The Baroque period covers roughly 150 years of music history, divided into the early (1605 to 1630), middle (1630 to 1680), and late (1680 to 1750) periods. Just a quick detour into music theory. Baroque music introduces the figured bass (also known as the thorough bass), as composers began what was to become an obsession … Continue reading Back in the Baroque: An Introduction and Preview
Month: August 2021
Interlude: A Happy Accident
As we are wrapping up the Renaissance with Monteverdi breaking from the strict Palestrina mode of composition, I am editing future entries on Jean-Philippe Rameau, whose 1722 treatise, Traité de l'harmonie réduite à ses principes naturels, set forth the rules that would govern composition for the better part of the next 200 years. And, as … Continue reading Interlude: A Happy Accident
Renaissance Music IX: The End of an Era, Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), Part I
We now arrive at the singular musical genius of Claudio Monteverdi. In any list of the most important composers in history, he’s Top 10, easily. As much as I love Tallis and Allegri, neither is on Monteverdi’s level artistically. Unlike Bach, who fully embodied his age with such mastery that (at least for me) his … Continue reading Renaissance Music IX: The End of an Era, Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), Part I
Renaissance Music VIII: Pop Stars
In the late Renaissance, music began to change in substance, form and function. The Church, the mighty patron of composers since the beginning of the European musical tradition, was about to take a back seat to secular music, led by a wave of popular songsmiths of the late 16th century. Chief among these new pop … Continue reading Renaissance Music VIII: Pop Stars
Renaissance Music VII: Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652)
Right on the heels of Thomas Tallis comes what may be my favorite work of Renaissance music. In the 1630s, Gregorio Allegri produced what for more than a century was considered—widely considered—to be the most beautiful music ever composed. As most of us will recall, chasing after obscure bootlegs even before the CD age, scarceness … Continue reading Renaissance Music VII: Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652)
A Gertus History of Music 