The following sources provide information on the lives and musical careers of several Baroque composers:
Italian Baroque Masters
Authors: Denis Arnold, Anthony Newcomb, Thomas Walker, Michael Talbot, Donald Grout, and Joel Sheveloff
Published: 1984
Call Number: ML390.N48 1984
This book is a collection of essays by several authors, each one a biography of a major Italian Baroque composer. The authors cover the composers’ life, theory on music, and their reputation and influence. Each chapter also includes a comprehensive list of works for each composer, organized by musical form. While lengthy, the book does not get too technical and is rather easy to read, and is a good resource for someone with some previous musical knowledge. It would not, though, be unmanageable for someone with no previous knowledge.
Johann Sebastian Bach and the Art of Baroque Music
Authors: Donna Getzinger and Daniel Felsenfeld
Published: 2004
Call Number: ML3930.B2G47 2004
Getzinger and Felsenfeld’s book reads much like a novel rather than a history book. In it, they cover the major aspects of Bach’s musical career, as well as his personal life. As one of the most prominent of the Baroque composers, Bach’s life cannot easily be condensed, but the authors provide a scaled-down yet helpful account. Most of the book is centered on Bach himself, but there is some information regarding the Baroque period in general. The differences between Italian and German Baroque music are touched on, as well as brief mentions of period instruments and musical form, and short discussions of Bach’s more well-known works; such information is most often inserted as an aside to the main subject of the chapter. This book is a quick insight into one of the period’s most famous composers.
Vivaldi: Voice of the Baroque
Author: H.C. Robbins Landon
Published: 1993
Call Number: 780.92 Viv
Landon’s book begins with a short prologue introducing what he refers to as “the rediscovery of Vivaldi”. The chapter titles highlight the cities, people, and musical forms most important to Vivaldi’s life and musical career. One chapter is dedicated solely to The Four Seasons, and includes the sonnets that were originally written with the music. This chapter goes into great detail about the form and interpretations of each of the four concerti. A number of letters written by Vivaldi to people of power and influence add an interesting dimension to the book.
Handel: The Orchestral Music
Author: Alfred Mann
Published: 1996
Call Number: ML410.H13M36 1996
Handel’s music is the exclusive subject of this book; it is not meant to be a biography. Before discussing Handel’s orchestral music, Mann dedicates a chapter to Handel’s relationship to the orchestra as an entity, and the different orchestral forms of the time. An extremely detailed account of the development and form of Handel’s music, the book also includes samples of the scores of some of the pieces featured. Mann has picked apart each specific piece or opus he wished to discuss. This book would best be used after acquiring some general knowledge of music and the Baroque period.
