Baroque Instruments

There are many Classical and Baroque instruments that are interesting and still used today. At the time beginning in the early 17th and 18th Centuries German, French and Italian composers were writing complex and expressive music. Baroque music was related to Church and court life. This was a time when wealthy people enjoyed parties and dancing. Instruments like the violin, harpsichord, clavichord and lute were being used for single melody and highly complex compositions. In the beginning of the 1700’s, operas were being written and Baroque music was transitioning to the Classical period, where some music was less lively and more somber in response to the mood of some performances. Several important instruments of the Baroque and Classical Period include the violin, harpsichord, baritone and mandolin and have come back into fashion with the popularity of the orchestra.
The violin, one of four principle orchestral stringed instruments, was the highest pitch of this group of 4-stringed instruments, which also included the viola, cello and double bass. The violin was a popular instrument because of its small size and can be played resting between the shoulder and chin by plucking or with a bow. Violins were made from the wood of spruce and maple. Spruce was used for the beauty of its grain, strength and flexibility. The back, sides and
This Baroque keyboard instrument was particularly effective for performing contrapuntal music which consists of two or more melodies played at the same time. The German composer, Hans Sebastian Bach’s music was suitable for the harpsichord with it’s sound quality and clearly melodic plucked medal strings. Harpsichords originally had a wing-shaped body like a grand piano but narrower and longer. This very old and uniquely toned instrument has come back for the performances of 16th and 17th century concerts and