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Music of the Baroque Period

Code: 100642 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Musicology OB 2

Contact

Name:
Francisco Javier Daufi Rodergas
Email:
xavier.daufi@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

1. Students must have general a knowledge of History of Music, Art and Philosophy.

2. Students must have consolidated knowledge of Music Harmony, Counterpoint and Musical Form.


Objectives and Contextualisation

The coursewill describe and explain the development of music and the musical phenomenon from the Mannerist era and the period in which took place the Reformation and Counterreformation, to the late Baroque in thed early 18th Cantury. Thus, there will be a contextualized tour through the most significant composers, forms, genres, instruments and theories that shape the musical fact of Baroque music from the late sixteenth century to around 1730.


Competences

  • Critically analyse musical works from any of the points of view of the discipline of musicology.
  • Identify and compare the different channels of reception and consumption of music in society and in culture in each period.
  • Know and understand the historical evolution of music, its technical, stylistic, aesthetic and interpretative characteristics from a diachronic perspective.
  • Make changes to methods and processes in the area of knowledge in order to provide innovative responses to society's needs and demands.
  • Relate concepts and information from different humanistic, scientific and social disciplines, especially the interactions which are established between music and philosophy, history, art, literature and anthropology.
  • Relate knowledge acquired to musical praxis, working with musicians through the analysis and contextualisation of different repertoires, both related to historical music and to the different manifestations of contemporary music.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must be capable of communicating information, ideas, problems and solutions to both specialised and non-specialised audiences.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.
  • Take sex- or gender-based inequalities into consideration when operating within one's own area of knowledge.
  • Use digital tools and interpret specific documentary sources critically.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analysing ideas about an artistic phenomenon in a given cultural context.
  2. Analysing the creators of an artistic phenomenon in a specific cultural context.
  3. Analysing the recipients of an artistic phenomenon in a specific cultural context.
  4. Apply the conceptualisation of philosophy, history, literature and anthropology to musical research.
  5. Assess the reliability of sources, select relevant data and contrast information.
  6. Communicate using language that is not sexist or discriminatory.
  7. Consider the subject as a whole and identify the context in which the processes studied are inscribed and their interrelationship with the elements and factors that are involved in their sociohistorical development.
  8. Contextualise new tendencies in musical creation in general historical evolution and observe its incorporation in the sociopolitical panorama in which they are framed.
  9. Contextualise musical works in their hsitorical and cultural setting from a critical perspective.
  10. Correctly identify the essential repertoire and the main composers of each historical period.
  11. Critically identify the different orientations of musical praxis that musicians apply to the music of each hsitorical period.
  12. Define the processes of periodisation and stylistic classification and usual typology in the historical conceptualisation of the musical fact.
  13. Identify and critically assemble the basic bibliography that has shaped the field of study.
  14. Identify and critically place different musical typologies in their historical periods.
  15. Identify phenomena of the circulation of ideas in music proficiency.
  16. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  17. Identify the complexity of music reception processes.
  18. Identify the stylistic properties of each historical period.
  19. Identifying the context of the historical processes.
  20. Identifying the specific methods of history and their relationship with the analysis of particular facts.
  21. Integrate knowledge acquired in the production of clear and concise appropriate to the academic and specialist communication.
  22. Interpret the most important theoretical texts of each period.
  23. Interrelate technological and scientific changes in each period with the creation and reception of music.
  24. Link the periods of the history of music to periods of the history of art, in their similarities and differences.
  25. Present knowledge about the history, art or other cultural movements.
  26. Produce correct, precise and clear argumental and terminological writing of knowledge acquired, both in the area of musical specialisation and dissemination.
  27. Propose new experience-based methods or alternative solutions.
  28. Recognise in musical praxis element of different cultures and different historical periods.
  29. Solve problems of a methodological nature in the area of musicology.
  30. Use specific vocabulary of history correctly.
  31. Use the vocabulary of musicology related to each period of history.

