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Period: 200 BCE to 99
Epitafio de Seikilos
The Epitaph of Seikilos is an ancient Greek tombstone inscription from the 1st century CE, featuring one of the oldest complete musical compositions. It conveys a poignant message about the fleeting nature of life, encouraging enjoyment while one can. -
Period: 680 to 730
Gregorian chant
Gregorian chant is a style of liturgical vocal music of the Catholic Church, characterized by its monophonic melody and a cappella texture. It originated in medieval Europe and is associated with Pope Gregory I. -
Period: 991 to 1033
Guido d'Arezzo
Guido d'Arezzo was an Italian music theorist and Benedictine monk active in the 11th century. He is best known for developing a system of musical notation that laid the groundwork for modern music notation, including the use of staff lines and the solfège system (do, re, mi). His influential treatise, "Micrologus," also introduced concepts of pitch and intervals, significantly shaping the study of music -
Period: 1098 to Sep 17, 1179
Hildegard von Bingen
Hildegard von Bingen was a 12th-century German Benedictine abbess, composer, writer, and mystic. She is celebrated for her plainchant compositions and theological writings, making her one of the first known female composers in Western music. -
Period: 1130 to 1190
Bernat de Ventadorn
Bernat de Ventadorn was a 12th-century troubadour from the Occitan region of France, known for his significant contributions to courtly love poetry and music was a 12th-century troubadour from the Occitan region of France, known for his significant contributions to courtly love poetry and music -
Period: 1150 to 1201
Lénonin
Léonin, active in the 12th century, was a prominent composer and music theorist in the Notre Dame school of Paris. He is known for being one of the first to develop organum, a style of polyphony, and his most famous work is "Viderunt omnes," which showcases his innovative approach to musical texture and harmony -
Period: 1155 to 1200
Perotin
Pérotin, active in the late 12th and early 13th centuries, was a prominent composer of polyphonic music and a key figure in the Notre Dame school of organum. He is best known for his innovative use of harmony and rhythm, particularly in works like "Viderunt omnes," which exemplify the development of early polyphony. -
Period: 1160 to 1260
Ars antiqua (Notre dame)
Ars antiqua is a term referring to the music of Europe between the 12th and 14th centuries, characterized by the development of polyphony and the use of more complex musical notation. This period laid the groundwork for Renaissance music -
Period: Nov 23, 1221 to Apr 4, 1284
Alfonso X
Alfonso X, known as Alfonso the Wise, was a 13th-century king of Castile, León, and Galicia, recognized for his contributions to literature, science, and music. -
Period: 1260 to 1320
Ars antiqua (Postrior period)
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Period: 1300 to 1377
Guillaume de Machaut
Guillaume de Machaut was a 14th-century French composer and poet, notable for his contributions to polyphony and his famous "Mass of Our Lady." He is a key figure in the Ars Nova movement, often exploring themes of love and chivalry in his work. -
Period: 1322 to 1400
Ars nova
Ars nova is a musical style that emerged in the 14th century, characterized by greater rhythmic complexity and the use of innovative notational techniques. It marked a shift towards more expressive and intricate compositions, paving the way for the Renaissance. -
Period: 1325 to 1397
Francesco Landini
Francesco Landini was a 14th-century Italian composer, poet, and organist, recognized as a key figure of the Italian Trecento. He is best known for his ballate and influential secular and sacred music, and he was notable for being blind from a young age. -
Period: Jan 1, 1400 to Jan 1, 1468
Johaness Gutenberg
Johannes Gutenberg was born around 1400 in Mainz, Germany, and died in 1468. He is best known for inventing the movable type printing press in Europe, which revolutionized book production and facilitated the spread of knowledge. His most famous work is the Gutenberg Bible, printed in 1455. -
Period: Jul 12, 1468 to 1529
Juan del Encina
Juan del Encina was a Spanish composer, poet, and playwright, born on July 12, 1468, and died in 1529 or 1530. He is considered one of the fathers of Spanish theater and a prominent Renaissance musician. His musical work includes villancicos and romances, and he is known for serving as a chapel master in the court of the Duke of Alba. His eclogues also marked the beginning of Renaissance theater in Spain. -
Period: Nov 10, 1483 to Feb 18, 1546
Martín Luther
Martin Luther was a German theologian, born on November 10, 1483, and died on February 18, 1546. He is known for starting the Protestant Reformation in 1517 by publishing his 95 Theses, which criticized the Catholic Church, particularly the sale of indulgences. His work profoundly changed Christianity in Europe. -
Period: 1500 to 1553
Cristóbal de Morales
Cristóbal de Morales, a prominent Spanish composer of the Renaissance, was born around 1500 in Seville and died in 1553, likely in Málaga. He was one of the leading exponents of sacred music and Renaissance polyphony. -
Period: Jan 1, 1510 to Jan 1, 1566
Antonio de Cabezón
Antonio de Cabezón was a Spanish composer and organist, born in 1510 in Cabezón de la Sal, Cantabria. He died in 1566. He is known for his keyboard works and contributions to Renaissance music, particularly in the realm of organ music and variations. -
Period: Jan 1, 1525 to
Giovanni de Pierlugi da Palestrina
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian composer of the Renaissance, born in 1525 and died in 1594. He is renowned for his sacred music and his polyphonic style, which greatly influenced Catholic liturgical music. -
Period: 1532 to
Orlando di Lasso
Orlando di Lasso was a major Franco-Flemish composer of the Renaissance, born in 1532 in Mons (Belgium) and died on June 14, 1594, in Munich. He was renowned for his choral compositions, both sacred and secular. -
Period: 1532 to
Andrea Gabrieli
