If you’re looking for some of the best music of the Baroque period, look no further.
You’ll love the dramatic melodies and the grandiose, lively spirit of these Baroque pieces.
There were of course several different composers in the Baroque period of classical music. However, none of them ever reached the heights of the main three Baroque giants: Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel.
All seven pieces in our list come from these three composers, because honestly, they’re just so good!
If you don’t know where to start with Baroque music, let this article be your guide. These are, in my opinion, the best compositions of the Baroque era.
In case you’re not too familiar with the Baroque period and the characteristics of its music, I included an intro section with some brief background information.
If you’re already familiar with Baroque music though, skip ahead to the list. Happy listening!
What Makes Something Baroque?
The Baroque Period of classical music lasted from roughly 1600-1750.
The use of counterpoint and the precise mathematical formulation of compositions is what sets music from the Baroque era apart from other periods of classical music.
Counterpoint is essentially the intertwining of two or more different melody lines. The melodic interplay of counterpoint means there are often multiple melodies competing for your attention.
This aspect of Baroque music is in contrast to the Renaissance music that came before, which featured a smooth regular flow of rhythm.
"Ornate" and "intricate" are two words that very accurately describe the music of the Baroque era.
Compared to Classical era pieces that followed, Baroque compositions were highly decorated, elaborate, and intense.
The Baroque period of music was marked by the rise of new musical forms such as the opera, the oratorio, and the cantata. In addition to these vocal forms, the sonata, the overture, and the concerto also gained center-stage.
Now that you understand the basic characteristics of Baroque music, it’s time to dive into the music itself!
The seven pieces that follow aren’t just the best pieces of the Baroque era. They’re also regarded as some of the best compositions in all of Western art music.
Read on!
The Top 7 Baroque Pieces
Bach, Cello Suite No. 1 in G Major, BMV 1007: 1. Prelude
This has to be the single most famous Baroque music piece ever written!
The prelude to Cello Suite No. 1 is part of a larger series of six unaccompanied cello suites.
Each suite consists of six movements. The movements were meant to make precise observations about nature and human nature.
Centuries after Bach created these works, cellists are still exploring the depth of the pieces comprising the suites.
Notice how the notes ascend and descend taking full advantage of the resonance of the cello, for which it was written.
Interestingly, Bach’s Cello suites weren’t well known at all before the 1900s.
They were first made famous by Spanish cellist Pablo Casals. At the age of 13, he found the sheet music to them in a second-hand music shop. He later recorded all six suites in the 1930s.
You might also recognize these tunes because they are regularly featured to capture dramatic interludes in TV and film.
Renowned cellist, Yo-Yo Ma won the Grammy for Best Instrumental Solo for his rendition of the Six Unaccompanied Cello Suites in 1985.
Janos Starker won another Grammy for his version of the same Bach suites in 1998.
Handel, Solomon HMV 67 / Act 3: The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba
The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba comes from the third Act of the three-act oratorio Solomon by George Frideric Handel.
The complete work tells the Biblical story of King Solomon and his wisdom in judging disputes among his people.
The Queen of Sheba was the ruler of a legendary Arabian kingdom whom Solomon is said to have converted to his faith.
This part of the oratorio contains a lively instrumental component that signals the majestic arrival of the great Queen to Solomon’s kingdom.
You may recognize this piece from wedding performances, where people request it often. More famously, it was also played at the 2012 London Olympics opening ceremony.
Bach, The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book 1, BMV 846-869: 1. Prelude in C Major, BMV 846
The Well-Tempered Clavier is widely regarded as one of the most influential pieces ever composed for solo keyboard.
The Prelude No. 1 is the first in a series of 24 preludes and 24 fugues (a style of composition common in the Baroque era) that were published in two separate books twenty years apart.
The adjective ‘well-tempered’ in the title refers to a complicated system of tuning commonly used in Bach’s time.
The term ‘Clavier’ doesn’t refer to a single musical instrument, but rather to a number of keyboard instruments.
An example of one of these instruments is the clavichord (a precursor of today’s piano, which instrument was unknown in Bach’s native Germany at the time).
The pieces in The Well-Tempered Clavier were originally written as learning exercises for keyboard players because of the range of keys they employ.
American composer, Wendy Carlos famously performed two of the prelude and fugue numbers from Book 1 on a Moog synthesizer.
