Imagine a time when all music was grand, complicated, and strictly organized—a bit like an architect's blueprint. That was the Baroque era! But in the mid-1700s, composers in Germany decided they wanted music to be less about rules and more about feelings.

The Baroque era (c. 1600–1750) was a time of immense growth for instrumental music, and no form became more popular or influential than the concerto.

For modern listeners, music is a journey through many different feelings. A single song might start mournful, become hopeful, and end in passionate joy. However, for composers in the Baroque era music was treated differently. The goal was to focus on, perfect, and maintain one single emotion per movement. This powerful idea was known as the Doctrine of the Affections.