BAROQUE COMPOSERS

Henry Purcell• September 10, 1659-November 21, 1695• England• Began his musical a career as a

chorister as a member of the Chapel Royal

• 1679 appointed organist of Westminster • Contributed to English Opera, but began

his music career by writing numerous sacred works

• Dido and Aeneas - English Opera• Borrowed ideas from other countries

• France: the french overture and the chaconne• Italy: the concertato style and an expressive

use of chromatics

Johann Pachabel• 1653-March 3, 1706• Germany• Cannon in D• composer for the organ• organist at the Predigerkirche

Erfurt, where he became friendly with the Bach family

• also composed fugues, chaconnes, preludes, fantasias and toccatas, all musical forms deeply embedded in the formal traditions of Baroque music

George Frideric Handel• February 23, 1685-April 14, 1759• Born Germany, Italian Accent, Change

name to English• Wrote Operas that the aristocracy (upper

class) loved• Wrote 42 operas

• Then all but invented that essentially British musical form, the oratorio (he went on to write 29 of them, including Messiah)

• Also composed anthems (notably Coronation Anthems such as Zadok the Priest),16 organ concertos, and large set pieces including Water Music and Music for Royal Fireworks

• distinguished by his love of unusual instruments

Antonio Vivaldi• Set of violin concertos, The Four Seasons

• Often used in elevators and other social music fillers

• Marketed his printed music• Talented Violinist• An ordained priest• Deep influence on Bach, who transcribed six

of the composer’s concertos for solo keyboard

• Composed more than 500 concertos for solo and multiple instruments, many of which were written for young women from the Pio Ospedale della Pieta in Venice, the orphanage where Vivaldi was employed

• Also wrote sacred choral works and more than 40 operas

Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi• Died November 29, 1643• Itlaian• Birth of opera with L’Orfeo, first

performed in 1607• masterly exponent of that favourite

Baroque technique, the basso continuo

• Director of music at the basilica of San Marco

• Last two operas, Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria (1640) and L’incoronazione di Poppea (1642), are both masterpieces

Johann Sebastian Bach• March 31, 1685-June 28, 1750• German• Musician whose influence reaches beyond

the Baroque to the present day• Master of Keyboard Counterpoint and

harmonic organization• Family of church musicians • Adapting musical forms and rhythmic

patterns from the music that was being composed in France and Italy

• Essential works are the St. Matthew Passion, the Mass in B minor, the cantatas, the Brandenburg Concertos, the French Suites, the Suites for Solo Cello and the Musical Offering.