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The Baroque is one of the most important periods in the history of art and music, yet it remains underappreciated. In recent decades, much research and historical analysis of Baroque music performance has been conducted. Numerous orchestras have been founded, recordings produced, and literature published based on treatises and writings from the 18th century.
Nevertheless, the general public is familiar with only a few composers such as Bach, Händel, Vivaldi, and Telemann. Guitarists often perform works by Weiss, Brescianello, de Visée, and Sanz as well. Many innovative and unique composers — such as Biber, Fux, Veracini, Sandoni, Castello, and Durante — remain relatively unknown, even among musicians.
Performance practice elements such as phrasing, tempo, articulation, agogics, and ornamentation are essential for authentic and convincing performances of Baroque music, including on classical guitar.
What is the reason that the Baroque — a period of strong contrasts, in which composers and performers sought to express emotions, sentiments, and affects through musical language — is still less well known and performed than Classicism or Romanticism?
In this one-hour lecture, I aim to present some lesser-known composers and works of the Baroque era in an effective and engaging way, without tedious theorizing, using concrete musical examples. You will become acquainted with typical Baroque styles according to their time and place of origin. I will present some of the best audio recordings of Baroque works, highlight the most important principles of Baroque performance, and show their practical application in guitar literature.
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Mladen Bucić graduated from the Academy of Music in Zagreb in the class of Prof. Istvan Römer, and completed his postgraduate guitar studies at the Franz Liszt University of Music in Weimar in the class of Prof. Thomas Müller-Pering.
As a soloist and as a member of chamber ensembles Distango, Revolucionario, and Limonium, he has performed concerts in several European countries.
He is a professor of guitar and chamber music at the Conservatory of Music and Ballet Ljubljana. In recent years, he has been actively engaged in research on Baroque music.