Emotions in Music

“The aim and the final end of music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul,” (brainyquote.com). This quote from Johann Sebastian Bach wholly describes the Baroque era. What musical forms, styles, and composers defined and dominated the Baroque musical era? The Baroque period lasted from the mid-1600’s to the mid-1700’s. The word “baroque” actually comes from the Portuguese term, “barocco,” meaning, “oddly-shaped pearl,” (baroque.org). This term was applied to the music and art of the 1600’s and 1700’s because, to the critics, as well as the patrons, the styles were overdone and exaggerated (baroque.org). The musical style of the Baroque proved to be revolutionary. Music was composed for certain locations, occasions, and mediums. New forms came to light and new techniques were introduced. Indeed, the motive of the Baroque composers was to glorify God and to inspire their listeners, inviting them to travel into a totally different world. George Frideric Handel and Antonio Vivaldi were two such composers and their music proved itself to be deep and inviting. Their music especially embodied the Baroque style through its powerfully emotional quality.
Hardly any age since the Baroque has been quite so prolific (Smith, Carlson 29). To completely understand the styles of the time, one must first understand the events that were taking place across the globe at the same time. For example, the Thirty Years War was raging in Germany, Louis XIV reigned in France, and the English were busy fighting their own civil war (Miller 81). It was a time of world-wide colonization (Miller 81). Philosophers like Descartes and Spinoza began to raise deep questions about existence, while Rembrandt and Sha...

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