Counterpoint

There were many different style characteristics that contributed to music in the Baroque era. In the Early Baroque period, rhythm became a more defined beat as compared to how subtle and “floaty” Renaissance music was. Composers emphasized meter and used bar lines for the first time. These strong rhythmic beats were clearly emphasized. The textures in Early Baroque music were both homophonic and polyphonic, but they were enriched by something called “basso continuo”. In “basso continuo”, the bass part in the music is played by an organ, harpsichord, or some chord instrument to accompany the singers. There was also used of the cello and bassoon. The newest feature brought to Early Baroque music was functional harmony in which all chords are predictable or purposeful. In Late Baroque music, every element is brimming with energy. The characteristics of the Early Baroque period carry into this time in which the beat regular, determined, and steady, although there are distinctive patterns in between. There is also an introduction of harmonic rhythm where the pieces change chords at every measure. Dynamics were also used in the Late Baroque period as composers started to experiment with contrasts in music and sounds. The texture was generally standard polyphonic and the music forms are clear. The art and architecture contributed to this period in that the theater showed strong emotion on display, like the vocal music of the time. The painting and sculpture were dazzling to the eye…

among these ‘girls’. The veneration of the Virgin Mary in this respect was in fact neither unheard of nor decried in the Renaissance period; even in the Late-Medieval Era, this type of imagery was commonplace (Pesce 2009: 152). However, the pre-enlightenment reverence of the physical features of the Virgin Mary can be viewed more as a stylistic and poetic custom than a sign of growing materialist and secular influences, which would not truly begin until philosophers such as Machiavelli, another…

After reviewing two articles, I support the counterpoint argument. The “counterpoint” article provides several valid points to why cervical screening in women older than 65 years of age should not be recommended. The article stated that preventive resources, such as Pap smears and screening, should be directed to high-risk population, “where real benefit can be obtained (Isidean et al., 1025). In unscreened populations, the peak period of cervical cancer risk amongst women is estimated to be…

Being a vocalist, it’s hard not to notice that vocal music wasn’t a highly talked about genre during the Early Baroque. Since vocal music is a familiar genre, its lack of appreciation can catch the attention of many Baroque fans, especially those who are studying the voice. Taking the time to analyze the Baroque period more in depth by exploring the ultimate goal of the era, the composers of the era, and by examining music scores, especially those of Claudio Monteverdi, I was able to grasp an…

My grandson asked me to tell him a story about myself, so I recounted my early days when I met the great Jacques Arcadelt. It was many years ago in the mid 1530's. I had snuck into a party hosted by the Medici family. I heard beautiful music and wanted to see the performers first hand. Plus, they always have the best wine. The Medici family has been in power in Florence for so long, people know of no other rulers here. Even though they still followed a monarchical structure and often ruled…

Complexity played an important role in Baroque music, which can be described as “extravagance and structure”. As new possibilities arose, composers were able to make their music more complex. The emergence of new instruments, like the brass and woodwind instruments, increased flexibility in tone color. This allowed for more expression in music. The improvement of instruments such as the violin, which Stradivari and other makers perfected, and the organ, allowed for the emergence of virtuosos…

I’ve listened to Messiah since I was very young. My grandmother is very fond of baroque music, and has about a dozen different versions of Messiah, let alone any other pieces. Because I’ve listened to so many versions of it for so many years, I know a quite a bit about what the piece sounds like or at least what it should sound like. The instrumental backdrop of the piece is predominantly homophonic and is founded on the combination of smooth strings, gentle woodwinds, and strong brass in a…

During the Baroque period, some important choral forms such as the motet represented the continued development of the Renaissance ideas. However, others such as the cantata and the oratorio were completely new creations of the time period. These vocal forms of the Baroque period were based on the monadic style. In some cases, some of these forms like the cantata crossed over boundaries of sacred and secular and were used for both. Specifically, the cantata was one of the most prominent…

A harpsichord is a keyboard instrument with horizontal strings that run perpendicular to the keyboard and was very popular in the 16th and 17th centuries. The harpsichord is one of the important instruments in the Baroque period. The harpsichord changed the style of elements in this era. Harpsichord composers became a more common practice. It changed the dynamics of concertos.(Newman 138) In the 'Renaissance' era was very polyphonic texture. Polyphony requires two or more lines in the…

Andrew Chen Ms. Bergen AP European History 4 June 2018 Josip Broz Tito: The Rebel Communist Josip Broz, more commonly known as Tito, was born on May 7, 1892 in the village of Kumrovec in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (modern-day Croatia). He was the seventh of fifteen children in a large peasant family, with a Croat father and a Slovene mother. At the early age of seven, he began working on his family’s farm. He entered primary school in Kumrovec at…