Periods of Music History

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Periods of Music History

• Descriptions, composers, listening examples.

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Medieval Period

• 500-1400
• Music written during the middle ages. Medieval
  music was both sacred and secular. During the
  earlier medieval period, the liturgical genre,
  predominantly Gregorian chant, was monophonic.
  Polyphonic genres began to develop during the
  high medieval era, becoming prevalent by the
  later 13th and early 14th century.
• Monophonic- just a melody
• Polyphonic- 2 or more independent melodic voices.

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Gregorian Chant
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Renaissance Period

• 1400-1600
• The main characteristics of Renaissance music
  are
• Music based on modes.
• Richer texture in four of more parts.
• Blending rather then contrasting strands in the
  musical texture
• Harmony with a greater concern with the flow and
  progression of chords.
• Polyphony is one of the notable changes that mark
  the Renaissance from the Middle Ages musically.
• Composers Byrd, Gabrieli,

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O Magnum Mysterium

• Giovanni Gabrieli

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Baroque Period

• 1600-1750
• Baroque composers were experimenting with new
  ways of creating sound by creating highly
  ornamented compositions.
• Composers Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Telemann, and
  Tartini.

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Messiah- Halleluia ChorusBy Handel
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Classical Period

• 1750 -1820
• Classical music focused on balance, proportion,
  and order. Compared to Baroque music the
  Classical period was very tame and structured.
• Composers Beethoven, Mozart, Haydn, Gluck.

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The Marriage of FigaroBy Mozart
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Romantic Period

• 1820-1910
• Romantic period composers were experimenting with
  human expression, sentimentality, and the power
  of the individual. Harmonic tonalities and
  musical forms expanded, and virtuosos began to
  take the limelight.
• Composers Chopin, Schubert, Debussy,
  Saint-Saens, Brahms, Schumann, Tchaikovsky,
  Mahler, Grieg, Bizet.

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• Clair de lune
• By Debussy

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Modern Period

• Music written after 1910
• Smaller ensembles, and less emotionally charged
  music became the norm for these composers. The
  music poses intellectual and challenging
  harmonies and melodies. Composers experimented
  with extended instrument techniques such as key
  clicks and multiphonics
• Composers Copland, Poulenc, Berio, Gershwin,
  Stravingsky, Williams, Prokofiev

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Rhapsody in BlueBy Gershwin
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Gloria in excelsis DeoBy Poulenc