Oratorio

Baroque composers wrote in many different musical genres. Opera, invented in the late Renaissance, became an important musical form during the Baroque, with the operas of Alessandro Scarlatti (1660-1725), Handel, and others. The oratorio achieved its peak in the work of Bach and Handel; opera and oratorio often used very similar music forms, such as a widespread use of the da capo aria.

In other religious music, the mass and motet receded slightly in importance, but the cantata flourished in the work of Bach and other Protestant composers. Virtuoso organ music also flourished, with toccatas, fuges, and other works.

Instrumental sonatas and dance suites were written for individual instruments, for chamber groups, and for small orchestra. The concerto emerged, both in its form for a single soloist plus orchestra and as the concerto grosso, in which a small group of soloists is contrasted with the full ensemble. The French overture, with its contrasting slow and fast sections, added grandeur to the many courts at which it was performed.

Keyboard works were sometimes written largely for the pleasure and instruction of the performer. These included a series of works by the mature Bach that are widely considered to be the intellectual culmination of the Baroque era: the Well-Tempered Clavier, the Goldberg Variations, and The Art of Fugue.

Opera is an art form consisting of a dramatic stage performance set to music. The drama is presented using the typical elements of theatre such as scenery, costumes, and acting. However, the words of the opera, or libretto, are sung rather than spoken. The singers are accompanied by a musical ensemble ranging from a small instrumental ensemble to a full symphonic orchestra.

Opera draws from many other art forms. Whether the words or the music are paramount has been the subject of debate since the 17th century and earlier in the case of all vocal works. The visual arts, such as painting, are employed to create the visual spectacle on the stage, which is considered an important part of the performance, in the Baroque "English opera" or Restoration spectacular even the dominant aspect of it. Finally, dancing is often part of an opera performance, particularly in France. Monteverdi became known as a leading exponent of the modem approach to harmony and text expression. In 1607 his first opera, Orfeo, was produced in Mantua, followed in 1608 by Arianna. Monteverdi's revolutionary innovations have influenced 20th century composers like Igor Stravinsky, while foreshadowing the modern idea of the song. To emphasize the wide ranging emotions of his characters, Monteverdi subdued the