UNIT 4, LESSON 3: BAROQUE COMPOSERS
Learn about some of the most famous composers of the Baroque period.
In the last lesson, we learned about how the Baroque period was all about fancy, decorative and lavish things!
In this lesson we’ll learn how that style influenced the way instruments were used and music sounded during the Baroque years.
- Watch the Video. Did you know one of the most famous Baroque composers spent time in jail? Learn who in our lesson video.
2. Color.
The King of England asked Handel to write music that would be played at his big fireworks display in London.
Handel composed “Music for the Royal Fireworks: La Rejouissance” for the occasion.
Print the coloring sheet below and color the fireworks with colored pencils or gel pens as you listen to Handel’s majestic piece here.
3.3. Guided Listening.
In our video, we learned that J.S. Bach wrote and played many songs for the organ One of his most famous is the Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, below.
Watch the video and answer the questions as you listen.
What clues are there in this piece that it is Baroque music?
What are some words you would use to describe this music?
How does the music make you feel when you listen to it?
4. Making Connections.
Many Baroque tunes have been used for scenes in movies. For example, the Toccata and Fugue you listened to by Bach in the video above was used in the opening credits for an old science fiction-horror film called Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
Bach’s Cello Suite Prelude in G is another tune often used in movies and commercials. Listen to the tune here. Do you recognize it? What type of movie scene would you put it in if you were making the decision?