By the 17th century, most of Europe was bound
to Rome and Catholicism. The arts were used by Italians to celebrate the power and glory of
the Church; Rome became an unparalleled cultural center.
Style changes were generally reflected in all arts, as active and dramatic scenes would be
prevalent in both paintings and ornamentation. Stark contrasts between light and dark was
also a common theme in Baroque art. Music had a fairly constant sense of motion, utilizing
melodic decoration such as trills (two notes played back and forth very quickly).
Culture - Music continued to play an important role in the life of the churches
- Sounds could move, elevate, and involve a congregation and intensify the spiritual exp
- Protestants were skeptical of visual displays and the veneration of images, but warmed
to the use of music in church services
- They formed orchestras and choirs, had large organs built in their churches
- The greatest baroque church musician was Johann Sebastian Bach
- The concentration of baroque art and architecture was not exclusively religious
- In France, monumental art was used to enhance the position of Louis XIV and his court
- The royal palace at Versailles was remade in the latter half of the 17th century
- The grandness of baroque style reflected the tastes of the Church and ruling class
- In cities, many workers and artisans constructed and decorated great monuments
- The average worker labored around 16 hours per day, six days a week
- Depicted in Peasant Family by Louis Le Nain
- Entertainment for the lower classes included visits to alehouses, where
musicians, storytellers, and gambling was available
- There was not a very large middle class, but there were well-to-do merchants and
nobles who had much better lives than poor workers
- Enjoyed hunting, gambling, and various types of ball/board games
- Educated people learned to play musical instruments or sing, and enjoyed
performing with/for friends in their homes
- Marriages were still arranged by parents, though romantic affairs were common
and accepted among higher classes
Document Summary
The early baroque period is best reflected in italian art and shows the recovery of the roman. By the 17th century, most of europe was bound to rome and catholicism. The arts were used by italians to celebrate the power and glory of the church; rome became an unparalleled cultural center. Style changes were generally reflected in all arts, as active and dramatic scenes would be prevalent in both paintings and ornamentation. Stark contrasts between light and dark was also a common theme in baroque art. Music had a fairly constant sense of motion, utilizing melodic decoration such as trills (two notes played back and forth very quickly). Culture - music continued to play an important role in the life of the churches. Sounds could move, elevate, and involve a congregation and intensify the spiritual exp. Protestants were skeptical of visual displays and the veneration of images, but warmed to the use of music in church services.
