French vs Italian Baroque Worlds

French Baroque sounds like a ballroom, Italian Baroque sounds like a stage, and the difference

comes down to one thing: who they were written for. French composers worked for Louis

XIV, where elegance and order mattered more than flash. Every ornament was

written out, every phrase measured to match a dance step. Italian composers

worked for churches, opera houses, and virtuoso singers who needed to show off.

So melodies got longer, dissonances got sharper, and improvisation

became the rule. In French music, the orchestra leads. In Italian music, the soloist does.

French opera has five acts, ballet, and a chorus that never leaves.