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Aristotle (on Zeuxis): * see EndNote<A>
“The tragedies of most of our modern poets fail in the rendering of character; and of poets in general this is often true. It is the same in painting; and here lies the difference between Zeuxis and Polygnotus. Polygnotus delineates character well; the style of Zeuxis is devoid of ethical quality. “
Aristotle in his Poetics
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“Compare the meaning of the word "figure" to Haydn with its meaning to Praxiteles. In the one case it is the figure of a rhythmic motive in a web of voices, in the other the figure of an athlete. But in both cases the notion comes from mathematics and it is made plain that the aim thus finally attained is a union of the artistic and the mathematical spirit, for analysis like music, and Euclidean geometry like plastic, have both come to full comprehension of their tasks and the ultimate meaning of their respective number-languages.”
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Baroque composers often wrote music for particular instruments, considering their special sounds & qualities, their tonal & harmonic possibilities, their distinctive voice & range of pitches. Some were prescriptive. In this the Baroque era differed from the medieval & Renaissance periods, when musicians choose their instruments. Many Baroque composers became famous for their writing for specific instruments. Scarlatti (1685–1757), was widely known for his compositions for the harpsichord. Dietrich Buxtehude (1637–1707) & Bach (1685–1750) did the same for the pipe organ
The 18 instruments below are specific to the Baroque orchestra & have largely fallen out of use.
the natural trumpet (16th- 18th centuries)- valve-less
tromba da tirarsi
clarion (high trmpet)
corno da caccia (brass horn)
corno da tirarsi (brass horn)
lituus( brass)
flauto (dolce) (recorder)
descant recorder or flauto piccolo
transverse flute or flauto traverso
oboes d'amore (still in use )
tenor oboe or taille
oboe da caccia
violin piccolo
violoncello da spalla, (small cello)
viola d'amore (viola)
violetta(3 string violin)
violone (type of violin, string instrument
harpsichord