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1400
Medieval Period: 1150-1400
Major composers included Moniot d'Arrras, Guillaume de Machaut, and Perotinus Magister. The harp was the most popular musical instrument and a psaltery is a musical instrument that is a cross between a harp and lyre. During the 1200s, the creation of geisslerlieder songs began. The practice of this music was in the hope that the spread of disease and war would end
Between 1150-1250, the Notre Dame school began the start of polyphony music. -
Renaissance Period: 1400-1600
Major composers included Josquin des Prez, Giovanni Palestrina, and Thomas Tallis. Renaissance music focused more on the vocals and included more instruments. The madrigal emerged which was the vocal composition consisted of more than one voice. Between 1500-1540, composers Adrian Willaert and Jacob Arcadelt helped to develop the earliest Italian madrigals. During 1517, protestant reformation sparked by Martin Luther King. Due to this, church music received a dramatic change. -
Baroque Period: 1600-1750
Major composers included Arcangelo Corelli, Antonio Vivaldi, and Alessandro Scarlatti. The word "baroque" used to be referred to as a negative term, since the Portuguese word meant, "irregularly-shaped pearl." The Baroque style of music became a symbol of wealth and power. During 1650, musicians began to improvise such as the formation of bass incorporated with the keyboard. During 1700, Italian opera became more popular and Arcangelo, a composer and violinist, became well known for his work. -
Classical Period: 1750-1830
Major composers included Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Salieri, and Muzio Clementi. Classical music consisted primarily of just a single melody as opposed to the polyphonic style. The sonata form was established, which is 3 clearly defined sections which are a intro, contrasting second verse, and finally a return to the intro. During 1752, Muzio Clementi was born and in 1764 Mozart wrote his first symphony. During 1781, Mozart moved to Vienna where some of his best work was produced. -
Early Romantic Period: 1830-1860
Major composers included Franz Schubert, Franz Liszt, and Frederic Chopin. The word leid, German for song, refers to pieces of music that contain a single voice or a pianist. A overture is a piece of orchestral music which introduces a larger-scale work. During 1832, Frederic Chopin performed his Piano Concerto in F Minor in Paris and in 1838, music was published in braille notation. Lastly, during 1856 Henry Engelhard Steinway created his first grand piano. -
Late Romantic Period: 1860-1920
Major composers included Johannes Brahms, Richard Wagner, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. During this time period, there was a dramatic contrast between dynamics and the pitch of a song. Melodies resulted in a huge impact on songs and added many chromatic harmonies and discords. Music told a story rather than just focusing on the melody. During 1867, the first female American composer was born and in 1875 the opera, "Carmen" was performed in Paris. -
Post 'Great War' Years Period: 1920-2018
Major composers included Maurice Ravel, Alban Berg, and Ralph Vaughan Williams. At the start of World War I, many talented composers died. One being Paul Wittgenstein who suffered through several physical and emotion experiences. Ravel did not weigh enough to serve in the military, so he became a truck driver and transported supplies to the French lines. In 1929, Wittgenstein lost his right arm fighting in battle, so Ravel decided to write a song for him since he could no longer.
