# Baroque favorites



## Chordalrock (Jan 21, 2014)

Rate the Baroque composers and mention a few favorites from each.

I'm probably the least familiar with the Baroque period, so I'm just looking for some pointers, and undoubtedly others will benefit as well.

As with the Renaissance period, there are so many composers, and many of them composed tons of music...


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

Here are some of the big names along with some of their best-known works:

*J.S. Bach* - Mass in B Minor, St. Matthew Passion, Well-Tempered Clavier, Brandenburg Concertos
*Monteverdi* - Vespers of 1610, L'Orfeo, Madrigals
*Vivaldi* - Four Seasons, Cello Sonatas, Gloria RV589, Dixit Dominus RV 595
*D. Scarlatti* - Harpsichord Sonatas
*Handel* - Messiah, Harpsichord Concertos, Water Music, Giulio Cesare
*Purcell* - Dido and Aeneas, The Indian Queen, Chamber Music
*Lully* - Armide, Benedictus
*Rameau *- Les Indes Galantes, Harpsichord Pieces
*F. Couperin *- Les Concerts Royaux, Harpsichord works
*Zelenka*- Trio Sonatas
*Biber* - Rosary Sonatas
*Corelli *- Concerti Grossi
*Telemann* - Tafelmusik
*Schutz* - Motets, Davids Psalmen
*Buxtehude* - Organ Works, Membra Jesu Nostri


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## Giordano (Aug 10, 2014)

Here is an approach: Combine the big names suggested by tdc with the following keywords in searches on your favorite sites (and expect to find some divine music). You can also try combining your favorite instruments with composers in searches.

chaconne / ciaconna
passacaglia
sarabande
partita
prelude / prelude & fugue
la folia
fantasia
variation(s)

Another composer to add to the list:

*Marin Marais*


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## Turangalîla (Jan 29, 2012)

I really can only be considered a Bach specialist in terms of Baroque music, so I would recommend the Mass in B minor, St. Matthew Passion, Well-Tempered Clavier, Keyboard Partitas, Cello Suites, and Brandenburg Concertos. But you probably already knew all those.


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## Guest (Nov 6, 2014)

I'll just steal mostly from tdc and make a vague top 10 for myself:

J.S. Bach
Monteverdi
Rameau
Handel
D. Scarlatti
Purcell
Frescobaldi
Vivaldi
Corelli
Zelenka

After that, well I'm fairly clueless too, only listening very rarely to a few more names not listed. I'm kinda ok with that, though, as talent was generally more concentrated within a few composers in older eras (and spread out over hundreds in the contemporary era).


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## Chordalrock (Jan 21, 2014)

One big reason why I used to not be interested in exploring Baroque music was that Bach just seemed to be so much better than anybody else from that period, particularly in his instrumental music.

It's mainly Zelenka's trio sonatas that made me interested in looking into the Baroque period more. I have this:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zelenka-Trio-Sonatas-Jan-Dismas/dp/B00000K2KR/

I also have this, which is quite different and worth having for that reason alone:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Zelenka-Sonatas-Hybrid-plays-players/dp/B0072IVGSI/

From what I gather, Zelenka was a deeply serious composer like Bach, publishing relatively little but of high quality, mainly masses, motets and cantatas.


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## Chordalrock (Jan 21, 2014)

Dufay said:


> Another composer to add to the list:
> 
> *Marin Marais*


There's actually a film about him that I've seen:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tous_les_Matins_du_Monde


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Is it mostly instrumental music that interests you?

If you are interested in solo harpsichord, Domenico Scarlatti is easily a rival for Bach in quality and quantity. There are good starter sonatas and recordings. There are some ardent Couperin fans as well, and Gottlieb Muffat would appeal to those who like Couperin. And then there are the composers who worked along side Scarlatti in Spain and Portugal, Albero and Seixas.

If you are interested in orchestral music, there are several styles to pay attention to: the Italian Concerto Grosso(Corelli, Handel, Georg Muffat, Geminiani, ect.), the Overture Suite (Telemann and others of great obscurity mostly mostly, like Graupner, Molter, Arne, ect.), or just instrumental concerti, by the likes of Vivaldi, Geminiani, Zelenka, Handel, Telemann and others). And then there is incidental music from operas, by the likes of Rameau, Purcell, Handel, and others. There are also other odd forms, like Boyce's Symphonies, Molter's Sonata Grossa, and various instrumental suites.

If you are interested in chamber music, try the sonatas of Corelli and Purcell, and many others.

In addition the top composers listed, I would like to submit a little list of composers that are very worthy in my mind, but don't often get mentioned.

