BAROQUE
Ø Flourished in Europe between 1600 and 1750
Ø Baroque, according to various sources, means bizarre, flamboyant and elaborately ornamented
Ø Characterized by emphasis on action, motion and instrumental music
Ø Music written under the commission of aristocratic courts, churches, opera houses and municipalities
Ø Musicians functioned within the patronage system, thus forming a crucial part of society
The contribution of Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
Ø Experimented with musical innovations and skillfully mastered improvisation
Ø Occupied many posts under different commissions
Ø Played the clavichord, harpsichord, organ
Ø Wrote: organ works, works for other instruments and the orchestra, and sacred music (cantatas, masses, passion music)
Ø Most influential pieces: the fugues, chorales, suites and sonatas
Ø His work closed the movements of the late contrapuntal school (with the fugue as its typical form) and the North German Protestantism (with its inspiration in the chorale).
JAZZ
Ø Originated in African-American communities in North America
Ø Developed in the late 19th century in New Orleans, where musically illiterate artists improvised on the streets and in bars
Ø Earliest recordings of Dixieland Jazz hit the stores in 1917, and spread jazz into to the masses
Ø Characterized by: improvisation, syncopated rhythm and a steady beat; distinctive tone colors and techniques of performance
Ø A variety of sub-genres evolved later in the 20th century
The contribution of Louis Armstrong (1901-1971)
Ø Brought the early jazz style to its peak with his virtuosic performance
Ø Internationally known jazz soloist and the first to record scat singing (a vocal improvisation technique)
Ø Played the cornet, later changed to a brighter trumpet
Ø Started performing in his teens in marching and jazz bands
Ø Reached fame in 1922, while playing second cornet in Chicago with King Oliver
Ø Formed his own group known as the Hot Five
Ø Expanded trumpet techniques and also added innovations to the style, such as the rip or rich vibratos
Ø Responsible for the development of the concept of an extended improvised solo
