Baroque music describes a period or style of European classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1750. This era is said to begin in music after the Renaissance, and was followed by the Classical period. The word "baroque" came from the Portuguese word barroco, meaning "misshapen pearl", an initially derisive characterization of the architectural style of this period; later, the name came to be applied also to its music. The baroque period saw the development of functional tonality, as well as the crystallization of the harmony and counterpoint rules which came to define the 'common practice period' (which extends from the baroque to the late romantic). Nowadays baroque music constitutes an important part of the academic music canon, being widely studied, performed, and listened to. It is associated with composers such as Antonio Vivaldi, George Frideric Handel, Arcangelo Corelli, Tomaso Albinoni, and Johann Sebastian Bach, all of which played an essential role in the development of modern musical concepts. During the baroque period a number of genres were established (such as the opera and the oratorio), the way was paved for new genres (such as the classical sonata and the symphony), and composers expanded the theoretical basis of music composition, making advances in musical notation and instrumental technique.