Versatile musical activities characterized the one and a half centuries from 1600, which are now known as the Baroque period. Courts, churches, and a strengthening bourgeoisie promoted music for various performance purposes. Representative opera and ballet performances were staged for princely weddings, religious messages were conveyed musically in sacred works, and the first public concerts were held for a broader audience. Aesthetic and practical questions occupied music scholars and creators: How can music stir the emotions? And what style is appropriate for which performance venue? The book examines the diverse facets of Baroque music. Issues of funding and forms of events are discussed, as well as the emergence of new genres, the virtuosity of singing stars, and the question of which instruments were used to perform music at that time.