The History
The Baroque period was started mostly by the Italians around 1600s and its marked end time is around 1750, the time of J.S. Bach. When it first hit the scene it was deemed as frivolous and extravagant. The word 'Baroque' actually was originally given to the style from critics, from the Portuguese word 'barroco,' meaning 'misshapen pearl.' Its use of dissonance and key changes offended respectable men and made little old ladies faint.
This elaborate style was not only seen in music, but in the theater. The introduction of opera blended the two media more than ever before, and playwrights, such as Ben Jonson (who?), Jean Racine (never heard of him), Jean Baptiste Moliere (didn't write that one play...), and William Shakespeare (oh yeah, I know him!) also reflected the flamboyant style of the times in their plays. It was all about expressing emotion never seen before. But ye be warned! It was believed that it was okay to arouse certain emotions, but not others. Ones that were okay were called the affections. These were sadness, joy, anger, love, fear, excitement, and wonder. If you tried anything else, you'd upset the humors and get sick and have to be bled. So DON'T DO IT!!
Music during the baroque have very distinct intentions. It was either for theater, church, or the royal courts. In the theater setting, operas and oratorios entertained large audiences. In church, they were meant to keep you focused on the service. In the royal courts, it was to do whatever the royal court called for. Any self-respecting royal had a band of merry musicians to play for whatever reason and whatever time that were treated like walking talking stereos that wrote music just for you. Just an example: this is where Handel's Water Music came from: it was for the king while he was bobbing along on his boat.
Man, wish I hadn't left my quartet back at the castle...
What's it like?
It's... well, a bit bland to the modern ear. While it was revolutionary at its time and it CAN be exciting, generally speaking it doesn't surprise many to find out that they were worried about over-provoking emotions. And a lot of it was about being fancy for the sake of being fancy. Just like the architecture of the period, it's full of frills and fluff, in the form of trills and appoggiaturas, just for the sake of showing off the soloist's skills. To me, I view Baroque the same way I view those bowls of fruit paintings. Yes, it is very detailed! Very skilled! I couldn't draw a bowl of fruit like that... um, I don't know what else to tell you.
Nice lookin' grapes there.
Another problem with Baroque music today is that a lot of times the intention was that the musician would jazz up the piece themselves with whatever ornaments (trills, appoggiaturas, turns, etc) they thought would sound good. This was especially true for those playing the bass, or the" basso continuo" (which is Italian for 'play these eight notes over and over again.'). It was written as straightforward as possible, and it was the job of the musician to make it not so boring. The problem is that no one does that (thanks to Beethoven... we'll get there), so it sounds, well, boring. Sorry, Pachelbel Rant guy. It's your own fault.
So... when should I listen to it?
Pretend you're royalty and use it just like those saucy folks in tights and Pompadours: play it in the background at cocktail parties (Vivaldi), while reading your favorite book (Handel), or when you're contemplating the wonders of Creation (Bach). If you're looking for something a bit more engaging, try an opera, like Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, or an oratorio, like Handel's Messiah.
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