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
Key
View all fundamentalterms →The tonal centre that organises a piece of music around a specific note and scale.
TextureThe way melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic materials are woven together in a composition.
TempoThe speed at which a piece of music is performed.
DynamicsThe variation in loudness between notes or phrases in a performance.
TimbreThe characteristic quality of a sound that distinguishes one instrument or voice from another.
Synonyms
Antonyms
See Also
Compare with similar terms
v1 · 10/04/2026Browse all terms →