This textbook covers European music from 1600 through 1750. Intendedprimarily for undergraduate music majors and graduate students in music, it willalso be of interest to musicians and teachers of all types who desire anup-to-date introduction to the serious study of Baroque music. Unlike otherbooks on the subject that look only at the history, this work focuses on arepertory of about fifty selected works from several of the principal traditionsof the Baroque and discusses them in terms of history and performance.Vocal works - both sacred and secular - are considered first, followed by anexamination of instrumental music. Each work is not only discussed as arepresentative of a particular historical tradition but also is analyzed interms of its composer response to the text or an expressive aspiration. The bookoffers models for both musical criticism and analysis in a variety ofcompositional styles; in addition, it provides substantial discussions oforiginal isntrumentation and performance practices for many works. Worksdiscussed include such familiar ones as Monteverdi's Orfeo and a Bach cantataand includes discussion of music by women composers. In addition, the openingand closing chapters provide bridges to earlier and later periods of Europeanmusic history.Aids for students and teachers include synopses of operatic works, biographicaltimelines for major composers, numerous illustrations, musical examples, andanalytical tables. Technical terms are highlighted at their first mention in thetext, which includes carefully formulated definitions of each new concpet. Thebook is accompanied by an athology of scores containg new editions of many ofthe works discussed in the main volume. Also included in the anthology are newtranslations of the texts of all vocal compositions and commentary on sources,editorial issues, and performance practices.