This historical period was not what I expected. I have never heard of the Baroque period but learning about it was interesting. The level of violence present throughout this historical era is what makes it most interesting. The Thirty-year war occurred because protestants were forced into Catholicism, and half of their population died because of it. There were beheadings such as Mary Queen of Scots, because she was planning the murder of Queen Elizabeth I. Citizens were being heavily taxed because Louis XIV was living at a palace in Versailles, which he built, and he decided that he wanted citizens to support him. Essentially, there was a lot of drama, and many people were harmed because of this. Baroque music is described as vibrant in the textbook. In this time period, art has changed from being reserved for the aristocracy to becoming accessible to all. There were paintings, sculptures, and operas. In all these art forms, they were all described as “romantic expressions” meaning that there was intense emotion, rich color, and specific details to really demonstrate all the dramatic but powerful art being created.  

I chose Arcangelo Corelli as the major figure in music. I think his music does fit with what I expected from this era. There are shifts in the music tone and it kind of tells a story with its sound, ranging from quiet and low tones (sadder) to high and loud tones (happier), which the Baroque period is all for expressing our emotions.