Music History Timeline

By carolinebrubaker
  • Period: 300 to 1400

    Medieval Period

    A period that began in Europe with the end of the Roman ages. It is known for slower economic and scientific development, increased religious conflict, and the spread of the bubonic plague.
  • Period: 991 to 1033

    Guido of Arezzo's formulation of the Solmization System

    A set of syllables proposed by 11th century monk Guido of Arezzo to help singers remember the pattern of whole tones and semitones
  • Period: 1098 to 1179

    Hildegard of Bingen

    -The most prolific European composer before 1500
    -Founded a convent near Bingen, Germany
    -Set poetry to her own chant melodies rather than using preexisting melodies
  • 1322

    Ars Nova Treatise

    The Ars Nova Treatise had important innovations in notating rhythm, providing the earliest examples of isorhythm.
  • Period: 1400 to

    Renaissance Period

    A period of great change for European culture, literature, art, and music.
  • 1529

    Martin Luther Chorale 𝘌𝘪𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘳𝘨

    Martin Luther wrote many texts and some melodies for Lutheran church music. "A mighty fortress is our God" is the best known.
  • 1538

    Arcadelt Madrigal 𝘐𝘭 𝘣𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘰 𝘦 𝘥𝘰𝘭𝘤𝘦 𝘤𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘰

    Arcadelt was a composer known for using themes of sex/death. He used extreme chromaticism and word painting to express emotions of a text.
  • 1567

    Palestrina 𝘗𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘴

    This work demonstrated that words could be intelligible in polyphonic music with 6 voices. Palestrina is known for saving polyphony from the Council of Trent.

  • Victoria 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴𝘢 𝘖 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘯𝘶𝘮 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘶𝘮

    This is a parody imitation mass based on Victoria's own motet, which this Spanish composer was known for composing.
  • Period: to

    Baroque Period

  • Monteverdi's 𝘓’𝘖𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘰

  • First Public Concerts in England

  • Period: to

    JS Bach

  • Period: to

    Viennese Classical Period

  • Antonio Vivaldi's 𝘓’𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘰

    Significance: Vivaldi wrote on commission and earned money through publications. 𝘓’𝘌𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰 𝘈𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘰 is one of the many concertos published with a fanciful name, in part to attract buyers.

  • Rameau's 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵é 𝘥𝘦 𝘭’𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘦

    Significance: 𝘛𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘵é 𝘥𝘦 𝘭’𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘦 quickly won Rameau renown as a theorist after settling in Paris to seek better opportunities.

  • Bach 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭-𝘛𝘦𝘮𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘊𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘳 volume 1

    Significance: This is a collection of 48 preludes and fugues in all major and minor keys to be played on different types of keyboard instruments.
  • Period: to

    Franz Joseph Haydn

  • Handel's 𝘔𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘢𝘩

  • Period: to

    WA Mozart

  • Period: to

    Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges as director of Concerts des Amateurs

    Known by US president John Adams as "the most accomplished man in Europe," Saint-Georges directed one of the finest orchestras in Europe.

  • Mozart's 𝘋𝘰𝘯 𝘎𝘪𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪

  • Haydn's Symphony No. 94 "Surprise"