The Baroque Era The Baroque period, 1600-1750, describes the style or period of European music at that time. The term Baroque was derived from a Portuguese word meaning "a pearl of irregular shape." The word Baroque was initially used to imply strangeness, abnormality and extravagance, applying more to art than music. It is only in the 20th century that this term has been employed to refer to a period in music history. In this paper I will discuss different historical events and important issues that played a big role during the Baroque era. The Bodleian Library, which is located at Oxford University, became the first public library in E