Music of the Baroque

This course will offer an introduction to the always beautiful, often extravagant, and occasionally bewildering world of Baroque music. In our study we will examine a broad range of seminal works that illustrate the many and significant inventions and innovations of the 17th and early 18th centuries, including those in the genre of opera, as well as liturgical, orchestral, keyboard, and chamber music. Even though our main focus will be on analytical listening, we will also pay close attention to how these works relate to their political, literary, religious, and artistic environment. Reading knowledge of music and a background in music theory is essential for this course.