The pipe organ had been around for centuries before Baroque music came along. It was a fixture of many churches by the time J.S. Bach was born. The church organ had multiple manuals (keyboards) and stories-high sets of pipes built into the wall. Chamber organs were smaller. Positive organs, a kind of chamber organ, had … Continue reading The Organ in Baroque Music
The Importance of Continuo
What is Continuo? Continuo (or Basso Continuo) is one of the defining characteristics of Baroque music. It is that ever-present bass line played by a keyboard instrument (harpsichord or organ) and the cello and double bass. It is what makes the tuttis (when everyone plays together) thrilling and the harmonies grounded. Continuo parts consist of … Continue reading The Importance of Continuo
Corelli: Master of Suspensions
Arcangelo Corelli was an Italian violinist, slightly older than Vivaldi. He brought the concerto grosso style into prominence. His Opus 6 contains twelve of them - all wonderful pieces with a universal yet unique sound to them. A characteristic of Corelli’s music is his use of suspensions in the slow and fast movements alike. What … Continue reading Corelli: Master of Suspensions
Vivaldi’s La Folia Made Better
The Genius of Jeannette Sorrell and the Apollo's Fire Orchestra For more information on La Folia click here. Every time a musician plays a Baroque piece, they interpret it by adding their own improvised ornaments and deciding what shape or character they'll give to each note or phrase. That’s how they make each performance their … Continue reading Vivaldi’s La Folia Made Better
Pietro Locatelli
Pietro Antonio Locatelli (1695-1764) is not known as one of the giants of Baroque music. He is not in the list with Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel, though he was skilled and innovative, and produced a lot of technically brilliant violin music. He lived at the very end of the Baroque period, surviving even into the … Continue reading Pietro Locatelli
La Folia
The Folia (‘La Follia’ in Italian, ‘La Folia’ in Spanish, ‘Folies d’Espagne’ in French, and ‘Folia’ in Portuguese) is perhaps one of the greatest things humans have ever created. The Folia is a theme on which more than 150 composers have written variations. It originated as a dance, where the term ‘Folia’ (follies) referred to … Continue reading La Folia
The Recorder
You might have been taught the recorder in school as a child. The recorder is an easy instrument to learn but a hard one to stick with. The modern recorder doesn’t play in a symphony orchestra, or most post-Baroque ensembles. However, in Baroque music the recorder is just as important as any other instrument. There … Continue reading The Recorder
Avison after Scarlatti – 12 Concerti Grossi
It is generally surprising how much music can change when it is reimagined for other instruments, but there is nothing quite as remarkable as the transformation of Domenico Scarlatti’s keyboard sonatas into concerti grossi by Charles Avison. The twelve concerti that emerged from an assortment of keyboard movements are wonderful as pieces in their own … Continue reading Avison after Scarlatti – 12 Concerti Grossi
The Difference Between Baroque and Modern Violins
Baroque violins sound different from their modern counterparts, partly because they are played with a different technique, and partly because true "period instruments" are built differently to be more historically accurate. Baroque violins are generally softer in volume than modern violins, and warmer in tone. The reason for this is largely due to their having … Continue reading The Difference Between Baroque and Modern Violins
The Baroque Chaconne: a couple of good examples
The Baroque period was the birthplace of many forms of composition. The ‘chaconne’ (or ‘ciaconna’) is particularly delightful, because it is essentially simple: it consists of a repeated bass pattern or chord progression, and a set of melodic variations that are either sung or played on an instrument like the violin. In chaconnes written for … Continue reading The Baroque Chaconne: a couple of good examples
The Next Vivaldi Project 