Baroque Music

Course description

Baroque music represents outrageously expressive and epic forms of communication.  Join us as we tour Europe at a time when the pomp and splendor of Baroque music unfolds amid the glory of tension between two opposing masses: poverty-luxury, idealism-oppression.  Meet some of the main revolutionaries, who bolstered music to new heights of virtuosity and opulence – bold in gesture and conception, vigorous, decorative, and monumental. Through a series of easy and fun exercises, we examine how the novel development of musical elements (rhythm, melody, harmony), and the creation of important new musical forms – the opera, the instrumental sonata, and the concerto – unfold and intertwine to create music that is unique to the Baroque spirit.

No previous musical knowledge necessary.