Andrea Gabrieli was an Italian composer and organist, born around 1532 and died on August 30, 1585. He is known for his instrumental and vocal music and was a leading figure of the Venetian School. He served as an organist at St. Mark's Basilica in Venice and had a significant influence on choral music and the development of the polychoral style. -
Period: 1544 to
Macddalena Casulana
Maddalena Casulana was an Italian composer, singer, and lutenist from the Renaissance, born around 1544 and died in 1590. She is known for being the first woman in Western music history to have her compositions published, with her book of madrigals printed in 1568. Her work challenged the gender norms of her time, and her music is notable for its refined polyphonic style. Casulana paved the way for more women to engage in professional music. -
Period: 1548 to
Tomás Luis de Victoria
Tomás Luis de Victoria was a prominent Spanish composer of sacred music from the Renaissance. He was born in 1548 in Ávila and died on August 27, 1611, in Madrid. He is known for his emotional and spiritual liturgical music. -
Period: 1557 to
Giovanni Gabrieli
Giovanni Gabrieli was an Italian composer and organist, born in 1557 and died on August 12, 1612. Nephew of Andrea Gabrieli, he is one of the most influential composers of the Venetian style, known for his polychoral compositions and innovations in instrumental music. He worked as an organist at St. Mark's Basilica and contributed to the development of ensemble music, including the use of choirs and instrumental groups placed in separate spaces to create unique acoustic effects. -
Period: Mar 8, 1566 to
Carlos Gesualdo
Carlo Gesualdo was an Italian composer and nobleman, born on March 8, 1566, and died on September 8, 1613. He is renowned for his madrigals and sacred music, which are notable for their advanced and unconventional use of dissonance and chromaticism for the time. He is also infamous for having murdered his wife and her lover. -
Period: 1567 to
Claudio Monteverdi
Claudio Monteverdi was an Italian composer of the Renaissance and Baroque periods, born on May 15, 1567, and died on November 29, 1643. He is known for being one of the pioneers of opera and for his crucial role in the transition from Renaissance to Baroque music. Monteverdi composed several operas, with L'Orfeo (1607) being one of the most influential and recognized in the history of opera. -
Period: to
Giulii Carissimi
Giulio Carissimi was an Italian composer of the Baroque period, born around 1605 and died on January 12, 1674. He is primarily known for his sacred music, particularly his oratorios and motets. Carissimi is regarded as one of the pioneers in the development of the oratorio as a musical form, with notable works such as Jephte and Dulcissimo Nido. His style is characterized by its dramatic use of text, melodic clarity, and innovation in emotional expression, influencing many later composers. -
Period: to
Antonio Stradivari
Antonio Stradivari was a renowned Italian violin maker, born in Cremona, Italy, in 1644 and died in 1737. He is considered one of the greatest luthiers in history, known for the exceptional quality of his string instruments, particularly violins, violas, and cellos. His violins, commonly known as "Stradivarius," are highly valued for their sound and craftsmanship, and have become collector's items, sometimes selling for millions of dollars. -
Period: to
Henry Purcell
Henry Purcell was an English composer of the Baroque period, born on September 10, 1659, and died on November 21, 1695. He is considered one of England's greatest composers and is known for his vocal, instrumental, and operatic works. His music encompasses a variety of genres, including operas, chamber music, songs, and sacred music. Among his most notable works are the opera Dido and Aeneas and Abdelazar, as well as numerous songs. -
Period: to
Antonio Vivaldi
Antonio Vivaldi was an Italian composer, violinist, and priest, born on March 4, 1678, and died on July 28, 1741. He is best known for his violin concertos, particularly The Four Seasons, which are considered some of the most important works of the Baroque repertoire. Vivaldi was a pioneer in the development of the concerto as a musical form and had a significant impact on the music of his time. Throughout his life, he composed over 500 concertos, as well as operas and sacred music. -
Period: to
Barbara Strozzi
Barbara Strozzi was an Italian composer and singer of the Baroque period, born in 1619 and died in 1677. She is regarded as one of the most prominent composers of her time, known for her prolific output of vocal music, including songs, cantatas, and operas. Strozzi was one of the few women of her era to gain professional recognition in the musical field, and her works are noted for their emotional expressiveness and advanced vocal technique. -
Period: to
Georg Philippe Teleman
Georg Philipp Telemann was a German composer of the Baroque period, born on March 14, 1681, and died on June 25, 1767. He is known for his vast musical output, which includes over 3,000 works in a wide variety of genres, such as operas, oratorios, chamber music, and concertos. Telemann was an innovative and prolific composer, influencing the development of instrumental and vocal music of his time. -
Period: to
Georg Friedrich Händel
Georg Friedrich Händel was a German-born composer who became a British citizen, born on February 23, 1685, and died on April 14, 1759. He is known for his operas, oratorios, and concertos, and is one of the most prominent composers of the Baroque period. His most famous work, Messiah, is an oratorio that has become a classic of choral music. Händel also excelled in instrumental music, and his Concerti Grossi are widely recognized. -
Period: to
Johann Sebastián Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer and organist, born on March 31, 1685, and died on July 28, 1750. Considered one of the greatest composers in the history of music, his work spans a wide variety of genres, including cantatas, concertos, suites, and chamber music. Among his most famous works are the Brandenburg Concertos, The Art of Fugue, and The Well-Tempered Clavi.