Galerie des Glaces, Versailles

The Baroque Age

The next Bath Recitals event is Baroque Tales – our summer musical party with Baroque-themed cocktails and canapés. Today we delve a little deeper into The Baroque Age.

On 26 August Musica Poetica take us on a 17th and 18th century whirlwind tour of Europe with Baroque Tales  and Music with a TWIST!

Fontana di Trevi, Rome

Fontana di Trevi, Rome

But what exactly is – or was – the Baroque Age? The word Baroque actually comes from the Portuguese word barroco, meaning Misshapen Pearl. In architecture we associate the word with ornate and heavily ornamented design such in the Fontana di Trevi in Rome above or at the in the Hall of Mirrors at the Palace of Versailles just outside Paris (pictured above).

In music it defines the historical period from approximately 1600 to 1750. During that time many great changes were witnessed in musical composition and performance.

Classic FM has produced a really helpful series of ‘Fast And Friendly Guides’ to musical periods. This short video tells us the key points of the Baroque era which saw an explosion of new musical ideas from composers such as Bach and Handel, the birth of opera with Monteverdi and Purcell, and Vivaldi’s 500 dazzling concertos:

Your ticket includes a complimentary Baroque-themed cocktail with canapés to ensure our summer musical party goes off with a swing.

Musica Poetica

“An early-instrument ensemble of exceptional quality.”
Opera Britannica

With kind support from the Odin Trust