Baroque
The period of Western art music spanning roughly 1600 to 1750, characterised by ornate expression, basso continuo, and the development of tonal harmony.
Category
fundamental
Pronunciation
/bəˈrɒk/
Origin
Portuguese/Spanish (barroco, irregular pearl)
Length
197 words · 1 min read
About Baroque
The Baroque era produced some of the most enduring music in the Western canon, from the operas of Monteverdi to the fugues of J.S. Bach and the concertos of Vivaldi.
More fundamental terms
Rhythm
View all fundamentalterms →The pattern of sounds and silences in time.
TimbreThe characteristic quality of a sound that distinguishes one instrument or voice from another.
KeyThe tonal centre that organises a piece of music around a specific note and scale.
MelodyA sequence of single pitches perceived as a coherent musical line.
Sight-ReadingThe ability to perform a piece of music at first sight without prior practice or rehearsal
Synonyms
Antonyms
See Also
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v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →