Music into and out of the Baroque Era

Baroque style music has played a large role in the history of European and the rest of the world. Baroque music left an ever lasting impression on the world and we can still find it in today's contemporary music. Before the Baroque era, Renaissance Sacred Music was composed. Baroque style music quickly followed into the 1600's. New ideas and inventions came into light as the music of the age flourished. The Florentine Camarata led the style of music and took it to a new level. Coming to an end, the Baroque era gave way to Classical music, but was never forgotten.

"The world has yet to discover the lost music of the renaissance. When the music is finally accepted by spiritually minded souls of all nationalities and cultures, it will be a great day. What a treasure this music is, buried in the back shelves of our university libraries."(1) The Western European Renaissance era covered the years from 1400 to 1600. The music spanning during this time period was mainly written for the Roman Catholic Church and referred to as Renaissance Sacred Music. Most of the music was primarily written for choirs without instruments, a style known as Gregorian chant. During the renaissance period many pieces known as glorious masses and motets were written. Many famous artist such as Da Vinci, Rafael and Michelangelo are known during this time. Composers Guillaume Dufay and Jusquin des Prez started the renaissance period. Orlando di Lasso, Jacob Handel and Tomas Luis de Victoria composed towards the end of the century. This wonderful, but forgotten music has been carried into the modern century with the use of CDs and cassette tapes. With Renaissance Sacred Music being out of touch with contemporary culture, today's society has neglected and almost forgotten it. "A music so pure, so spiritual, so connected, so calm, that mere words cannot explain it. Its essence is a rare, refined celestial beauty that resonates within the listener to such an extent that the presence of angels is felt, and the spirit of the divine is sensed, all with a magnificently peaceful grandeur. If I had but only one composer to listen to on a remote island for the rest of my life, that composer would be Tomas Luis de Victoria."(1)