Content

  1. The Baroque Era.
  2. Early Baroque in Italy.
  3. C. Monteverdi.
  4. Middle Baroque in Italy.
  5. Early and middle Baroque in the Netherlands and Germany
  6. Early and Middle Baroque in France.
  7. Early and Middle Baroque in England.
  8. Late Baroque. J.S.Bach and G.F.Handel

 Women's contributions to music in the Baroque Era will be considered through the course.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Analysis of musical works 37 1.48 2, 1, 26, 15, 10, 19, 20, 18, 21
Comment of hearing 50 2 2, 1, 26, 9, 15, 10, 11, 19, 20, 14, 21
Type: Supervised      
Contextualized identification of the styles and aesthetics of musical baroque 60 2.4 3, 4, 7, 12, 17, 15, 25, 19, 20, 18, 22, 23, 29, 30, 31, 24

The content of the course will be developed through master classes, along with practical sessions deazling with analytical commentary of musical works (fugues) and guided listening.

ON THE USE OF AI TECHNOLOGIES IN THIS SUBJECT

The use of AI technologies in this subject will be permitted exclusively for bibliographic research, text correction, and translation. Students must explicitly identify any sections generated using AI tools, specifying which tools were used and providing a critical reflection on their impact on both the process and the final outcome of the activity.

Failure to maintain transparency in AI use will be regarded as academic dishonesty and may result in significant grade reductions, as well as more severe sanctions in serious cases

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Examination of analysis of musical works 25% 0.75 0.03 2, 3, 1, 6, 26, 10, 11, 20, 13, 14, 18, 16, 21, 8, 27, 29, 30, 31, 5, 24
Examination of comment of musical hearing 25% 0.75 0.03 2, 3, 1, 26, 10, 11, 14, 18, 21, 28, 29, 30, 31
Thematic development review (50%) 50% 1.5 0.06 2, 3, 1, 4, 26, 7, 9, 12, 17, 15, 25, 10, 19, 20, 14, 18, 22, 23, 30, 31, 24

Assessemen

The assessment of this course will consist of three compulsory activities: 

1. Thematic development review (50%)

2. Analysis of a fugue (25%)

3. Comentary on musical auditions (25%)

To pass the course students must obtain a minimum grade of 5 in each of the three compusolry assessment activities.

 

Reassessment

At the re-evaluation exam, scheduled by the Faculty, students will have to be examined on the failed part(s).

 

The examinations will only be reviewed in person.

Those students who only take part in one of the compulsory assessment activities wil be considered as "non-evaluable".

 

SINGLE ASSESSMENT

The exam will be based on three activities:
  • Thematic development (50%)
  • Analysis of fugues (25%)
  • Commentary on musical auditions (25%)
To pass the course, all three parts must be passed separately.

The date for the assessment will be published at the Virtual Campus.

 

Single Assessment (reassessment)

The reassessment procedure will be the same as that for ordinary assessment.

 

In the event of a student committing any irregularity that may lead to a significant variation in the grade awarded to an assessment activity, the student will be given a zero for this activity, regardless of any disciplinary process that may take place. In the event of several irregularities in assessment activities of the same subject, the student will be given a zero as the final grade for this subject.

 


Bibliography

AAVV, Història Crítica de la Música Catalana, Servei de Publicacions de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2009.

ABRAHAM, G., Concert Music, 1630 – 1750, vol. VI, The New Oxford History of Music, Oxford Univ. Press, London, 1986.

ABRAHAM, G., Opera and Church Music, 1630 – 1750, vol. V, The New Oxford History of Music, Oxford Univ. Press, London, 1968.

ANTHONY, J. R., La Musique en France à l´époque baroque, Harmoniques /Flammarion, 1981.

ARNOLD, Denis, NEWCOMB, A. y TALBOT, M., Maestros del Barroco Italiano, 1. Monteverdi, Frescobaldi, Corelli, Muchnik Editores, Barcelona, 1987. (Forma parte de la colección «New Grove», nº 9).

BASSO, A., Historia de la Música, 6, ed. Turner, Turner Música, Madrid, 1986.

BASSO, A., Jean  Sébastien Bach, vol. 1 i 2, Fayard, París, 1984

BEAUSSANT, Ph., François Couperin, AM 71, Madrid, 1996.

BEAUSSANT, Ph., Les plaisirs de Versailles (théâtre et musique), ed. Fayard, col. les chemins de la musique, Ligugé, Poitiers, 1996.

BEAUSSANT, Ph., Louis XIV artiste, Payot, París, 1999.

