Baroque instruments

See also: List of period instruments

Strings

Violino piccolo Violin Viol Viola Viola d'amore Viola pomposa Tenor violin Cello Contrabass Lute Theorbo Archlute Anglique Mandolin Guitar Harp Hurdy gurdy

Woodwinds

Baroque flute Chalumeau Cortol (also known as Cortholt, Curtall, Oboe family) Dulcian Musette de cour Baroque oboe Rackett Recorder Bassoon

Brasses

Cornett Natural horn Baroque trumpet Tromba da tirarsi (also called tromba spezzata) Flatt trumpet Serpent

Sackbut (16th- and early 17th-century English name for FR: saquebute, saqueboute; ES: sacabuche; IT: trombone; MHG: busaun, busne, busune / DE (since the early 17th century) Posaune) Trombone (English name for the same instrument, from the early 18th century)

Keyboards

Clavichord Tangent piano Fortepiano early version of piano Harpsichord Organ

Styles and forms

The Baroque suite
The Baroque suite often consists of the following movements:

Overture The Baroque suite often began with a French overture ("Ouverture" in French), which was followed by a succession of dances of different types, principally the following four: Allemande Often the first dance of an instrumental suite, the allemande was a very popular dance that had its origins in the German Renaissance era, when it was more often called the almain. The allemande was played at a moderate tempo and could start on any beat of the bar.[24][25] Courante The courante is a lively, French dance in triple meter. The Italian version is called the corrente.[24][25] Sarabande The sarabande, a Spanish dance, is one of the slowest of the baroque dances. It is also in triple meter and can start on any beat of the bar, although there is an emphasis on the second beat, creating the characteristic 'halting', or iambic rhythm of the sarabande.[24][25] Gigue The gigue is an upbeat and lively baroque dance in compound meter, typically the concluding movement of an instrumental suite. The gigue can start on any beat of the bar and is easily recognized by its rhythmic feel. The gigue originated in the British Isles. Its counterpart in folk music is the jig.[24][25]

These four dance types make up the majority of 17th-century suites; later suites interpolate one or more additional dances between the sarabande and gigue:

Gavotte The gavotte can be identified by a variety of features; it is in 4/4 time and always starts on the third beat of the bar, although this may sound like the first beat in some cases, as the first and third beats are the strong beats in quadruple time. The gavotte is played at a moderate tempo, although in some cases it may be played faster.[24] Bourre The bourre is similar to the gavotte as it is in 2/2 time although it starts on the second half of the last beat of the bar, creating a different feel to the dance. The bourre is

commonly played at a moderate tempo, although for some composers, such as Handel, it can be taken at a much faster tempo.[24][2] Minuet The minuet is perhaps the best-known of the baroque dances in triple meter. It can start on any beat of the bar. In some suites there may be a Minuet I and II, played in succession, with the Minuet I repeated.[24] Passepied The passepied is a fast dance in binary form and triple meter that originated as a court dance in Brittany.[26] Examples can be found in later suites such as those of Bach and Handel.[24] Rigaudon The rigaudon is a lively French dance in duple meter, similar to the bourre, but rhythmically simpler. It originated as a family of closely related southern-French folk dances, traditionally associated with the provinces of Vavarais, Languedoc, Dauphin, and Provence.[24][27]