Amazing Late Renaissance/Early Baroque composer, Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi, died on this day the 29th of November, 1643. Below is Monteverdi’s Magnificat: Born in 1567, Monteverdi was one of the major transitional composers to span the Renaissance to the Baroque, and in doing so, composed some of the most beautiful music of his time. Here is Monteverdi’s “Lamento… Read on
Today’s Baroque Birthday Boy is none other than a Bach! Johannes Bach, German Baroque composer & member of the musically talented Bach family, was born on this day 26 November, 1604. Johannes was brother to Christoph Bach and Heinrich Bach – both musicians and composers themselves. Christoph was the father of Johann Christoph Bach and grandfather of the brilliant Bach: Johann Sebastian Bach. Let… Read on
Claude Lorrain – French Baroque artist, engraver, & draughtsman, died on this day the 23rd of November, 1682, in the Papal States, Roma. As we do not have an exact year of birth, it is thought that Lorrain was in his late seventies/early eighties when he died. Throughout his career, Lorrain made many works of art depicting mythological,… Read on
Henry Purcell, arguably the greatest English composer of Baroque music, died on this day the 21st of November, 1695. Henry Purcell had been born in late 1659, so that means he was around thirty-six years old at the time of his death. I always find this quite sad, for him – and for us – that he did… Read on
François Couperin, also known as Couperin le Grand, French Baroque composer, was born on this day the 10th of November, 1668 (New Style), in Paris, France. I was first exposed to Couperin’s music when I was a little girl, listening to the radio programme, Sunday Baroque. Later, when I had moved out of America, I listened to Baroque… Read on
Tous Les Matins du Monde is a beautiful, captivating, heart-rending film about real-life 17th century French Baroque composer Marin Marais. This film, from 1991, which stars Gérard Depardieu as Marais, and Depardieu’s own son, Guillaume as the young Marais is stunning. Marin Marais was born in 1656 and died in 1728, and he was a viol player and a composer of Baroque… Read on
Two very talented Baroque composers were born on this day October 26th in the 17th century! The first one was Domenico Scarlatti, Italian Baroque composer, & son of Alessandro Scarlatti, was born on this day 26 October, 1685. 1685 was a big year for the birth of major Baroque composers, such as J.S. Bach and Handel, and this Scarlatti is no… Read on