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Baroque Music Research Paper

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The Restoration was a time of artistic change. This time period bled into what is known as the Baroque period. The english word baroque originated from the Italian word barocco, meaning bizarre. The usage of this term started in the 1860s to describe the decorative, elaborate style of the 17th century religious and public Italian buildings. Baroque music has affected everything we hear in music today due to the incredible form of the music, instruments, and composers of that time.
Baroque music is a style of Western art composed from approximately 1600 to 1750. This style of music is filled with delicate decoration and ornamentation. Elements that originated from this period influenced modern classical form in many ways. Balance was a very important component to baroque music, every note was to be heard. Bachs view of balance can be found in his sonatas written for violin and piano. They were originally meant to be 3-part Trio Sonatas, one part for the violin, and a part for each hand of the pianist. Because the Harpsichord is generally relegated to the rear of the sound spectrum, the violinist would overpower the harpsichord, making it sound as if it were a written violin solo. The same goes for Bach 's sonata for flute (or viola) and harpsichord. Choral music also has these issues, but with the instruments and the voices. Michael Sartorius said, "If Bach wrote it, the listener should hear it". Most recordings of Bach 's cantatas and choral works use a small organ for the

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