One of the major philosophical currents that culminated in the Baroque period were the ideas that emerged from Greece and Rome, the ones which said that music was a powerful driving force and could evoke any sort of emotions and that it was a tool for communication. Claudio Monteverdi once defined how exactly it can be used for communication. He said, the first part must establish structure and harmony. Then, the second part should focus completely on expressing your words in the most meaningful way possible.This sense of structure in baroque is what makes its music the most logical and well organised and planned music to ever exist, in the periods to come and in the periods that had already gone by.Baroque composers usually wrote textbooks on the instrument or instruments they specialized in, explaining their composing method, and how they made sure the sense of structure did not kill the sense of melody and emotionMusic written during this period would usually also allow more instruments to enter the ensemble. Since the composers did not designate the number of instruments to sit in the orchestra, they usually wrote a part for an instruments called continuo and basso continuo. These parts could be taken by any two-hand instrument like the harpsichord, harp, or organ.
Most music was written for the harpsichord because the piano wasn’t so popular at the time. One of the few baroque works for piano was ‘Ave Maria’ by JS Bach.
Trills, tremolos, and other such musical ornaments were frequently used in baroque music to create incredibly detailed, intricate pieces.
Polyphony of use of counterpoint was common and much appreciated, where 2-3 melodies combine to form a dominant harmonic melody
Terraced dynamics was also a technique that was commonly used, where there are big and/or sudden dynamic contrasts (loud to soft, fast to slow and vice-versa)
Popular compositional forms include fugues, dance suites, toccatas, partitas, and concertos.
Symphonies were not so common at the time. In baroque pieces, mainly string instruments were used; the woodwinds and brass section were not so common.
Key signature were used to convey the different affections. C Major: rejoicing, impudent, C Minor: sweet, but sad, D Major: stubborn, noisy, warlike and rousing, D Minor: devout, serious, grand, calming, E Flat Major: pathetic, plaintive, E Major: the fatal separation of body and soul, E Minor: pensive and grieving, but not without hope, G Flat Minor: distress, abandonment, G Major: persuasive and brilliant, G Minor: grace, kindness, loveliness, A Major: gripping and clear, A Minor: honorable and calm, B Flat Major: magnificent, yet modest, B Minor: hard, unpleasant and desperate.
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