Self-study Module for History of Music in the Baroque Period

Book excerpt: This self-study guide to the Baroque period treats the various types of music which were developed in the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries. Individual composers are discussed only as they illustrate these kinds of music, with the exception of Vivaldi, Rameau, Bach, and Handel, whose careers, styles, and important works are treated in more detail. The eight parts of the guide follow the general organization of chapters IX-XI in Donald Jay Grout's A History of Western Music, which should be regarded as a primary supplementary text. Each part concludes with an analytical commentary on relevant musical examples, which are in the Norton Anthology of Western Music. A detailed study of the scores of these musical examples is an essential part of this self-study program.