William Johns - An Introduction to the Baroque Period

An avid pianist, William Johns has long been a fan of classical music and the Baroque

period in particular. Baroque music is notoriously difficult to play. Though Baroque

pieces were intended to help a musician warm up, mastering them has become a rite

of passage for many modern pianists. William Johns particularly enjoys the challenge of playing Bach’s two-part

inventions, which have the pianist simultaneously playing different melodies with

each hand.

Baroque music spanned the time from 1600 to 1750 and was distinctive for its rhythmic

patterns and consistent mood. Baroque pieces rely heavily on their opening melody, which is often repeated throughout the piece.

Composers from Germany and Italy had the heaviest influence on music of the Baroque period. Johann Sebastian Bach is by far the

most famous Baroque composer, but Handel, Vivaldi, and Pachelbel were also part of the

movement.

Apart from the composers who developed the Baroque style, other notables from this period include famed violin maker Antonio

Stradivari and master organ builder Gottfried Silbermann.