BEAUSSANT, Ph., Lully ou le musicien du soleil, Gallimard, París,1992.

BEAUSSANT, Philippe, Versailles, Opéra, Gallimard, París, 198

BIANCONI, L., Historia de la Música V, ed. Turner, Turner Música, Madrid, 1986.

BLUME, F., Renaissance and Baroque Music, ed. Norton, London, 1967.

BONASTRE, F. “El Barroc Musical a Catalunya”, Barroc català, ed. Quaderns Crema, Barcelona, 1989.

BOYD, M.., CARRERAS, J.J., eds, La Música en España en el siglo XVIII, Cambridge Univ Press, Madrid 2000

BUELOW, G.J.(ed.), The late Baroque Era. From the 1680s to 1740, Prentice Hall, New Jersey, 1993.

BUKOFZER, M., La música en la época barroca. De Monteverdi a Bach, Alianza ed., Alianza Música 30, Madrid, 1986.

BURROWS, Donald, Haendel, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1996.

CLERCX, S., Le Baroque et la Musique, ed. Librairie Encyclopédique, Bruxelles, 1948

CODINA, D., DOLCET, J., RIFÉ, J. i VILAR, J.M., Història de la Música Catalana, Valenciana i Balear. Barroc i Classicisme. Vol II, ed. 62, Barcelona, 1999.

DEAN, Winton y MERRILL KNAPP, John, Handel's Operas, 1704-1726, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1995.

DEAN, Winton, Handel's Dramatic Oratorios and Masques, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1990.

FABBRI, P., Monteverdi, ed. Turner, Madrid, 1989.

GREGOR-DELLIN, Martin, Heinrich Schütz, Fayard, París, 1986.

HEARTZ, Daniel, Music in European Capitals. The Galant Style 1720-1780, WW. Norton & Company, New York-London, 2003.

HOGWOOD, Ch., Haendel, AM 33, Alianza ed., Madrid, 1988.

HUTCHINGS, A.J.D., The Baroque Concerto, London, 1973.

JEPPESEN, K., The Style of Palestrina And the Dissonance, Dover, New York, 1970.

KING, R., Henry Purcell, AM 72, Alianza ed., Madrid, 1996.

LÓPEZ-CALO, J., Historia de la Música Española: 3. Siglo XVII, Alianza ed., AM 3,  Madrid, 1983.

MANNIATES, M.R., Mannerism inj Italian Music and Culture, 1530 – 1630, Manchester University Press, Manchester, 1979.

MARTÍN MORENO, Antonio, Historia de la música española, 4. Siglo xviii, Alianza, Madrid, 1985.

NEWMAN, W., The Sonata in the Baroque Era, Norton, New York – London, 1983.

OTTERBACH, F., Johann Sebastian Bach, AM 52, Alianza ed., Madrid, 1990.

PALISCA, C., La Música del Barroco, ed. Victor Leru, Buenos Aires, 1968.

PALISCA, C., Studies inthe History of Italian Music and Music Theory, Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1994.

PALISCA, C., The Florentine Camerata,  Yale University Press, Yale, 1989.

SCHWEITZER, Albert, J. S. Bach. El músico poeta, Ricordi, Madrid, 1955.

SELFRIDGE-FIELD, E., Venetian Instrumental Music, Dover, New York, 1994.

SMITHER, H., A History of the Oratorio, 3 vols., Oxford University Press, Oxford, 1987.

TALBOT, M., Vivaldi, AM, Alianza ed., Madrid. 1990.

WEBBER, G., North German Church Music in the Age of Buxtehude, Oxford Monographs on Music, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1996.

WEBER, E., Le Concile de Trente et la Musique. De la Réforme à la Contre-Réforme, Librairie Honoré Champion, col. musique-musicologie nº 12, Paris, 1982.

WOLFF, Ch., Johann Sebastian Bach, vol. I y II, ed. Robinbook, Barcelona, 2000.

WALTER HILL, John, La Música Barroca, Akal Música 3, Madrid, 2008.

WALTER HILL, John, Antología de la Música Barroca, Akal Música, 2013.


Software

Not used


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PAUL) Classroom practices 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed
(TE) Theory 1 Catalan first semester morning-mixed