Baroque instruments

Musical instruments used in Baroque music were partly used already before, partly are still in use today, but with no technology. The movement to perform music in a historically informed way, trying to recreate the sound of the period, led to the use of historic instruments of the period and to the reconstruction of instruments.

The following table lists instruments, classified as brass instruments, woodwinds, strings, and basso continuo. The continuous bass is played by a group of instruments, depending on the given situation. Many instruments have an Italian or French name which is used as a common name also in English. The use of instruments by composers is shown in examples mostly by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Table of instruments

Common name	Baroque era name		Type	Plural	Baroque era plural	Example of use by Bach	Notes
trumpet	tromba	it	brass, trumpet	trumpets	trombe	Erschallet, ihr Lieder, erklinget, ihr Saiten! BWV 172	see also Baroque trumpet
tromba da tirarsi	tromba da tirarsi	it	brass, trumpet		trombe da tirarsi
high trumpet	clarion	it	brass, trumpet		clarini
cornett	cornetto	it	brass, cornett	cornetts	cornetti		used with trombones
trombone	trombone	it	brass, trombone	trombones	tromboni
horn	corno	it	brass, horn	horns	corni
corno da caccia	corno da caccia	it	brass, horn		corni da caccia
corno da tirarsi	corno da tirarsi	it	brass, horn		corni da tirarsi
lituus	lituo	it	brass, lituus	lituuses	litui
timpani	timpani	it	percussion			Christmas Oratorio	used with trumpets
recorder	flauto (dolce)	it	woodwind, recorder	recorders	flauti (dolci)	Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, BWV 39
descant recorder	flauto piccolo	it	woodwind, recorder		flauti piccoli	Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn, BWV 96, Ihr werdet weinen und heulen, BWV 103
flute	flauto traverso	it	woodwind, flute	transverse flutes	flauti traversi
oboe	oboe	it	woodwind, oboe	oboes	oboi
oboe d'amore	oboe d'amore	it	woodwind, oboe	oboes d'amore	oboi d'amore
tenor oboe	taille	fr	woodwind, oboe		tailles
oboe da caccia	oboe da caccia	it	woodwind, oboe	oboes da caccia	oboi da caccia
bassoon	fagotto	it	woodwind, bassoon	bassoons	fagotti
violin	violino	it	string, Baroque violin	violins	violini
violin piccolo	violino piccolo	it	string, violin		violini piccoli	Brandenburg Concerto No. 1 in F major, BWV 1046	main violin
viola	viola	it	string, viola	violas	viole
cello	violoncello	it	string, cello	celli	violoncelli
violoncello piccolo	violoncello piccolo	it	string, cello		violoncelli piccoli
viola d'amore	viola d'amore	it	string, viola		viole d'amore
viola da gamba	viola da gamba	it	string, viol		viole da gamba	St John Passion Aria "Es ist vollbracht!"	Basso continuo, but sometimes solo
violetta	violetta	it	string, viola		violette
violone	violone	it	string, viol		violono
organ	organo	it	key, organ	organs	organi
harpsichord	cembalo	it	key, harpsichord	harpsichords	cembali
lute	liuto	it	string, lute	lutes	liuti
continuo	basso continuo	it	bass group

Baroque instrumentation

The typical orchestra of the Baroque period is based on string instruments (violin, viola) and continuo. A continuous bass is the rule in Baroque music; its absence is worth mentioning and has a reason, such as describing fragility.

The specific character of a movement is often defined by wind instruments, such as oboe, oboe da caccia, oboe d'amore, flauto traverso, recorder, trumpet, horn, trombone, and timpani.

For Bach, some instruments carry symbolic meaning such as a trumpet, the royal instrument of the Baroque, for secular and divine majesty: three trumpets for the Trinity. In arias, Bach often uses obbligato instruments, which correspond with the singer as an equal partner. In his early compositions he used instruments that had become old-fashioned, such as viola da gamba and violone.

Continuo

The basso continuo, or short: continuo, the typical bass group of the period, consists of a group of instruments, depending upon the other instruments playing and the performance location. A group may consist of cello, double bass (an octave lower) and organ. A bassoon is typically playing when other wind instruments are called for. While an organ will be played in church, a harpsichord will be used in secular surroundings.

Trumpet

The trumpet is the royal instrument of the Baroque, representing secular and divine majesty. Three trumpets symbolize the Trinity in an aria of Bach's BWV 172, addressing the "Heiligste Dreifaltigkeit" (Most holy Trinity), where the bass voice is accompanied only by three trumpets and timpani.

Recorder

Recorders in different sizes, flauto piccolo at the bottom

Recorders (flauti dolci) are sometimes used to express humility or poverty, such as in Bach's cantata Brich dem Hungrigen dein Brot, BWV 39.

Flauto piccolo

Bach used a flauto piccolo, a high recorder in F ("descant recorder" or "sopranino recorder"), to express for example the sparkling of the morning star in Herr Christ, der einge Gottessohn, BWV 96.

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