The historical period of western art that piqued my interest the most was the Baroque period (ca. 1600-1750). According to the textbook, Opera stems from the Italian people’s desire to preserve the ancient civilization of Greece. The fact that Italians wanted to bring back the dramatic nature that is associated with Ancient Greece was what really drew me in. It is stated that those who composed Opera music were often inspired by Greek mythology, which I happen to be a big fan of. As soon as I read that stories like those of Orpheus and his wife, Eurydice, had helped create an entirely new genre, I was hooked.
The composer that I have chosen to listen to is Claudio Monteverdi. Some of his most famous works include “L’Orfeo”, which I believe perfectly describes the tragedy of Orpheus and Eurydice. Judging from the tone at the beginning, you can tell that Orpheus and his wife were happy. Once Eurydice dies after a snake bite, the tone switches from happy to sad. When Orpheus is crossing the River Styx, the tone remains solemn. After Eurydice is once again taken from Orpheus, the tone becomes very dramatic which stands for Orpheus’ pain and grief, but once Apollo comes for Orpheus to help him reunite with his wife, the tone becomes less dramatic, which shows how Orpheus is finally at peace, knowing that he will see his wife again. As expected, Baroque music was very dramatic and often told some of the greatest stories of the Greek civilizations.
Hey Marisol, we chose the same period which I find it amazing. You went deep into detail with describing the time period. I like how you connected the music piece of Monteverdi with the story of Orpheus and Eurydice. You clearly mentioned how the tone changed throughout the progression of the work. I never knew someone who is a fan of Greek Mythology, which we can’t relate because I really don’t like it. Overall, your post was really easy to understand and shows how interested you’re in it.