Status Updates From Bach and the High Baroque

"Baroque music is that in which the harmony is confused, charged with modulations and dissonances, the melody harsh, the intonation difficult, and the movement constrained". - Jean-Jacques Rousseau

The emotional world of High Baroque music, in comparison to late Renaissance music, can be described as extravagant and unbridled. Thinkers of this age literally catalogued the full range of emotional
states, and they wrote about how these passions or “affections” [cf. Affektenlehre] were to be expressed theatrically and musically.

Duality in the Baroque period; I feel as if logic and extravagance describe what I wish life was.

5 lectures completed.

This is very big, much more so than the other lectures. It seems to be Greenberg's first.

I'm so here for all the context, both historical and with other composers (like Vivaldi). I'll be reading the rest on the long drive to Italy, funnily enough, and hopefully finish in time for the end of the month.

It always amazes me how approachable these lectures are and how fun. To say nothing of the great sample pieces.

We start with a piece by Bach which musical lovers know from The Phantom of the Opera and Greenberg disses it! It's NOT horror unless you, rightfully, criticize and are abhorred by how the poor phantom is treated! Sure, he killed a few but they all deserved it! Moreover, the original music being worship fits 100% with the phantom because he WANTS to be close to God and good-at-heart but is denied by society.