Baroque

The Baroque period lasted from about 1600 to 1750 with Handel and Bach both prominent Baroque composers. The harpsichord became very popular during this time, having first appeared in Italy in the 16th century and as such, Baroque keyboard music would usually be composed on either an organ, a harpsichord, or a clavichord. Prior to the Baroque period, music was more functional, composed for dancing or church music, and even though religious music played a huge part during this time, music started to be enjoyed for its own sake. Composers became more adventurous, improvisation was popular as well as the use of counterpoint - different melodies played in the left and right hands. The word baroque comes from the Portuguese word "barroco" meaning "misshapen pearl", potentially because music from this period is sometimes described as being exaggerated and stilted, that the composers were trying too hard.

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