History of the Music

By Jorge Albiñana
  • Period: 600 to 900

    Gregorian Chant

    The Roman Catholic Church compiled its liturgical plainsongs. We call gregorian in honour of pope Gregory the Great, the first compiler.
    Depending of the melody and the syllables of the text, Gregorian Chant is classified in: Syllabic: one note per syllable
    Neumatic: a small goup of notes per syllable
    Melismatic: a lot of notes per syllable
  • Period: 800 to 900

    Neumatic Notational System

    To make sure that Gregotian Chant was performed in a similar way it was necessary to write to write it down. This is how the first system of musical notation were established.
    First symbols were called neumes and they were written on top of the words to show the changes of pitch.
    This system was used in a four line stave
  • Period: 800 to 900

    Mensural Notation

    Musical notation was also envolving, because a more precise system was needed to write teh rhthmic richness of the morecomplex polyphony, mensural notation.
    Mensural notation included the first symbols related to metre an assigned note values depending on the duration of the note.
  • Period: 800 to 900

    Secular Vocal music

    Characteristics Monophonic texture with musical accompaniment
    modal scales and rhythmic notes
    Designed for fun ort entertaiment
    written in local languages
    Performed by male and female voices
    Musicians who played secular music were called minstrels
    Some minstrels performed in village and city square an entertained the common people with their art
    Court minstrels were part of the court in places
  • Period: 800 to 900

    Liturgical polyphony

    A second voice was added to plainsong and polyphony was born.
    medieval liturgical polyphonic form were:
    Organum:It's the earliest form. The main voice was a gregorian melody an a second, parallel voicve was added.
    Discantus:a new voice was added to the Gregorian melody that moved in a contrary motion.
    Conductus: it was a new composition for two to four voices with the same text, the same rhythmic in the syllable style.
  • Period: 992 to 1050

    Guido d'Arezzo

    Was a teacher in the cathedral school in Arezzo, Italy. as well as inventing the Guidonian hand, he created the four line stave and gave the notes the name we still use today.
  • Period: 1098 to 1179

    Hildegard von Bingen

    Was agerman nun, writer, scientist and composer. She composed a total of 78 liturgical pieces of music for her congregation.
  • Period: 1400 to 1500

    Relgious Vocal Music

    Motet: it already existed in the middle ages. In the renaissance, tis form became more important, religious and included more parts. Mass: it was a long composition with liturgical texts, written in latin.I was based on the fixed parts of of the religious ceremony. Chorale. most common musical form in the protestant liturgy. It was based on pre existing melodies sung in the vernacular with simple texture.
  • Period: 1400 to 1500

    RENAISSANCE TEXTURES

    Polyphony, several parts:
    Imitative Counterpoint: several melodic lines imitatate each others, but start at different times. The simplest form is the canon. Homorhytmic homophony. several similar melodic lines that move simultaneosly. melody dominated homophony.. a main melodic line that can be identified with harmonic accompaniment.
  • Period: 1400 to 1500

    Secular Vocal music

    Madrigal: was dominant form. it originated in Italy and spread all over europe. it described feelings and is always written in vernacular. Songs. originated from England, for one voice with instrumental accompaniment Chanson: originated from France, similar to songs romance. from Spain, it was based on popular poetic ballads that told true an fictional stories. Villancico: had popular origins. Its name comes from the tunes that peasants sang in the villages. Ensalada: combination of forms.
  • Period: 1400 to 1500

    Instrumental music

    Compositions basad on vocal music:instrumentalists, who usually accompanied vocal pieces, used these as a base for instrumental works. Compositions with improvasional feel: composers started to write down any brief improvide pieces that were of good musical quality. variations: it consisted of the exposition of a short musical theme followed by some variations on it.
  • Period: 1400 to 1500

    Renaissance Dances

    Pavane. with duple metre and slow tempo Galliard:with triple metre and a lively tempo Branle: with duple or quadruple metre and a moderate tempo sarabande. with triple metre and a slow tempo
  • Period: 1483 to 1546

    Martin Luther

    He was a german monk known for the starting of protestan reformation.
  • Period: 1544 to

    Maddalena Casulana

    She was the first woman to pubish her compositions in the history of Western music.
  • Period: 1548 to

    Tomás luis de Victoria

    He was a spanish composer that worked as an organist at the Convent of Las Descalzas Reales
  • Period: 1563 to

    John Dowland

    english composer and lutenist.he was one of the first composer to use melody dominated homophony.
  • Period: to

    Francesca Caccini

    She was a singer borned in Florencia, also Francesca played the harp, the lute and the harpsichord. She wrote five operas.
  • Period: to