Vivaldi, The Four Seasons
Antonio Vivaldi was a highly accomplished violinist and composer. His mastery of his instrument shines through in this quintessential set of four violin concerti.
The Four Seasons consists of, as the name implies, one concerto for each of the four seasons - Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.
Each concerto is divided into three movements. The first is played at a fast tempo, the second at a slower one, and the third fast again.
The Four Seasons is easily one of the best-known musical pieces of the Baroque period.
The first movement in particular, Spring in E Major, RV 269: I. Allegro, is the most popular. It’s instantly recognizable since it features often on film and television.
Vivaldi published these concerti with accompanying narrative poems to make it easier for people to understand exactly what the music was about.
This was rather revolutionary for Vivaldi’s time, and the technique later came to be known as ‘Program music:” a piece of music with a narrative or illustrative accompaniment.
Vivaldi took great pains to relate the music of The Four Seasons to the text of the poems.
For example, during the first movement, a goatherd supposedly falls asleep. As he rests, the viola section mimics the sound of his dog barking.
Bach, Toccata and Fugue in D Minor BWV 565
This grandiose Baroque era composition is quite iconic. You may recognize it as the signature tune of the 1962 film ‘The Phantom of the Opera’.
The first part of the piece is a Toccata, which is a specific style of playing. The word comes from the Italian toccare, which means ‘to touch’.
The second part of the composition, called the Fugue, is an elaborate arrangement of melodies that requires great technical skill to play.
The Toccata and Fugue are part of a two-set musical composition for the organ. This work is easily identifiable by its stunning opening line.
If you’re into old Disney films, you might recognize that this peice was used to indicate the onset of a storm in Disney’s 1940 animation, Fantasia.
Handel, Messiah, HWV 56 / Pt. 2: “Hallelujah”
Messiah is widely regarded as the single most famous oratorio in Baroque music history.
Part 2 of Messiah is part of a larger musical structure of three parts, all corresponding to the church calendar used in Christian liturgy. The narrative follows events in the life of Jesus Christ as the year progresses.
The famous "Hallelujah chorus" occurs at the end of part two and is by far the most frequently performed composition in its genre.
Notice how the choral parts are well supported by the instrumental background.
The verses heard in the Messiah include text from both the Old and New Testaments and the Book of Revelation.
The full score for the Messiah spreads over 260 pages and was supposedly written in just 24 days.
Vivaldi, Concerto for Lute, 2 Violins and Continuo in D Major, RV 93: 2. Largo
The concerto for lute is one of four Vivaldi pieces composed specifically for the lute. However, it’s now played most frequently on guitar.
The entire concerto consists of three movements, of which Largo is the second. Vivaldi composed it during a stay in Bohemia in the 1730s.
Honestly, there’s not much to say about this piece. It’s beauty more than speaks for itself.
Largo continues to be one of the most popular Baroque pieces of all time. Give it a listen, and I’m sure you’ll realize why.
Further Listening
I don’t think the works below compete for the title of the best Baroque period piece.
However, they are definitely worth listening to if you enjoyed the pieces in this article and want to explore more Baroque music!
Vivaldi, La Stravaganza
If you like Vivaldi, you definitely need to check out La Stravanganza.
La Stravaganza, which means “the extravagance” in English, is a collection of twelve concertos. All but two of the concertos contain three movements.
Don’t know what a movement is? We explain movements and more in this article.
For any fan of Vivaldi, La Stravaganza is an essential piece to listen to.
It’s a great collection of music by the great Venetian composer, and a quintessentially Baroque one at that!
Handel, Zadok the Priest (Coronation Anthem No.1, HWV 258)
Handel created this piece on commission to celebrate the coronation of England's King George II in 1727.
Zadok and Nathan were the names of the two priests who had anointed King Solomon during biblical times.
Zadok the Priest has been performed during the coronation of every British head of the monarchy since it was originally composed for King George II in 1727.
For more info on Handel’s other coronation anthems, click here.
Conclusion
Even though there are specific musical qualities and elements that define Baroque music, there were still many diverse pieces created during this period of classical music.
For example, Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in D Minor and Vivaldi's Concerto for Lute are polar opposites, but they’re both clearly Baroque.
I hope the pieces you discovered in this article help you better appreciate Baroque music. To explore pieces from the Classical and Romantic periods of music, check out the articles below.
-Evan