Classical music history

What is it?

When was it happening?

Who made it?

CLASSICAL MUSIC

Art music Made, primarily, in

Europe

Created using the

highest skill and

sophistication

Was written down,

preserved, and studied

WHAT IS CLASSICAL MUSIC?

It began around the 4 th Century (300’s) and it is still being made today

WHEN DID CLASSICAL MUSIC HAPPEN?

When people say Classical Music, they usually mean

Baroque Music

(Pronounced Buh – Rowke)

1620s to 1800

Classical Music (yea, it has the same

name)

Late 1700s to the early

1800s

Romantic Music (not

lovey dovey at all)

Mid 1800s to the early

1900s

Modernist Music (not as

modern as you may

think)

Early 1900s to the late 1900s

In the 4th Century, people sang chants on one melody. This was usually sung for religious purposes.

In the 13th Century, two and three lines of music were used at the same time to make it more exciting.

In the Medieval Period (12th-15th Centuries), instruments accompanied the singers and music was written down for the first time.

In the Renaissance (14th-17th centuries), music became more complex and moved into the churches and the courts of the wealthy.

HOW DID CLASSICAL MUSIC BEGIN?

In Music• Many voice woven together• Music has many decorations and ornaments• Important Musicians: J.S. Bach, G.F. Handel, A. Vivaldi

In Art• Kings and Popes wanted the grandest and most emotional

artworks• Important Artists: Rembrandt, Caravaggio, and Rubens

In Technology• Galileo Galilei used the microscope and telescopes to

learn about the world• Newton also made great advances in mathematics and

gravitation

BAROQUE MUSIC (1620’S TO EARLY 1800’S)

In Music• Instrumental music is very popular: first real symphonies• Modern Opera is developed• Homophony is popular: One melody line and accompaniment• Important Musicians: W.A. Mozart, F.J. Haydn

In Art• Focus on landscapes and individuals (portraits)• Art is supposed to show a sense of order• Important Artists: Jacques Louis David, John Constable

In Technology• Inventions like Gas Lighting, Steam Power, and the Cotton Gin kick off the Industrial Revolution

CLASSICAL MUSIC (LATE 1700’S TO EARLY 1800’S)

In Music• Orchestras and symphonies get bigger to capture louder, grander

emotions• Music tries to capture more dynamic moods: anger, power, frustration,

beauty• L.V. Beethoven’s ideas initiated the Romantic Period in music• Important Musicians: R. Wagner, P. TchaikovskyIn Art• There’s a great interest in nature and emotions• Artists try to see/paint things in new, innovative ways• Important Artists: Claude Monet, Vincent Van Gogh

In Technology• From Railroads and telephones to light bulbs and phonographs, new

inventions pop up and connect people, ideas, and art around the world.

ROMANTIC MUSIC(MID 1800’S TO EARLY 1900’S)

In Music• Musicians look for innovative ways to make music: no melody, every note at

once, no rhythm, etc.• Music became very abstract and difficult to understand, but exciting and

spontaneous• Important Musicians: Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg

In Art• Artists created abstract images to re-create the way we see and understand

the world• Important Artists: Pablo Picasso, Wassily Kandinsky, Gustav Klimt

In Technology• In the 20th Century, the world moved faster than ever. Cars and Airplanes

allowed people to travel, radios and TVs brought entertainment into the home, and a great many inventions that we use today were created during this period.

MODERNIST MUSIC(EARLY 1900’S TO LATE 1900’S)

Today, musicians aren’t trying to be abstractTodays composers mix styles (folk music, pop music,

jazz, etc) into their classical works.Many composers use only the computer to produce

their musical ideas. Important Musicians: Steve Reich, John Williams

WHAT’S HAPPENING NOW IN CLASSICAL MUSIC?