Baroque Vs Classical Music

The Baroque and Classical eras of music were both amazing periods full of musical genius and ingenuity that has made them go down in history as some of the most influential time periods for music composition. Among some of the most praised and defining pieces from those time periods include Dido’s “Lament” from Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” from the Baroque period, while pieces such as “Queen of The Night” from W.A Mozart’s “Magic Flute” exemplify the Classical period. These pieces both exhibit exemplary musical qualities from their respective musical periods, and comparing and contrasting these two works will illuminate the magnificence of each period.
Baroque music was a new art style that emphasized tonality. This is significant because of …show more content…
The Classical period and the Baroque period also were very similar in that they both used counterpoint to help create more colorful compositions. The Classical period differed from the Baroque period in the sense of styles. The Classical period was focused around a certain style called the “style gallant,” which focused on lightness and elegance. This lightness was almost the exact dichotomy of the Baroque’s heavy structures. The Classical period used lighter, shorter, and singular melodies compared to the Baroque’s heavy and long polyphonies. The instrumentations between the two periods were also noteworthy with the Classical period having more focus on bigger and better instrument sections for pieces, as opposed to the Baroque period where the instrumentation was less important. The Baroque period was different from the Classical period because of the complexity of the instrumentation. The Baroque period music was more complex than Classical era music. One of the final striking differences in the periods was also the dynamic usage. The Baroque period tended to not even use dynamics while the Classical era did not miss an opportunity to use them. Overall, while the Baroque and Classical periods had significant differences, the two periods were remarkably …show more content…
The time periods were impactful in developing the styles and musical structures that are used today by modern composers. The two music pieces examined herein, “Dido’s Lament” from Purcell’s “Dido and Aeneas” and “Queen of The Night” from W.A Mozart’s “Magic Flute,” are excellent choices to help examine the divergences between the two musical periods. There are many similarities and differences between the two periods; however, each period merits an investigation to truly realize the intricacies and genius that were unique to each time