Western Classical Music and its Principal Eras

Western classical music and its principal eras

Music has come a long way with different regions ascertaining their methods, theories and of course, the instruments. The history of classical music really started in the late Middle Ages. Derived from Latin, “Classical Music” meant First class or artistry of the highest order. It spans 800 years and incorporates a varied range of musical styles.

All through the history of Western classical music, there have been two strands of evolution that have evolved concurrently, generally distinctive from one another — Church music and Secular music. For example, Gregorian Chants, Carols, Masses, and Requiems are examples of Church music, whilst sonatas, concertos, symphonies, and opera are elements of secular music. Both religious and secular music influenced one another as they evolved and tailored to man's ideological development throughout history.

Classical music up till now can roughly be divided into 6 main eras namely - Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th-21st century 

 MEDIEVAL ERA (1150-1400)

It covers 900 years and is the longest period of music. It encompasses the time period from the end of the Western Roman Empire to the commencement of the Renaissance. the introduction of harmony began in the Medieval period. Four of the most important composers from the Medieval Period were Hildegard von Bingen, Leonin, Perotin, and Guillaume de Machaut.

The vast majority of mediaeval music was monophonic, meaning that just one melodic line was used.
Polyphonic music (more than one melody line played at the same time) was a key movement at the end of the century that laid the foundations for Renaissance musical forms.

 

 Instruments of the medieval period

Wooden flute

Vielle

 

Harp

Bagpipes

 

 

RENAISSANCE ERA (1400-1600)

The Renaissance was a golden age for choir composition, particularly acapella.  Composers began to shift away from the modal system of harmony and toward the arrangement of major and minor scales in the second part of the Renaissance era, which had a significant impact.

Religious music flourished throughout the Renaissance, with new genres such as masses, anthems, psalms, and motets emerging. Notable composers of the Renaissance include William Byrd, John Dowland, Orlando Gibbons, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, and Thomas Tallis.

 

Instruments of the Renaissance period

Viol da gamba

 

 

Harpsichord 

Regal

Lute

 

 

 

 

 

BAROQUE ERA (1600-1750)

Expanding upon the end of the Renaissance period, the Baroque period witnessed the invention of composing music in a specific key. The Baroque period, however, is famed for its intricate harmonies and complicated pieces. Nonetheless, this time period provided the foundation for the following 300 years of musical history. The idea of the modern orchestra was born, along with opera, the concerto, sonata, and cantata. 

Early Baroque composers included Claudio Monteverdi, Alessandro Scarlatti, while later Baroque composers included Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frederick Handel, Dominico Scarlatti, and Antonio Vivaldi. 

As instrumental pieces became more prominent, individual instruments advanced drastically. 

Oboe

 

Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass

 CLASSICAL ERA (1750-1820)

During the Classical period, the Baroque period was expanded upon, with the inclusion of a highly important new song form: the sonata. The concerto, symphony, sonata, trio, and quartet were all developed during this time period. Orchestras grew in size, range, and power, and instruments had a lighter, more visible texture than in Baroque music, making it easier to understand. The Classical period is well recognised for its obsession with musical structure clarity.

Notable composers from the Classical period include musical giants Joseph Haydn, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Schubert, and of course, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Though this period didn’t add any majorly new instrumentation, the harpsichord was officially replaced with the piano (or fortepiano). 

 

ROMANTIC ERA (1820 – 1900)

The Romantic era was the golden age of the virtuoso, where the most difficult music would be performed with nonchalant ease. This period took Classical music and added overwhelming amounts of emotion and expressiveness, as one might expect from the word "romantic." Composers gradually let go heavily structured compositions in favour of drama and passion as the century progressed. Instrumentation became ever more prominent, and orchestras grew in size to unprecedented levels. Composers tried out new instrumentation combinations and reached new boundaries in harmony as they experimented in new ways. Concerts and operas were relocated from the exclusive domain of monarchy and wealth to the hands of the urban middle class, where they could be enjoyed by all.

This era produced some of music’s most adored composers, including  Frederic Chopin,  Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, Johannes Brahms, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The very end of the Romantic period also brought about composers Gustav Mahler, Richard Strauss, Jean Sibelius, Sergei Rachmaninoff.

 

 

20TH AND 21ST CENTURY

20th-century classical music describes art music that was written nominally from 1901 to 2000, inclusive. Aleatory, atonality, serialism, musique concrète, electronic music, and concept music were all developed during the century. Harmonies became more dissonant and new chord structures were used. Composers were less interested in tonality; others completely discarded it. Rhythms were expanded and melodies had wider leaps, making music unpredictable.

Prolific composers in this period include Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, Dmitri Shostakovich, Claude Debussy, Arnold Schoenberg, Hans Zimmer, Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.

Classical music has made great strides, and a large number of composers have contributed to its current state. Perhaps the most important lesson we've learned is that classical music is ageless. We still go back to the beginning now and again to recall the wonderful music that so many individuals created. We are grateful for their dedication, the wonder they have bestowed upon us, and the gift of classical music that never ceases to give!