Georg Muffat- Concerti Grossi, Florilegium Primum
Alessandro Scarlatti-Sinfonie di Concerto Grosso, attributed 6 Concerti Grossi in 7 Parts, various operas
Francesco Geminiani-Concerti Grossi op 2, 3
William Boyce-8 Symphonies-Concerto Grosso in E minor
Johann Melchior Molter-Sonata Grossa in G minor, and nearly twice the amount of symphonies that Haydn wrote, concertos for clarinet, trumpet
Sebastian de Albero-30 sonatas, Ricecare-Fugue-Sonatas


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## Giordano (Aug 10, 2014)

Chordalrock said:


> There's actually a film about him that I've seen:
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tous_les_Matins_du_Monde


That's a great film -- one of my favorite music films.


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## HaydnBearstheClock (Jul 6, 2013)

Telemann's my favourite in the baroque realm so far. An amazing orchestrator and craftsman, imo.


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## fjf (Nov 4, 2014)

Handel. Do not forget Handel, please!.


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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

Chordalrock- One big reason why I used to not be interested in exploring Baroque music was that Bach just seemed to be so much better than anybody else from that period, particularly in his instrumental music.

This may be true... Bach may be a towering figure... but no more so than Mozart in the Classical Era, Beethoven in the late Classical/early Romantic, or Wagner in the late Romantic. Quite honestly, I find the Baroque to be one of the richest eras in classical music... surpassed only (perhaps) by the Romantic era. Without delving into the era and the music it is easy to overestimate Bach (if that is possible) or rather underestimate others: Vivaldi, Handel, Monteverdi, Telemann, Biber, etc...

Handel is one of the giants of vocal music and opera. His achievements in these genre are every bit as stunning as Bach's. Vivaldi is not far behind. Those who underestimate him have often not explored his music beyond the concertos. He was a marvelous composer for opera and choral music. His sonatas for violin and cello are wonderful. And there is much more. Biber is much more than just the composer of the Rosary Sonatas (marvelous as these are) and Telemann composed a wealth of brilliant music.

Just as the music of composers from other eras suffers under mediocre performances, so it is true of the Baroque. Performers such as John Eliot Gardiner, Marc Minkowski, William Christies, Rene Jacobs, Elizabeth Wallfisch, Andrew Manze, John Holloway, Philippe Jaroussky, and others who are passionate about the Baroque oeuvre have brought new life to the vast musical world.

Here are some suggestions:







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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)




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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)




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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)




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## StlukesguildOhio (Dec 25, 2006)

If you are interested in solo harpsichord, Domenico Scarlatti is easily a rival for Bach in quality and quantity.

Umm... no. And I say this as one who quite loves Scarlatti Jr... as well as Scarlatti Sr.


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## Chordalrock (Jan 21, 2014)

Thanks! Alas, I have to say I'm restricted both by the limits of the library collection and my disinclination to buy tons of albums. You would have to prune that series of recommendations down to a few top picks, although as usual I will see what I can find in the library.


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## Giordano (Aug 10, 2014)

Chordalrock said:


> Thanks! Alas, I have to say I'm restricted both by the limits of the library collection and my disinclination to buy tons of albums. You would have to prune that series of recommendations down to a few top picks, although as usual I will see what I can find in the library.


Do you not know about *Spotify*? 
They don't have everything, but almost.

YouTube is also a good place to find new music.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

StlukesguildOhio said:


> If you are interested in solo harpsichord, Domenico Scarlatti is easily a rival for Bach in quality and quantity.
> 
> Umm... no. And I say this as one who quite loves Scarlatti Jr... as well as Scarlatti Sr.


Why not? Bach's harpsichord music isn't so superior, I don't think. Its great, but Scarlatti's is just as good.


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## tdc (Jan 17, 2011)

clavichorder said:


> Why not? Bach's harpsichord music isn't so superior, I don't think. Its great, but Scarlatti's is just as good.


I think it'd be fair to say D. Scarlatti's Sonatas are of comparable quality to the preludes from the WTC, (and could much higher praise be given?) but to say they rival all of Bach's output I think is an over-statement - if you look at all the different forms Bach composed in - French Overture, Italian Concerto, French Suites, English Suites, The Goldberg Variations etc. Bach excelled in many different forms - not just the pithy Sonatas.


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## Chordalrock (Jan 21, 2014)

Dufay said:


> Do you not know about *Spotify*?
> They don't have everything, but almost.
> 
> YouTube is also a good place to find new music.


I use spotify when I absolutely need to hear something and can't find it elsewhere. It's not ideal because it has ads and a bug that means I have to restart it constantly - and I don't want to pay for something that I can only access for an unknown period of time and only as long as I keep paying. Of course, the free version is also limited to five listens per track or something.

Youtube has increasingly little material these days (most of what used to be there - and still is - is there in violation of copyright).


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## hpowders (Dec 23, 2013)

I like a good performance of Handel's complete Water Music. One of Handel's finest, most extroverted scores!


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