Classical Music Notes

Historical Periods

• 500 to 1400: Medieval: religious music; Gregorian chants, et cetera; Leonin and Perotin
• 1400 to 1600: Renaissance: some secular music, madrigals, art songs; Byred, Monteverdi
• 1600 to 1760: Baroque: Purcell Vivaldi, Bach, Handel
• 1730 to 1820: Classical: Mozart, Haydn, early Beethoven
• 1815 to 1910: Romantic: Schubert (early romantic), Chopin, Schumann, Wagner, Verdi, Strauss; late Romantic: Brahms, Mussorgsky, Tchaikovsky, Grieg
• 1900 to 2000; 20th century: Schoenberg, Bartok, Stravinsky, Berg, Prokofiev
• 1975 to today; Contemporary: Gershwin, Shostakovich, Messiaen, Bittern, Stockhausen

Categories

• Sacred or secular
• Vocal or instrumental
• Solo (one player or several players, but each instrument unique within the group) or concerted (multiple instances of the same instrument, i.e.--several violins)

These occur in various combinations, most commonly sacred vocal concerted music, secular instrumental solo music, and secular instrumental concerted music.

Structure

Large works such as symphonies, concertos, and operas are built on a hierarchy of small units: phrases, periods, sections, and movements.

Definitions

Tone Poem an orchestral piece meant to express an extra-musical idea, mood, story, or poem