Choral Conducting Comparison Paper

Michelle Langelier
Dr. Noreen Diamond Burdett
COND-221-001
2 April 2024
Comparing and Contrasting: Baroque and Classical Music with an Emphasis on Choral Music
Both significant periods in the history of music performance and composition, the
Baroque period and the Classical period share stark similarities, alongside many differences, in
their history and characteristics. Though many centuries ago, the works from both the Baroque
and Classical periods remain relevant in our musical arsenal today, and are worthy to discuss,
compare, and contrast.
The Baroque period, which lasted from the early 17th century into 1750, is characterized
mostly through extravagance and exuberance, using “exaggerated motion and clear detail,”
(Choral Music through the Ages) to produce dramatic and full sounds and visuals in both the
physical and musical arts. The most defining characteristic of Baroque instrumental and choral
music, though, is the sheer complexity of it. There are several different aspects that go into the
composition of Baroque era music, including the deliberate sense of contrast. That could be
interpreted in several different ways, using dynamics to create stark contrast between sections of
loud and soft, specific instrumentation to create that same contrast between drastically different
sounding instruments. Also, most Baroque era music was written with the intention of telling or
conveying a story, specifically one of religious or spiritual context.
In terms of music theory, choral Baroque music, alongside most instrumental pieces from
the time, centered around one main melody, but have several other moving parts around it, using
the art of counterpoint to make the music more complex and interesting to listen to. Also, the
ensembles of the Baroque period were extremely small, compared to those that followed it, and
were not fully developed chorally or instrumentally until later on in music history. Choirs,
operas, and orchestras were developed during this time period, but would not be expanded upon
until later on, despite the complexity of their choral and instrumental literature. Additionally,
Baroque choral music fits into one of ten ‘forms’ (Choral Music through the Ages), all of which
have different intentions, a lot of them being religious due to the time period. These forms, which
include Anthem, Cantata, Madrigal, Magnificat, Mass, Motet, Oratorio, Passion, Te Deum, and
Vespers, set Baroque choral music apart from later choral and instrumental literature, including
the era immediately following it, the Classical era. An influential piece of Baroque choral and
instrumental music is J.S. Bach’s Cantata 147, which is a great example of the several different
moving parts in the instrumentation and the voices, and the stark contrast that Bach creates.
The Classical period began in 1750, right at the end of the Baroque period, and lasted
about 70 years into 1820. The things that set it apart from its predecessor is the clarity of the
music and the sizes of the ensembles. The music is still created and performed with intention, but
composers were getting tired of the extravagant ornamentation of the Baroque era music, both
chorally and instrumentally. Composers, including Beethoven, Mozart, and Haydn, wrote
symphonies and sonatas for both instrumental orchestras and operas, but focused on emulating
the music of ancient Greece rather than composing in agreeance with the complex and dramatic
music of the Baroque style. In terms of counterpoint, the choral and instrumental music of the
Classical period “aimed for simpler and clearer melodies” (Staff) as compared to the intricacies
of the counterpoint used in the Baroque period. A good example of this simple, yet beautiful
style in a choral setting would be Mozart’s Ave verum corpus.

Though fundamentally different, the Baroque and Classical periods shared several
similarities as well. Both eras used similar instrumentation and ensemble styles, though
ensembles developed to include more singers in operas and choruses and more styles of
instruments in orchestras, the idea remained the same. Additionally, both regularly used binary
form in pieces like sonatas, and used the art of counterpoint to create textures in their
compositions.
Works Cited
Choral Music through the Ages. “Baroque Period.” Choral Music through the Ages, 2020,
choralmusicthroughtheages.godaddysites.com/baroque-period.
Choral Music through the Ages. “Classical Period.” Choral Music through the Ages, 2020,
choralmusicthroughtheages.godaddysites.com/classical-period.
Staff. “Similarities of Classical and Baroque Music.” Similarities of Classical and Baroque
Music, Blogger, 24 Mar. 2023,
www.uremusic.org/2016/03/similarities-of-classical-and-baroque.html#:~:text=Both%20t
he%20Baroque%20and%20the,instruments%20added%20to%20the%20mix.
“What Is Baroque Music?” What Is Baroque Music? - Music of the Baroque, 2024,
www.baroque.org/baroque/whatis.
Choral Music through the Ages. “Baroque Period.” Choral Music through the Ages, 2020,
choralmusicthroughtheages.godaddysites.com/baroque-period.

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Michelle Langelier

Dr. Noreen Diamond Burdett

compare, and contrast.

conveying a story, specifically one of religious or spiritual context.

style in a choral setting would be Mozart’s Ave verum corpus.

Music, Blogger, 24 Mar. 2023,

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