During the Baroque, purely instrumental music reached the highest development since the Renaissance, when it started being developed.
There were some decisive factors for this, such as the improvement of the technical capabilities and accuracy of the instruments, and the birth of the orchestra as a stable and organized ensemble.
For the first time, the composers specified the instrumentation they wanted for each voice. The musicians also specialized in one instrument. This led to the appearance of the first virtuosos.
*Picture: Czech Chamber Orchestra Baroque forever young
3.3.1. Classification of instruments
The music for orchestra required the instruments to be grouped in families. In this period we can talk about families of instruments as we know them today:
- Wind family:
- Woodwind: Wooden flutes, bassoons.
- Brass: Natural trumpets.
- String family: Violins, violas, cellos, double bass.
- Percussion family: Timpani.
Harpsichord was a very important instrument, used to accompany and provide chords and basso continuo. It was usual to have the director playing the harpsichord in front of the orchestra, and giving indications at the same time.
Diagram of a baroque orchestra:
3.3.2. Instrumental forms
As a result of these developments, new musical forms emerged during the Baroque period: the suite, the sonata, and the concerto.
- Suite: it consists of a sequence of dances of different nature, alternating slow and fast tempos. The most common structure is:
- Sonata: at this time it just meant 'a piece to be played'. It is a compound form divided into four movements that contrast between fast and slow, using different textures and rhythms. It could be written for a solo instrument, a duo, or a trio, always accompanied by the harpsichord playing the basso continuo.
- Concerto: it is a compound form made up of a sequence of three contrasting movements:
There were two types of concertos, depending on how the instruments intervene:
- Concerto grosso: here we have a contrast between a small group of instruments (concertino) and the whole orchestra (tutti). They alternate during the performance. Among the most important composers of concertos grossos, we can name Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), Georg Friedric Haendel (1685-1759), and Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750).
- Solo concerto: written for an instrument that contrasts in dialogue with the whole orchestra. One of the most renowned composers of solo concertos was Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741).
