Rhythm: a single pervasive rhythm dominates many baroque movements resulting in an "unending flow of pitches" (Stedman, p.3).Homophony and tertian, and functional harmony are codependent and lay the basis for the ensuing classical style. Harmony: Rameau's Treatise on Harmony (1722) largely points to practices already in place.
Virtuosic writing developed over the period (Brandenburg concerti-JS Bach, the Four Seasons-Vivaldi, etc.) for string, brass, and wind instruments. The winds mostly double the strings in early orchestral works. The early Baroque/late Renaissance 5 voice texture gives way to a 3 voice texture by c.1700. Figured bass points to a deemphasis of interior voices, a polarity between bass and soprano, and a general trend toward harmonic thinking. Texture: though the overall style was polyphonic, per the Renaissance, the trend was toward homophony via solo song and Basso Continuo.New forms appear in the Baroque: opera, oratorio, concerto, sonata, overture, cantata, fugue, dance suite, etc.A nifty overview, particularly for those taking comprehensive exams, Studying Music History (sic) Learning, Reading, and Writing about Music History and Literature by David Poultney.Anthology of Music - The Symphony (sic) A Collection of Complete Musical Examples Illustrating the History of Music edited by Lothar Hoffman-Erbrecht.A History of Western Music by Donald J.Nineteenth-Century Romanticism in Music by Rey Longyear.A Modern Guide to Symphonic Music by Alfred Frankenstein.Moore & Theodore Heger (excellent analytical treatment).
Here the problem is made more difficult since musical 'truths' rely on aesthetic reception, whereas scientific 'truths' can be proven concretely.
Consider the war of words between Artusi and Monteverdi (and his brother) regarding whether or not lyrics were the 'mistress' of music. He was ridiculed by the church, nobility, and many of his fellow scientists. His radical theories were an affront to his contemporaries. Galileo Galilei mathematically proved the world was round, and that in fact, the Earth traveled around the sun - not vice versa. Consider how long humanity thought the world was flat? That collectively accepted concept was changed by one individual's intuition, courage, and innovation. As we move towards the specifics we find an undercurrent of individual innovation and creative flux. A general understanding of the style periods forces us to corral common traits and collective attributes. There seems to be a constant tug between established, accepted practices, and innovation. Trends in history, not just music history, often present a dichotomy between tradition and experimentation. Symphonic Poem, Liszt, Smetana, Musorgsky, Debussy, Strauss, Mahler,Ģ0th Century idioms, Sibelius, Vaughn Williams, Tippett, Stravinsky, Schoenberg, Webern Course Syllabus/ Course Schedule/ Listening Assignments/ĥ (Romantic Period): Schubert, Mendelssohn, Schumann,Ībsolute Music, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Dvorak, Franck,