Tonal colour in the Baroque era

In the Baroque era, instrumental music gained equality with vocal music. The musical thinking of this era was based on affects, meaning specific emotional states expressed in music. Various nuances or concrete musical figures were used to express particular feelings such as joy or sorrow, or even abstract notions such as becoming lost. Improvisation was an essential part of music-making in this era. No one ever played the same piece of music in the same way twice; musicians added their own ornaments to whatever they were playing, according to their skill and taste. The lineup of the orchestra became increasingly standardised, and as a result tonal colour became an important element in music.