Compared to popular forms of romantic and symphonic music, the baroque genre seems slightly placid and languid. There are not many rhythmic flourishes or areas in the music where instrumentalists can prove their worth. This isn't to say that baroque music isn't enjoyable--the music style is extremely pertinent to the understanding of how music has evolved from neanderthals rhythmically clicking two stones together. Baroque was fairly popular in the 16th century and the delicate orchestrations are well suited for intermittent periods when a listener is looking to sooth the pain of an extremely hard day at work. A composer who was able to calm the minds of his listeners with music was the English baroque musician Henry Purcell. His rather forthright pieces were easy to absorb and still stand, to this day, as the musical equivalent of a double scotch on the rocks after a difficult day at the office.