    Opera

    Secular vocal form that aimed to revive classical greek theatre. In Italy the opera seria or dramatic opera, written in italian and based on mythology or heroic stories, was especially popular. After this, came the opera buffa or comic opera, written in vernacular. These operas sometimes criticised the wealthier social classes.
  • Period: to

    Baroque dance and ballet

    In the baroque period, dance in society was mainly courtly and refined, with precise, synchronised and choreographed movements that left no room for improvisation.
    Chaconne: appeared in spain with slow tempo and triple metre
    Ballet: appeared in france. This theatrical genre involved songs and dances performed by members of court dressed in luxurious costumes and masks.
  • Period: to

    Instrumental Music Part 2

    Fugue: One movment, based on the same musical idea, performed by different parts that started at different times, giving imitative counterpoint
    Suite: series of various dances with different character, rhytms and tempos, written for solist or for orchestra.
    Sonata: consisted of four movments, alterning between fast and slows tempos. It was written for a max of three instruments and always in basso continuo
    Concerto: Grosso: performed bay a group of soloists, concertino, dialogue with orchestra.
  • Period: to

    Religious Vocal Music

    New dramatic forms:
    The Cantata was originally secular, but the church used it to spread its teaching, using texts that worshipped God. It consisted of a secuence of recitatives, arias and choruses. The Oratorio was similar to opera, but with a religious plot, a narrator and a large choir. The passion was similar to oratorio, but related exclusively to the passion and death of christ, and it was inspired by the gospels.
  • Period: to

    Baroque Music

    Started with the appereance of opera in 1600 and ended with Johann Sebastian Bach´s death in 1750.
    Characteristics:
    It aimed to arouse emotions and make musical performances spectacular.
    It used contrasting elements and overelaborate melodies.
    Based on the diatonic scales.
    Insistent and mechanical rhythm with strong and repeated beats
    The predominant texture was melody-dominated homophony
  • Period: to

    Instrumental Music Part 1

    Became important thanks to technical developments in instuments and the work of great luthiers.
    Baroque Orchestra:Musicians came together to play in improvised groups.
    Basso Continuo: performde by the harpsichord, harp or organ.
    Strings:bowed strings, was the largest section and played the most important part.
    Wind: two groups: woodwind: flutes, oboes and bassons brass: constisted of a smalll number of
    trumpets
    Percussion: two kettledrums
  • Period: to

    Antonio Vivaldi

    Vivaldi was a composer and priest from Venice.He was the violin teacher at the conservatory of the orphange of pieta and he wrote operas, oratorios and over 450 concertos.
  • Period: to

    Music in the Classical Period

    The most important composers of this period are the Austrians F. J. Haydn and W. A. Mozart, and the German Ludwing Van Beethoven.
    Characteristics:
    It was balanced, clear and bright, without excesive ornamentation
    It aimed to find a musical language to express perfection and universal beauty
    It used musical forms with well defined structures
    It emphasised the melody, using short musical phrases thatwere symmetrical
    Use of a simple harmony with clear breaks
    Use of melody dominated homophony
  • Period: to

    Instrumental music

    There were technical improvements in making instruments. Three instruments became vital to the repertoire of the period: the clarinet, the piano and the french horn
  • Period: to

    Religious Vocal Music

    During this period was in gradual decline, although the baroque musical forms were still practised. The Requiem was a mass for the dead
  • Period: to

    Vocal Music

    The reform of the opera
    The plots were a closer reflection of the lives of the audience
    The music reflected the dramatic action and the characters
    The chorus became more relevant
    The orchestra grew and became more important
  • Period: to

    Opera Seria

    Was mainly represented by the germen composer C. W. Gluck.
    Tree-act structure, mythological or historical plots, simple arias and more expressive recitatives
  • Period: to

    Opera Buffa

    It used everyday situations for its plots, added some comedy or romance, and used a simple language.
    Mozart composed all types of operas, but he produced best examples of Opera Buffa.
  • Period: to

    Instrumental Forms

    Sonata was the most important in the Classical Period.
    Sonata form I ABA´
    Theme and Variations II AA1A2A3
    Minuet III ABA
    Rondo IV ABACA
    This musical forms has different names, depending on the ensembles:
    Sonata: performed by one or two soloist
    Trio, quartet, quintet, etc: composed for different chamber ensembles
    Symphony: performde by the orchestra
    Concerto: performed by a solist and the orchestra
  • Period: to

    Orchestra

    It adapted to the new instrumental forms. The harpshicord stopped being used, along with the basso continuo.It icorporated the clarinet, the french horn and the pianoand the number of instruments in the bowed strings section increased.It was necesary an Orchestra Conductor to coordinate everybody´s performance. New concert halls were builtto suit the new orcghestra ensembles
  • Period: to

