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Period: Jan 1, 1570 to
Early Baroque Music
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Jan 14, 1573
Florentine Camerata
A meeting in Florence during the late Renaissance where a group of humanists discuss the future and trends of music and drama during the time. Under the patronage of Count Giovanni Bardi, significant contributors Giulio Caccini, Vincenzo Galilei, and Giralamo Mei discuss the idea of using greek drama as a model for music. This concept would lead to monody and shape baroque opera. -
Giovanni Artusi's critical essay
The first of two critical essays by Giovanni Artusi ("On the Imperfection of Music"). The essays criticize the foundations of seconda practica and the deviation from the old style. His critique is directed towards Claudio Monteverdi in his discussion of Monteverdi's madrigal, "Cruda Amarilli" -
L'Orfeo, opera
Monteverdi composes L'Orfeo which is performed during carnival at the Mantuan court. The opera is an example of Early Baroque opera coming out of the Renaissance style. L'Orfeo is labeled on the score by Alessandro Striggio as La Favola d'Orfeo. Favola in Musica described an opera usually containing references to pastoral content and Greek drama . -
Johann Jakob Froberger, born
German composer is baptized in Stuttgart (unknown exact birthdate and location). He contributed to the development and is credited as the creator of the standard Baroque suite. This suite consisted of an Allemand, Courante, Sarabande, and Gigue. -
Symphonie Sacrae, published
Heinrich Schutz completes and publishes Symphonie Sacrae, a significant polychoral work. First published in Venice, the piece is in latin and uses psalms as its core text. -
Period: to
Middle Baroque Period
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L'Incoronazione d'Poppea, opera
An opera composed by Monteverdi that was performed during the 1642-43 carnival season at the Teatro SS Giovanni e Paolo. The libretto was by Giovanni Francesco Busenello and told the story of a love affair between Nero and Poppea. In addition to the main story line, there was a complex web of plots that was traditional of Early Italian baroque opera some of which include Seneca, Valeto, and Drusilla. -
Lully appointed a post in French court
King Louis IX appointed Lully the compositeur de la musique instrumentale. First being noticed as a dancer, this position recognized Lully for his musical talents and provided him a position to compose as well as dance. -
Alessandro Scarlatti, born
Born in Parlermo, Sicily, Alessandro Scarlatti was considered to be the founder of Neopolitan Opera. In addition to his work with opera, Scarlatti composed oratorios and masses well, most notably the St. Cecilia Mass. -
Period: to
Late Baroque
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Jean-Philippe Rameau, born
Rameau was born in Dijon, France. He has made significant contributions with his work in tragedie en musique, instrumental works, and theoretical writings. One of his most significant Opera's was Hippolyte et Aricie which contributed to a critical debate of Rameau's use of harmony vs. Lully's -
George Frederich Handel, born
Born in Halle into a non-musical family. He began studying law before switching to musical studies and professianl career. Handel is well-known for his operas and oratorios. He had a significant output during his years in London where his operas were well recieved. -
Johann Sebastian Bach, born
Born in Eisenach during the middle to late Baroque period into a musical family. After Bach's parents died, he moved in with his brother Johann Cristoph. Bach learned much of his fundamental musicianship during these year. Bach was devout Lutheran, common in Eisenach where Martin Luther translated the Bible to German. -
Armide, opera
An opera composed by Jean Baptiste Lully featuring the tragedie en musique genre of Baroque french opera. The libretto was written by Phillipe Quinault, a librettist whom Lully collaborated with frequently. The opera is focused around Armide's spell over Rinaud. -
Jean-Baptiste Lully, born
A significant Baroque composer who served in Louis XIV's court. He was Italian born and not nobility but through his work as an Italian tutor he worked his was in the French aristocratic circles. He created to major french musical genres: Tragedie en musique and comedie-ballet. -
Dido and Aeneas, performed
Henry Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas is performed at the Josias Priest's girl school in London. The opera features a famous lament bass line in the aria, "When I am laid in earth." -
Antonio Vivaldi appointed Violin Teacher
Vivaldi appointed Violin teacher of L'Ospedale della Pieta. He wrote many works for the women of the convent. One of his major works for the women of the convent was L'Estro Armonico, a set of 4 concertos. He was nicknamed the Red Priest. -
J.S. Bach appointed position in Arnstadt
He was appointed a position as church organist in Arnstadt at the church of St. Boniface. During this period he was granted leave to travel to see Buxtehude perform in Lubeck. -
Georg Philipp Telemann appointed post in Sorau
Telemann is appointed Kapellmeister at Sorau. Here he becomes freines with Ermann Neumeister, prolific writer of reliegous poetry. Neumeister's text was set by numerous composers by Telemann, J.S. Bach. -
Bach transfers from Arnstadt to position in Mühlhausen
Bach tranfers to Blasiuskirche where he works as an organist. He composes his first significant church cantatas during this period. This is also when he marries his first wife, Maria Barbara Bach. -
J.S. Bach appointed post at Weimar
Duke Wilhelm appoints Bach as ‘Capelle und Kammermusik’ and he later becomes Konzertmeister in 1714. Bach composes his Organbuchlein and Well-Tempered Clavier during this period. Bach is imprisoned for roughly a month by Wilhelm when he tries to leave to take a post in Cothen. -
J.S. Bach appointed in Cöthen
Prince Leopold appoints Bach as Kappelmeister. Bach's period in Cothen was very fruitful with a more secular output. He composed his Brandenburg Concertos, Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Vioin, Cello Sonatas, and Orchestral Suites. The composition of these secular works may have been influenced by Prince Leopold's Italian Library which contained the works of Vivaldi's Concertos and Corelli's Trio Sonatas. -
Traite de l'harmonie, published
Jean Phillipe Rameau publishes his treatise on harmony in music. A book that has served as a foundation to many current theory text books on tonal music -
J.S. Bach appointed position in Leipzig
Bach appointed Thomascantor at the Thomaskirche. The post was intially offered Telemann and then to two others before Bach was offered the position. Bach composed many of his cantatas during this period. He also composed his Mass in B minor and Musical Offering, considered monumental works by Bach. -
Giulio Cesare, opera
A 3 act opera by Handel, also known as Giulio Cesare in Egitto, was composed for the Royal Academy of Music. The opera is an example of opera seria and the libretto is by Nicola Francesca Haym. -
Der vollkommene Capellmeister, completed
Johann Mattheson completes his theoretical writings on the Cartesion theories applied to music. He speaks about the concept of affect used by many Baroque composers. -
Jephtha, oratorio
An oratorio by Handel based on the bibilical story of Jeptha. This oratorio was Handels last oratorio. The tragic story is centered around Jephtha's sacrifice of his daughter after a promise he made to God.