Introduction
Rhetoric is defined as “the art or study of using language effectively and persuasively” (thefreedictionary). Throughout history, the relationship between rhetoric and music has often been a close one, especially in the Baroque period (rhetoric). The term ‘baroque’ was derived from the Portuguese barroco, meaning “oddly shaped pearl.” Since the nineteenth century, it has been much used to define the era in Western European music from around 1600 through to 1750 (Baroque). The comparison of history’s greatest musical masterpieces to a misshapen pearl seems unwarranted today. However, the critics of the nineteenth century who coined the phrase felt that ...
