The Baroque era was a unique period in music that began during the 1600’s and ended around 1750. The word “baroque” is define by Merriam’s Collegiate Dictionary as, “of, relating to, or having the characteristics of a style of artistic expression prevalent esp. in the 17th century that is marked generally by use of complex forms, bold ornamentation, and the juxtaposition of contrasting elements often conveying a sense of drama, movement, and tension.” The word “baroque” has been used to indicate paintings, poems, architecture, literature, and all else that is dynamic and astonishing. The Baroque time was filled with musical geniuses. People like Franz Josef Haydn, George Frideric Handel, and Claudio Monteverdi. All of these people were amazing when holding an instrument, sitting at a piano, or writing on manuscript paper, but the finished products were and always will be superb. Johann Sebastian Bach and Antonio Vivaldi were among these musical prodigies. Johann Sebastian Bach was born into a family of musicians on March 21, 1685 in Eisenbach, Germany and is considered to have been the greatest composer of western music. According to Classical Net Resources, “Bach’s main achievement lies in his synthesis and advanced development of the primary contrapuntal idiom of the late baroque, and the music tunefullness of his thematic material.” Bach began his career as a court organist and quickly moved to become a church organist. In 1717, Bach moved to Cothen as court conductor to the young Prince Leopold. This was Bach’s first position outside of the church and he directed and composed for the prince’s small orchestra for six years. It was during these years that he composed the Brandenberg Concertos.Following his years at Cothen, Bach accepted the highly prestigious post of cantor, (music director) of St. Thomas church in Leipzig. This was a demanding job i...
