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- Rooted in the patronage of churches and royal courts in Western Europe, surviving early medieval music is chiefly religious, monophonic and vocal, with the music of ancient Greece and Rome influencing its thought and theory.
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Western classical music history is traditionally understood as beginning with plainchant (also called "Gregorian" chant), the vocal religious practice of the Roman Catholic Church.
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Western music, music produced in Europe as well as those musics derived from the European from ancient times to the present day. All ancient civilizations entered historical times with a flourishing musical culture. That the earliest writers explained it in terms of legend and myth strongly.
Classical music generally refers to the art music of the Western world, considered to be distinct from Western folk music or popular music traditions. It is sometimes distinguished as Western classical music, as the term "classical music" can also be applied to non-Western art musics.
- c. 1730-1820
- c. 1400-1600
- c. 500-1400
- Medieval Period (500-1450) The medieval period of western classical music lasted from around 500 to 1450 and was characterized by the music of the Catholic Church and the secular music of the courts and nobility.
- Renaissance Period (1450-1600) The Renaissance period of western classical music lasted from around 1450 to 1600. It was characterized by a renewed interest in the arts and sciences, as well as by the development of new musical forms and styles.
- Baroque Period (1600-1750) The Baroque period of western classical music lasted from approximately 1600 to 1750. It was a time of great change and innovation in music, with composers experimenting with new forms and styles.
- Classical Period (1730-1820) The classical period of western classical music was a time of great change and innovation in music. Composers were breaking away from the elaborate styles of the Baroque period and instead focusing on more balanced and transparent forms.
- Overview
- The Classical period
- The Rococo style galant
- The empfindsamer Stil
- Stylistic elements
As in the case of the Renaissance, difficulties with terminology again arise with the label classical. Does it refer to a period of time, a distinctive musical style, an aesthetic attitude, an ideal standard, or an established norm? Again, the term was borrowed from the visual arts of the same epoch and is awkward when applied to music in that there were no known models from classical antiquity for composers to imitate. A full understanding of the term depends on a clear conception of the term romantic, for the two stand at opposite poles. Each represents a set of artistic ideals that has been in opposition to the other since both were recognized by early Grecian writers. As has been noted, the ancient Greek followers of Apollo established the ideal of classicism, whereas the cult of Dionysus produced the prototype of romanticism. A mixture of the two qualities has prevailed throughout recorded history, with first one and then the other in the ascendancy. Thus, there have been many “classic” and many “romantic” eras, but the labels have come to refer most specifically to the last half of the 18th century and the 19th century, respectively, because those periods represent most vividly the two tempers.
The social and political scene during the late 18th century was hardly a setting for a quiet, composed “classical” age in view of the prevailing revolutionary spirit and colonial rivalry. The revolutionary movement did have a direct effect on music in that “music for the masses” became a new ideal—music directly appealing to a large number of unsophisticated people who had previously been excluded from courtly entertainments.
As in the case of the Renaissance, difficulties with terminology again arise with the label classical. Does it refer to a period of time, a distinctive musical style, an aesthetic attitude, an ideal standard, or an established norm? Again, the term was borrowed from the visual arts of the same epoch and is awkward when applied to music in that there were no known models from classical antiquity for composers to imitate. A full understanding of the term depends on a clear conception of the term romantic, for the two stand at opposite poles. Each represents a set of artistic ideals that has been in opposition to the other since both were recognized by early Grecian writers. As has been noted, the ancient Greek followers of Apollo established the ideal of classicism, whereas the cult of Dionysus produced the prototype of romanticism. A mixture of the two qualities has prevailed throughout recorded history, with first one and then the other in the ascendancy. Thus, there have been many “classic” and many “romantic” eras, but the labels have come to refer most specifically to the last half of the 18th century and the 19th century, respectively, because those periods represent most vividly the two tempers.
The social and political scene during the late 18th century was hardly a setting for a quiet, composed “classical” age in view of the prevailing revolutionary spirit and colonial rivalry. The revolutionary movement did have a direct effect on music in that “music for the masses” became a new ideal—music directly appealing to a large number of unsophisticated people who had previously been excluded from courtly entertainments.
As the pendulum swung from the predominantly romantic Baroque period toward the Classical period, there was an inevitable overlapping of the old and the new. While Bach was composing his intricate and erudite polyphony, his sons were reflecting a new ideal, the Rococo. Fostered by the court of the French king Louis XV, whose life-style was far less...
The German counterpart of the essentially French Rococo was the empfindsamer Stil, or “sentimental style,” which flourished in the 1750s and 1760s. Its leading exponent was one of J.S. Bach’s sons, Carl Philip Emanuel Bach, who served for a time at the court of Frederick the Great in Berlin. The distinguishing feature of this German reaction agains...
For the first time in the history of music, instrumental music became more important than vocal music. The orchestra and chamber groups, such as the string quartet, trio, and quintet, and the piano trio became standardized and replaced the heterogeneous trio sonata and other ensembles of the Baroque period. The basic duple and triple organization of metre remained unchanged, but rhythmic patterns tending toward more regularity and simplicity became the rule, producing the “tyranny of the bar line” that was to prevail for more than a century.
Melody was inclined to be more motivistic, tuneful, and epigrammatic, in contrast to the extended, figurative style of many Baroque melodies. Harmony was second only to melody as a focal element. Harmonic patterns that clearly established the tonal centre were the rule of the day.
As a reaction against the intricate polyphony of the later Baroque period, homophonic texture dominated by melody became the norm, but the accompanying patterns were different from those of the early Baroque, when monody supported by sustained chords was the prevailing style. In the late 18th century, figurations such as the Alberti bass (form of accompanying figure consisting of broken chords) and rhythmically enlivened repeated chords formed the typical textural patterns. Counterpoint was retained in some forms, however, and regained status particularly in development sections of works in sonata form.
Formal structure, a definitive aspect of classical style, was characterized by simplicity and clarity. Sectional forms (created by contrast and repetition of thematic materials, tonalities, and textures), variations, and the new principle of development (fragmentation, expansion, and modification of themes) were the established norms. Phrases of musical material became shorter and more clearly demarcated as well as more balanced and regular. A new concept of dynamic contrast also contributed to formal clarity. Shading from loud to soft or vice versa provided a dramatic means of building toward an expressive climax. Orchestration and instrumentation were closely allied to dynamic variation, and much more colour contrast and variety appeared in orchestral music, even though the ensemble was more standardized than formerly.
Western classical music refers to a long-standing tradition of art music that has its roots in Western culture, spanning roughly from the medieval period to the present day. This genre is characterized by its complexity, formal structure, and emphasis on written notation, distinguishing it from many other musical traditions around the world.
Dec 4, 2018 · Understanding Musical Periods: The Rich History of Classical Music and Its Significance Today. From Gregorian Chants to Mozart’s sonatas, we’re going to give you a brief history of the 6 Musical Periods and how they’ve each contributed to music today!
