A time period of over exaggerated and emotional compositions.  A major driving force behind the philosophy of the time was that music was a powerful tool to invoke emotions out of its listeners and to communicate to them.  This belief stemmed from the fact that the Renaissance thinkers largely looked to Greek and Roman ideas. This was the time period where music began to have a large contrast within a song, and that a distinct melody and harmony began to come out. One of the most famous composers of this time period was Johann Sebastian Bach, known for his "grand, truly Protestant, robust and erudite genius" (Hegel). Image Source: Wikipedia