Comparing and Contrasting the
Baroque and Classical Period in
Music
Both the Baroque and the Classical period in music produced great
household name composers, such as Johannes Sebastian Bach and George
Handel in the Baroque Era, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Josef Haydn
in the Classical Period. To many listeners who are vaguely familiar with
classical music, there is not much difference between these two musical
periods.
However, to avid listeners, the complex differences in style, tone, and
structure between these two eras are too great to be ignored. Let us look first
at the Baroque Period.
This period is characterized by a strong contrapuntal style and a heavy
reliance on polyphony, that is, on many different “voices” layered on top of
one another. Baroque melodies usually do not follow a strict, symmetrical
order (e. g. four-measure phrases, where there is a cadence every four
measures), but instead work with themes or motives that are continuously
spun out throughout the piece. This technique of “spinning out” motives is
called by its German name, Fortspinnung, and is characterized by
continuous motion, asymmetrical phrase lengths, melodic or harmonic
sequences, key changes, and phrase omissions (Theory and Analysis 386).
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This technique often gives listeners a feeling of excitement, rendering chord
progressions and melodic sequences somewhat unpredictable. Perhaps the
greatest composer to come out of the Baroque Period is Johannes Sebastian
Bach. His music is filled with complex melodies which work and re-work the
themes stated at the beginning of his pieces. In contrast, the Classical Period
of music is characterized more or less by a strict, symmetrical structure in
the music.
Phrases are often divided every four or eight measures, with these phrases
adhering to a two part structure – antecedent and consequent phrases. The
antecedent phrase, usually four or eight measures, ends in a half cadence,
thereby calling for a harmonic resolution; the consequent phrase, usually of
equal length, answers this call by ending in a full cadence (i. e. in the tonic),
resolving the tension presented in the antecedent phrase. The biggest
difference then between Baroque and Classical Period music, in terms of
style, is the difference in phrase structure.
Although both the Baroque and Classical Period share similar phrase
endings (full or plagal cadences), the Baroque does not usually follow the
antecedent-consequent phrase structure that characterizes so much of the
music in the Classical Period. The foremost composer whose work best
exemplifies the Classical Period is Wolfgang Mozart. His concertos, sonatas,
and symphonies are filled with antecedent-consequent phrase structures
that have been influential in music, from the Romantic Period to
contemporary popular music.
Given this difference in style, we also see differences in the forms of
compositions. Because of the differences in instruments (e. g. Baroque
Period is characterized by the use of the harpsichord, where Classical Period
is popular for its widespread use of the piano), different forms of music were
very popular for each period. In the Baroque Period, the popular forms were
Concerti Grossi (full orchestra with many soloists), Fugues (counterpoint
style with multiple voices claiming the same melodies), and Suites (four
movement pieces written for a select number of instrumentalists).