Program Information

Some of the west’s greatest artists emerged from the Baroque era--Caravaggio, Vermeer, Rubens and Bernini, and the composers, Vivaldi, Pachelbel, Bach and Handel.

A Moment in Time is a brief, exciting and compelling journey into the past. Created to excite and enlighten the public about the past, its relevance to the present and its impact on the future, A Moment In Time is a captivating historical narrative that is currently broadcast worldwide.

Transcript

Lead: Some of the west’s greatest artists emerged from the Baroque era--Caravaggio, Vermeer, Rubens and Bernini, and the composers, Vivaldi, Pachelbel, Bach and Handel.

Intro.: A Moment in Time with Dan Roberts.

Content: “Baroque” refers to a style in the arts as well as to the period when the style was most valued--about 1600 to 1750. As in other historical periods, the descriptive term "Baroque" for the era or style was not used until much later when scholars chose the name from the Spanish or Portuguese word meaning an irregularly shaped pearl. That makes perfect sense because the Baroque style in painting, sculpture and architecture--like that odd-shaped pearl--was exquisitely beautiful but featured bold, curving forms and over-the-top ornamentation. Later the term was also used to refer to the literature and music of that period, following closely after the Renaissance.

Historically, the events that surrounded the emerging Baroque culture were the Protestant Reformation and the Counter-Reformation. Many Protestants insisted on an emphasis on a simpler, more primitive form of worship and architectural design, partly as a reaction to the corruption--both theological and practical--which it saw in the European church.

The Counter-Reformation was a clear response to the Protestant challenge, a genuine effort within the Roman Catholic Church to reform its corrupt practices, such the sale of church offices, and clearly obvious forms of moral decay in clergy and laity. While there was a an attempt to reform suspect internal policies, at the same time, this movement sought to reaffirm ancient devotion and traditions that many Catholics felt had fallen by the wayside during the Renaissance, the period of humanist ascendancy and the early years of the Protestant revolt.

Next Time: The Council of Trent and the Baroque era.

Research by Ann Johnson, at the University of Richmond, I'm Dan Roberts.

Virginia Standards