    Classical Period in Spain

    In Spain this period coincided with the enlightened despotism of Carlos III and Carlos IV. Some composers like: Juan Crisótomo de Arriaga stands out of his early talent, his nickname was The Spanish Mozart, Fernando Sor, well known for his work with guitar. There was a clear italian influence, Vicente Martin y Soler wrote many operas in the italian style,he shared his librettist with Mozart and competed with him as a composer.
  • Period: to

    Music in the Romantic period

    Romantic music is characterised by:
    * Wanting to be free from Classical rules and express emotions
    * Aiming for virtuosity, mainly on the piano and the violin
    * Making the melogy an inmportant means of expression
    * Using a wider vocabulary on scores to show precise changes in dynamics, tempo and character
    * Usyng melody-dominated homophony with compex harmonies.
    *Appearing in small musical forms designed for smaller venues
    * Aiming for unity in the piece of music byusing resources
  • Period: to

    Instrumental music

    The majority of instrument used today in formal music were created, or perfected, in the 19th century
    Compositions for piano:
    * Short pieces for solo piano
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MsZYfU7_p8
    * Chamber music

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bSR4vkskCyk
    * Longer works

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HtJFr4u23q4
  • Period: to

    Symphonic music

  • Period: to

    Vocal music

    Opera
    * Italy
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEhh6wz1p_s
    * France
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNkJXRGa5Rw
    *German
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtWFAo3eX8E
    Zarzuela
    https://gruposmedia.com/cartelera/zarzuela-la-verbena-de-la-paloma/
    Lied
    The German word Lied (in plural Lieder) means "song". The Romantic lied is a poem set to simple music, acconpanied by the piano, which aims to reinforce the contents of the text. It was developec by the German composers Schubert and Schumann, among others
  • Period: to

    Musical nationalism

  • Period: to

    Romantic dance and ballet

  • Period: to

    Impressionism

    This art movement started with paintings tht attempted to capture reality in a subjective way, moving away from a realistic style. Claude Debussy.
    Musical atmospheres inspired by nature or unusual things
    Scales that evoked oriental music, like the pentatonic scale
    Imprecise melodic lines and a free, irregular rhythm
    Timbres of different instruments overlapping each other, forming a sound collage
  • Period: to

    Neoclassicism

    It aimed for a return to Classical aesthetics, but with armonic dissonaces and an irregular rhythm.
    Its objective was to create pleasant music
    It used tonal scales , simple melodies and clear structures
    was based on Classical musical forms
    Was compòsed for small instrumental ensembles
  • Period: to

    Minimal music

    Aimed to create a simple, direct music with minimak resources.
    It brought back tonality
    Used simple musical structures, clear melodies and textures
    Short, constantly-repeated musical phrases
    Ostinatos, imitation and emphatic beat.
  • Period: to

    20th music

    Numerous conceptions, all of them revolutionary, appeared about what was or wasn t music. There had never been so many musical movements at the same time, they also shared some aspects.
    Pursuing novelty, experimentation and originality
    Searching for a new musical language that broke away from previous concepsts of tone, rhythm and timbre
    Exploring different ways pf representing music
    Using new computer and instrumental resources
  • Period: to

    Expressionism

    Started as movement initially in painting.
    The main theme was people and their inner life, from a pessimistic point of view.
    It used strong rhythm
    Compositions were designed for small chamber ensembles
    In some compositions, the melodic line was lost in favour of a type of recitative singing, Sprechgesang, a vocal technique that was halfway between talking and singing
    It included strong dissonances to create tension
    It used atonality and the twelve-tone technique
  • Period: to

    20th music in Spain

    Spanish musicians soon started to accept the new avnt-garde trendscoming from Europe. As aresult of this the Generación del 27 movement appeared, their innovate work ended with the spanih civil war
    In the 50s Spain started to become less isolated an exchange ideas with the outside world more and more frequently. This is when the Generación del 51 appeared. they aimed to make up for the time los after the war by creating more modern mudic and joining the avant-garde movements like atonality.
  • Period: to

    Aleatoric Music

    Was based on chance and the ability of the performers to improvise.
    Each piece was unrepeteable
  • Period: to

    Musique Concrete

    Used sounds from their surrondings and then modified them with the latest technology.
  • Period: to

    Electronic and electroacoustic music

    Was produced entirely in a recording studio, using only sounds generated electronically. electroacousted music combined the real sounds of musique concrete with other electronically-generated sounds