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Period: 1150 to 1400
Medieval
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Period: 1150 to 1250
Development of the Motet
A motet is a short, sacred, choral song. -
1179
Hildegard von Bingen Dies
She wrote many liturgical songs, which pushed the boundaries of traditional Gregorian Chant. -
1370
Guillaume de Machaut Dies
He was one of the first to compose non-secular pieces. -
Period: 1400 to
Renaissance
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1453
John Dunstable Dies
He had a big influence on the development of music through his creation of chords with triads, which became known as the Burgundian School: la countenance angloise.The countenance angloise, or "English manner," which was his stylistic trait of using full triadic harmony. It is a distinctive style of polyphony. -
1465
Sheet Music Started Being Published
The earliest example was a set of liturgical chants in the 15th century. This would bring us a crucial step forward to the popular music we have today coming about later in the 19th century. -
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina Dies
Palestrina was a prolific composer of masses, motets, madrigals and offertories. -
Period: to
Baroque
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William Byrd Dies
He helped the development of Anglican church music, and also secular vocal music with his use of Tudor consort and keyboard fantasia. -
Henry Purcell Dies
He wrote for theatre and England’s first opera. -
Bach Dies
Bach brought Baroque music to its pinnacle of musical maturity. -
Period: to
Classical
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George Frederick Handel Dies
German-born composer who spent a lot of time in England. He wrote operas and oratorios. -
Mozart Dies
Composing from the age of 6, Mozart’s repertoire varied from light waltzes and dances to the spiritual elevating choral music of Missa Brevis and Mass in C minor. He composed over 600 pieces, including symphonies, operas, concertos and chamber music. -
The Harmonica was Invented
It was invented by Friedrich Buschmann. -
Beethoven Dies
He was known for his improvisation and very expressive music. He began his career by playing at parties attended by wealthy people. Beethoven's fame grew by the 1800s. -
Franz Schubert Dies
He bridged the classical and romantic periods. He was one of the few composers to evoke the spirit of Mozart, especially in his work – Symphony number 5. Schubert composed symphonies, sacred music, operas and piano music. He was also a great composer of secular vocal songs. -
Period: to
Early Romantic
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Frederic Chopin Dies
Chopin is the most influential composer for the piano, becoming a staple for all piano students. -
Folk Music Became Popular
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Period: to
Late Romantic
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Sheet Music Starts Being Published on Larger Scale
Sheet music for the piano becomes a popular source of entertainment in America. Families would gather during celebrations and let their children play their piano pieces. Just as music sheets were transcribed for symphonies and orchestras, sheet music for popular songs became a phenomenon throughout the country. -
Period: to
Post 'Great War' Years
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Popularity for Jazz Was on the Rise
Was known to be “daring” and even “shocking” for many. It developed by Black musicians in the mid-west, south, and east. This, together with the “blues,” another African-derived art form, helped transform music. -
George Gershwin Dies
An American composer who combined both classical and popular music. -
Pop and The Blues Started to Merge
what was considered to be "pop" from the whites started being combined from what was considered to be "Race Music" (Jazz and Rhythm and Blues) which resulted in Rock and Roll -
Igor Stravinsky Dies
He was an influential composer for his development of neo-classical styles. He also wrote ballets. -
The King of Rock and Roll Dies
Elvis Presley had a sound and style that uniquely combined his diverse musical influences and blurred and challenged the social and racial barriers of the time. He ushered in a whole new era of American music and popular culture. -
The King of Pop Dies
Michael Jackson. To this day, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who isn’t blown away by his performances. From his movie-like music videos to his unfathomable dance moves to his lyrics and his sound, everything Michael Jackson did musically set the bar for a new standard.
