Periods
Medieval
The dawn of the Western classical music tradition. The rich heritage of sacred choral music is here from timeless Gregorian Chant to the complexities of polyphony as well as the popular songs of the troubadours, troveres and Meistersingers.
Renaissance
Reformation and the re-awakening of learning. In Protestant England and Germany new traditions of sacred choral music emerge. In Italy it is the dawn of opera. Throughout Europe, orchestral and instrumental genres emerge as new creative genres.
Baroque
The Baroque is the most ostentatious of musical genres. It is the era of the concerto, the opera, the oratorio, and the keyboard. Above all, the great compositional triumvirate of Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frideric Handel hold sway.
Classical
In the late 18th century Vienna becomes the capital of the musical world as Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven successively reinvigorate old traditions and invent new ones. Many of today’s accepted musical forms find their fruition here, including the Symphony, the String Quartet and sonata form.
Romantic
Artists and composers assume god-like status (at least in their own eyes). Instrumental virtuosi become superstars and composers push musical forms to their limits. The Symphony becomes the dominant instrumental form and opera becomes a popular bourgeois activity.
20th Century
Exhaustion and reinvention. In Western Europe and the USA the musical establishment is rocked by a series of musical revolutions. In Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany however conformity holds sway as composers fight for both their personal and creative lives. The tumult of the 20th century is mirrored in its music.
Contemporary
Diversity in musical styles continues unabated. Classical and popular music borrow from each other in a fruitful dialogue, while the avant-garde continues to provoke reaction. Symphonies are still being composed while at the same time fresh avenues are opened through new technologies and media.