BAROQUE COMPOSERS

CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI (1567-1643)

• Italian composer in the Renaissance Era
• Composed into the Baroque Era
• Developed the new genre, the opera
• Moved music toward monophonic- emphasis on a single line
• "Orfeo”- 1607 (the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice)

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HENRY PURCELL (1659-1695)

• Among the greatest English composers
• Known for church music and opera
• Known for the mini opera "Dido and Aeneas" and "The Fairy Queen"
• "Dido and Aeneas” (first opera in English; Dido's lament)

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ANTONIO VIVALDI- (1678-1741)

• Virtuoso violinists who gave concerts through Europe
• 1000’s of works survive
• 450-500 concertos, 46 operas, 73 sonatas, 25 sinfonias
• "The Four Seasons”

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JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH (1685-1750)

• Primarily a church composer but wrote many great secular works
• During his lifetime known more as a great organist than composer
• Brought the cantata to the highest point of development
• Great musical composer in the history of western music

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GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL (1685-1759)

• Became most famous composer in Europe
• Reputation continued to increase after his death
• Perhaps the finest composer for chorus who ever lived
• Composed opera and started the oratorio

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