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Period: 500 to 1400
Medieval Period
Gregorian chant and early sacred music dominate.
Polyphonic music emerges with the development of organum.
Notable composers: Hildegard von Bingen, Guillaume de Machaut. -
Period: 1400 to
Renaissance Period
Rise of humanism and secular music.
Vocal music flourishes, including madrigals and choral works.
Notable composers: Josquin des Prez, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. -
Period: to
Baroque Period
Ornate and elaborate music characterized by intricate melodies and rich harmonies.
Emergence of opera, oratorio, and instrumental forms like the concerto and fugue.
Notable composers: Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, Antonio Vivaldi. -
Period: to
Classical Period
Simplicity, clarity, and balance become important in music.
Development of the symphony, sonata, and string quartet.
Notable composers: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Joseph Haydn. -
Period: to
Romantic Period
Emphasis on emotional expression, individualism, and programmatic music.
Expansion of orchestral size and use of new harmonic and formal techniques.
Notable composers: Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, Frederic Chopin, Richard Wagner. -
Period: to
Impressionist and Post-Romantic Periods
Exploration of new tonal colors, harmonies, and atmospheric effects.
Focus on evoking moods, sensations, and impressions.
Notable composers: Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Gustav Mahler. -
Period: to
Century and Contemporary Periods
Wide range of styles and techniques, including atonality, serialism, and electronic music.
Experimentation with rhythm, texture, and timbre.
Notable composers: Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg, John Cage, Philip Glass.