Son of JS Bach

Transitioned between his father's Baroque style of writing to classical

Telemann was his godfather

Wrote for keyboard instruments as well as cantatas (a vocal composition with instrumental accompaniment, often for a choir)

Unique composer as he started to realise the classical style by featuring emotion, which is a reaction against the simplicity and logical style of Baroque music.

Listen to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D64uNOZATdM

Influenced by Andreas Duben and Peter Philips

He wrote a variation of Jonh Dowlands famous Lachrimae Pavane

Uses a pedal point, complex rhythms and an unusual richness of contrapuntal devices

His main forte was improvistaion

He was invloved in three different church types which are reflected in his works

He was the first to write an organ fugue using one subject and adding texture to lead to a climax and final resolution

Much of his work is also influenced by by the richness an complexity of Andrea and Giovanni Gabrieli from Venice

Listening:

http://vimeo.com/1268722 

his life in Rome, where he was court violinist to Cardinal Ottoboni.
In 1687 Corelli led the festival performances of music for Queen christina of englandFamed for his

virtuosity and his elegant style of composition,

 Corelli used only a limited portion of his instrument's capabilities.the parts for violin very rarely

proceed above D on the highest string, sometimes reaching the E in fourth position on the highest string.

He developed two styles of composition - renaissance polyphony and the new basso continuo technique of the Baroque period

He also wrote one of the earliest operas called L'Orfeo

His work is split into 3 categories: madrigals, operas and church (sacred) music

He wrote love and war madrigals, including a ballet

Many of his madrigals were based on poems

He learnt about music by being in the cathedral choir and being taught the maestro of the cathedral

His last two pieces were based on the life of the Roman Emperor Nero and contains warmer melodies than his previous work

He divided musical practise into two streams called prima pratica and seconda pratica

Prima Pratica was often polyphonic, had a flowing strict counterpoint, prepared dissonance and equality of voices. The harmony also controls the words

Seconda Pratica used a more free counterpoint and emphasized soprano and bass. The words control the harmony

Listening:

http://vimeo.com/51136195

 influenced partly perhaps by the style of giovanni bononcini and probably more by the taste of the viceregal court, his opera arias become more conventional and commonplace in rhythm.
by 1700 -the oboes and trumpets being frequently used, and the violins often playing in unison
1996- His last group of operas, composed for Rome, exhibit a deeper poetic feeling, a broad and dignified style of melody, a strong dramatic sense, especially in accompanied recitatives
http://vimeo.com/69381115

Scarlatti's 555 keyboard sonatas are single movements, mostly in binary form, and mostly written for the harpichord or the earliest piano forte.(There are four for organ, and a few for small instrumental group). 
Scarlatti sonatas often contain their main thematic variety, and after the crux the music makes more use of repetitive figurations as it modulates away from the home key (in the first half) or back to the home key (in the second half).

Aside from his many sonatas, he composed a quantity of operas and cantatas, symphonias, and liturgical pieces. Well known works include the Stabat Mater of 1715 and the Salve Regina of 1757, which is thought to be his last composition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcsRl_LIJHA 

His music was written during the middle of the baroque period

His music was typical of this period because hes used the basso continuo as the driving force behind his work

His music was known for it's power, liveliness in fast movements and emotion in it's sad movements

Lully's musical influence produced a revolution in the style of dances as he introduced lively ballets of rapid rhythm

Listening:

He composed many operas, orchestral suites and chamber music and is considered to be a very influential composer. His music is the link between late baroque music and early classical music.

One of Teleman's surviving concerto's is his Viola Concerto in G major, TWV 51:69. It is his first known concerto and it contains four movements.

1. Largo: This movement is written in 3/2 and is centered in the key of G major. This piece requires vibrato and since it is a simple movements with long notes, many performers add their own ornamentation.
2. Allegro: Written in 4/4 and still in G major, this movements is the most popular out of the four movements. There are syncopated rhythms which is used as a motif throughout.
3. Andante: For the next movement, the key changes to E minor, the relative minor. It is composed using the upper strings on the viola.
4. Presto: The final movement is very quick and it returns to G major.

Even though Rameau was an organist for 26 years, he didn't compose many motets (sacred choral music) and he only composed four main motets: Deus noster refugium (Psalm 46), In convertendo, Quam dilecta and Laboravi.

He composed the music to one comedie-ballet called La Princess de Navarre which was written in celebration of the marriage between Infanta Maria Teresa Rafaela of Spain to Louis, Dauphin of France. For the comedie-ballet he wrote the overture and three divertissements which are musical interludes that end each act.

Many of Handel's flute sonatas were originally composed for the violin. For example, his flute sonata in E minor was originally a violin sonata in D minor. This sonata is the only flute sonata that has survived and it is currently held in the British Library. The third movement (Adigio) is composed in the key of G yet finishes on a B major chord. It only lasts for 12 bars.

He was a virtuoso violinist

He is known for composing instrumental concertos, sacred choral works and operas

His music was innovative

He brightened the rhythmic sructure of the concerto, by looking for harmonic contrasts, interesting melodies and themes

Many of his compositions are playful and exuberant

JS Bach was deeply influenced by Vivaldi's concertos and arias

Listening:

http://vimeo.com/2839822

He composed a lot of sacred and secular music and he helped develop the choral prelude and fugues

He was influeneced by German, Italian and French composers

He prefered an uncomplicated style that emphasised harmonic and melodic clarity

His music isn't overly virtuosic or adventurous harmonically, but he did experiment with ensembles and instrumentation

He explored variations of form and associated techniques

He was best known as an organ composer, he wrote over 200 pieces for the organ and explored most of the genres that existed at that time

His vocal works used lots of contemporary techniques and include a large range of instruments

He composed six fantasias

His Chaccones and variations explore chorale improvisation tehcniques, and most importantly give the bass line thematic importance for the development of the piece

His fugues are usually based on non-thematic material and are quite short

Listening:

http://vimeo.com/44880203

He became known as one of the finest flutist in Europe and toured around England and France. He criticised Vivaldi for being to 'wild' with his flute playing.

As the flute was Quantz's main instrument, he composed mainly for the flute. He composed over 300 flute concertos and over 200 sonatas.

He also wrote many trio sonatas for example, his Sonata for flute, violin (flute) & continuo Op. 3 No. 3 in C major. A continuo is instrument that plays the accompanying bass line that also harmonises. it is mostly played on a keyboard or bass instrument.

He was a composer, violinist and organist. Pergolesi was one of the first composers of early opera buffa (comic opera). He was a very important composer and his two opera buffa's were very popular.

He also wrote some sacred music too and his Stabat Mater, written in 1736, is his most famous piece of sacred music. It is composed for however, a female soprano, a female alto, a strign orchestra and bass continuo. Pergolesi composed a Mass in F and Magnificat in C major.

Henry Purcell is an English composer however, it is clear to see that he was influenced by the Italian and French styles as these are evident in his compositions. He is considered to be the greatest English composers since no other English composer managed to reach his standard and fame until Edward Elgar.

Purcell has influenced some 21st century bands, for example, 'The Who'. In 2009, a band member of 'The Who' stated that they were influenced by Purcell's harmonies. In Purcell's 'Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary', the processional section was taken and adapted by Wendy Carlos who chose the theme to be used in the 1971 film 'A Clockwork Orange'.