What are the Baroque Era dates?

• A. 1600-1750
• B. 1500-1650
• C. 1700-1800
• D. 1550-1650

Answer: (A)

The Baroque era is typically framed as beginning around 1600 and ending around 1750. The start mirrors the rise of dramatic, expressive music—opera and the new concerted style with figured bass and continuo—marking a clear shift from Renaissance textures. The end reflects a shift toward the Classical aesthetic: clearer form, simpler melodies, and lighter textures, with Bach’s death in 1750 often used as a traditional cutoff and the era giving way to composers like Haydn and early Mozart.

So, the range 1600–1750 best captures the main span of Baroque music and its major composers, from Monteverdi and his successors through Bach, Handel, and Vivaldi, without extending too far into later Classical territory or starting too early.