Which event marks the end of the Baroque Era in 1750?

• A. The French Revolution
• B. The birth of Mozart
• C. The death of J.S. Bach
• D. The publication of Bach's Well-Tempered Clavier

Answer: (C)

The end of the Baroque Era is commonly tied to 1750, the year J.S. Bach died. Bach stands as a culmination of Baroque style with his intricate counterpoint and rich harmonic language. His death signals a shift in musical taste: after 1750, composers moved toward the lighter textures, clearer melodies, and formal clarity that characterize the Classical era, paving the way for Haydn and Mozart. The Well-Tempered Clavier, while a landmark Baroque work, was published earlier and doesn’t mark the era’s end. The French Revolution and Mozart’s birth occur later and belong to the Classical/Romantic transition and beyond, not the boundary between Baroque and Classical.