Music

SEIKILOS EPITAPH

100 BCE

The SeiKilos epitaph is an Ancient Greek inscription that preserves the oldest surviving complete musical composition, including musical notation. Commonly dated between the 1st and 2nd century AD.

GUIDO D´AREDZZO

991

Guido of Arezzo (Italian: Guido d'Arezzo; (991–992 – after 1033) was an Italian music theorist and pedagogue of High medieval music. A Benedictine monk, he is regarded as the inventor or by some, developer of the modern staff notation that had a massive influence on the development of Western musical notation and practice.

GREGORIAN CHANT

1000

Gregorian chant is the central tradition of Western plainchant, a form of monophonic, unaccompanied sacred song in Latin (and occasionally Greek) of the Roman Catholic Church. Gregorian chant developed mainly in western and central Europe during the 9th and 10th centuries, with later additions and redactions.

HILDEGAD VON BINGEN

1098

Hildegard of Bingen, (1098 – 17 September 1179), also known as the Sibyl of the Rhine, was a German Benedictine abbess and polymath active as a writer, composer, philosopher, mystic, visionary, and as a medical writer and practitioner during the High Middle Ages.

BERNART DE VENTADORN

1129

Bernart de Ventadorn (also Bernard de Ventadour or Bernat del Ventadorn; c. 1130–1140 – c. 1190–1200) was a French poet-composer troubadour of the classical age of troubadour poetry

LEONIN

1135

Léonin (also Leoninus, Leonius, Leo; (1135s–1201) was the first known significant composer of polyphonic organum. He was probably French, probably lived and worked in Paris at the Notre-Dame Cathedral and was the earliest member of the Notre Dame school of polyphony and the ars antiqua style who is known by name.

ARS ANTIQUA

1170

Ars antiqua, is a term used by modern scholars to refer to the Medieval music of Europe during the High Middle Ages, between approximately 1170 and 1310. This covers the period of the Notre-Dame school of polyphony and the subsequent years which saw the early development of the motet, a highly varied choral musical composition. Usually the term ars antiqua is restricted to sacred or polyphonic music, excluding the secular monophonic songs of the troubadours, and trouvères.

PEROTIN

1200

Pérotin, (1200) was a composer associated with the Notre Dame school of polyphony in Paris and the broader ars antiqua musical style of high medieval music. He is credited with developing the polyphonic practices of his predecessor Léonin, with the introduction of three and four-part harmonies.

ALFONSO X EL SABIO

Nov 23, 1221

Alfonso X (also known as the Wise, Spanish: el Sabio; 23 November 1221 – 4 April 1284) was King of Castile, León and Galicia from 1 June 1252 until his death in 1284. During the election of 1257, a dissident faction chose him to be king of Germany on 1 April. He renounced his claim to Germany in 1275, and in creating an alliance with the Kingdom of England in 1254, his claim on the Duchy of Gascony as well

GUILLAUME DE MACHAUT

1300

Guillaume de Machaut, (1300 – April 1377) was a French composer and poet who was the central figure of the ars nova style in late medieval music

ARS NOVA

1310

Ars nova (Latin for new art),refers to a musical style which flourished in the Kingdom of France and its surroundings during the Late Middle Ages. More particularly, it refers to the period between the preparation of the Roman de Fauvel (1310s) and the death of composer Guillaume de Machaut in 1377. The term is sometimes used more generally to refer to all European polyphonic music of the fourteenth century

FRANCESCO LANDINI

1324

Francesco Landini (1325 or 1335 – 2 September 1397); was an Italian composer, poet, organist, singer and instrument maker who was a central figure of the Trecento style in late Medieval music. One of the most revered composers of the second half of the 14th century, he was by far the most famous composer in Italy.

Johannes Gutenberg (c. 1400–1468)

1400

A German inventor known for developing the movable-type printing press in Europe, revolutionizing the dissemination of knowledge. His invention enabled mass production of books, which greatly expanded access to information, including music, by making music scores more widely available.

Juan del Encina

1468

A Spanish composer and poet of the Renaissance, one of the earliest significant figures in the development of Spanish secular music. He is credited with pioneering musical theater in Spain and wrote villancicos and églogas, reflecting popular life and the vernacular.

Martin Luther

1483

A German theologian and central figure in the Protestant Reformation. Luther not only changed the course of religious history but also impacted music by promoting the use of vernacular hymns in church services, encouraging the active participation of congregations in singing.

Cristóbal de Morales

1500

A Spanish composer of the Renaissance, especially noted for his sacred music, particularly in the realm of vocal polyphony. His works had a significant influence on the music of the Spanish court and the development of sacred music in Europe.

Andrea Gabrieli

1510

An Italian composer and organist from the Renaissance, part of the Venetian school of music. He was a forerunner of Baroque music, particularly in sacred music and vocal polyphony, influencing the development of the musical style that would emerge in the early Baroque period.

ANTONIO DE CABEZÓN

1510

A Spanish composer and organist of the Renaissance, recognized as one of the most important musicians of his time. Cabezón was one of the first to compose music for the keyboard, and his works include both sacred and secular music, as well as virtuoso keyboard pieces.

GIOVANNI PIERLUIGI DA PALESTRINA

1525

An Italian composer of the Renaissance, considered one of the greatest masters of sacred music. His style, characterized by vocal clarity and counterpoint, had a significant impact on liturgical music and helped solidify the role of polyphony in the Catholic Church.

ORLANDO DI LASSO

1532

A Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance, known for his prolific output and mastery of polyphonic style. Di Lasso composed sacred music, madrigals, and motets, and his works are recognized for their emotional depth and complex textures.

Tomás Luis de Victoria

1548

A Spanish composer and priest of the Renaissance, renowned for his sacred music. His works, marked by emotional depth and clarity of vocal texture, are considered among the finest in the genre of Catholic liturgical music.

Giovanni Gabrieli

1557

An Italian composer and organist, nephew of Andrea Gabrieli, known for his contribution to the development of Baroque music. He was influential in the evolution of music for multiple ensembles and the use of spatial effects in music, anticipating the musical style of the Baroque period.

Carlo Gesualdo

1566

An Italian composer of the late Renaissance and early Baroque, famous for his intense, emotionally charged madrigals and his bold harmonic choices. His works often feature dissonances and abrupt shifts in harmony, making him a precursor to the later Baroque style.

Barbara Strozzi

1619

Italian composer and singer, one of the most prominent figures in Baroque music, especially in secular vocal music. Her works include over 100 compositions, mostly cantatas and arias.

Antonio Vivaldi

1678

Italian composer and violinist of the Baroque period, best known for his work The Four Seasons, a set of violin concertos. He was one of the greatest composers of instrumental music and an innovator in the concerto form.

Georg Friedrich Händel

1685

German-British composer, famous for his oratorios such as Messiah and his operatic works. His music, which ranges from opera to instrumental music and oratorios, had a great influence on Baroque music and the transition to the Classical style.

Johann Sebastian Bach

1685

German composer and musician, considered one of the greatest geniuses in classical music. His works include Mass in B minor, The Art of Fugue, and the Brandenburg Concertos. His music spans all genres, and his mastery of counterpoint sets him apart.