1 Medieval Period

c. 476 - 1450

Composers Pope Gregory, Leonin, Perotin, Hildegard von Bingen, Machaut

Melody Small to medium range, based on church modes

Rhythm Rhythm based on the rhythm of the text; later development of rhythmic modes; preference for triple meter
(sanctioned by the church)

Harmony N/A

Texture Monophonic leading to the development of polyphony (by combination)

Instrumental None. Instrumental music was either improvised or vocal music played by instruments; indoor and outdoor
instruments used
Genres
Sacred Vocal Gregorian chant, organum, sacred motet
Genres
Secular Vocal secular motet
Genres
Performance Church and Royal Courts
Sites
Forms Progressed from single-part to three-parts; most important melody was the bottom melody

Audience N/A

Dynamics N/A

Timbre N/A

Performing Church choirs consisting of adult men; a cappella vocal music

Forces
Virtuosity No focus

Expression Different text settings (syllabic, neumatic, melismatic) used for emphasis.
 Renaissance Period
1450 - 1600

Composers Josquin, Dufay, Luther, Palestrina, Monteverdi, Farmer

Melody Based on church modes; secular melodies show influence of text painting

Rhythm More use of duple meter (secular influence); often alternates with triple meter.

Harmony Based on the church modes.

Texture Homophonic texture appears; primary interest in imitative polyphony; often have alternation between
imitative polyphony and homophony

Instrumental Some instrumental music written – often based on dances; a good deal was improvised; vocal music played by
instruments; instruments not specified; indoor and outdoor instruments
Genres
Sacred Vocal Motets, masses, requiems; a cappella vocal music
Genres
Secular Vocal Chanson, lied, and madrigal; a cappella vocal music
Genres
Performance Churches, royal courts, state occasions.
Sites
Forms Four-part music becomes standard; some vocal music had many parts; most important melody migrates to the
top line.

Audience N/A

Dynamics Little change; in late Renaissance, some changes created by addition and subtraction of voices

Timbre N/A

Performing Continued focus on a cappella vocal music. Public performances consisted of all male groups (Church – men
and boys choirs); amateur performances at home were quite common (men and women).
Forces
Virtuosity More virtuosity required in late Renaissance vocal music, in particular, secular music.

Expression Expressed through text painting techniques

 Baroque Period
1600 - 1750
Composers Monteverdi, Strozzi, Purcell, Vivaldi, Handel, J.S. Bach

Melody Continuous melody with wide leaps, chromatic tones for emotional effect; Baroque melodies often consist of
phrases of varying lengths (anywhere from very short to very long); asymmetrical phrases.

Rhythm Single rhythm predominant; steady, energetic pulse; freer in vocal music.

Harmony Chromatic harmony for expressive effect; major-minor system established with brief excursions to other keys;
some continued use of church modes

Texture Homophony and Imitative polyphony

Instrumental Concerto (solo and grosso), trio sonata, suite (sonata da camera or ordrés), chaconne, prelude, passacaglia,
chorale prelude, fugue
Genres
Sacred Vocal Masses, cantatas, oratorios
Genres
Secular Vocal Operas and cantatas
Genres
Performance Churches, royal courts, public opera houses, homes
Sites
Forms overtures (Italian and French), concerto form (ritornello), binary, ternary (da capo), variations

Audience Public opera houses; increased interest in secular music more interest developing in instrumental music

Dynamics Initial focus on terraced dynamics; dynamic and tempo markings begin to appear in music in late Baroque

Timbre Continuous tone color throughout one movement.

Performing Baroque orchestras 20-24 players; String orchestra, with added woodwinds; organ and harpsichord (basso
continuo); most popular keyboard instruments were clavichord, harpsichord and organ.
Forces
Virtuosity Improvisation expected; harmonies realized from figured bass.

Expression Single affection; emotional exuberance and theatricality

 Rococo (Pre-Classical) Period
c. 1740 - c. 1760

Composers Francois Couperin, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Wilhelm Friedemann Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel (C.P.E.) Bach,
Johann Christoph Bach, Johann Christian Bach, John Gay, Christoph Willibald Gluck

Melody simpler, more discreet use of ornamentation

Rhythm movement toward regular rhythmic patterns

Harmony simple, chordal, principles set down by Rameau in his A Treatise on Harmony

Texture preference for homophonic texture (melody with simple accompaniments); some continued use of imitative
polyphony, but much simpler

Instrumental expanded concepts of sonata and concerto.

Genres
Sacred Vocal N/C
Genres
Secular Vocal development of opera buffa vs. opera seria.
Genres
Performance N/C
Sites
Forms more systematic use of forms.

Audience Aristocratic homes and courts, public performances

Dynamics More interest in dynamic changes

Timbre N/C

Performing more focus on instruments including orchestra as well as keyboard instruments; increased interest in piano
Forces
Virtuosity N/C

Expression New ideal of beauty – simple and expressive of natural feeling

 Classical Period
c. 1750 - 1825

Composers Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, (to a degree Schubert)

Melody Symmetrical melodies with balanced phrases and cadences; tuneful; diatonic, with narrow leaps

Rhythm Clear rhythms with regularly recurring accents; dance rhythms favored

Harmony Diatonic harmony favored; tonic-dominant relationships expanded; became basis for large-scale forms

Texture Homophonic textures; horizontal perspective

Instrumental Symphony, solo concerto, solo sonata, string quartet, other chamber types
Genres
Sacred Vocal Mass, Requiem
Genres
Secular Vocal Opera (seria, buffa, Singspiel), solo song
Genres
Performance N/C
Sites
Forms Ternary form predominant; sonata-allegro form developed; absolute forms preferred; development of 3 and 4-
movement sonata cycle

Audience Secular music predominant; aristocratic audience

Dynamics Continuously changing dynamics through crescendo and decrescendo

Timbre Changing tone colors between sections of works

Performing String orchestra with woodwinds and some brass; 30-40 member orchestra; rise of piano to prominence
Forces
Virtuosity Improvisation largely limited to cadenzas in concertos

Expression Emotional restraint and balance.

 Romantic Period
1820 - 1900

Composers Beethoven, Schubert, Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel, Felix Mendelssohn, Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann,
Chopin, Liszt, Berlioz, Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Verdi, Wagner, Puccini, Dvorak, Amy Beach

Melody Expansive, singing melodies; wide ranging; more varied, with chromatic inflections

Rhythm Rhythmic diversity and elasticity; tempo rubato

Harmony Increasing chromaticism; expanded concepts of tonality

Texture Homophony, turning to increased polyphony in later years of era

Instrumental Same large genres; adding one-movement symphonic poem, incidental music, concerto overture; solo piano
works
Genres
Sacred Vocal Same vocal forms, except Romantic Masses and Requiems were designed more for concert hall use rather than
religious function
Genres
Secular Vocal Lieder, works for voice and orchestra; opera
Genres
Performance Concert Hall and salon
Sites
Forms Expansion of forms and interest in continuous as well as miniature programmatic forms

Audience Secular music predominant; middle-class audience

Dynamics Widely ranging dynamics for expressive purposes

Timbre Continual change and blend of tone colors; experiments with new instruments and unusual ranges

Performing Introduction of new instruments (tuba, English horn, valved brass, harp, piccolo); much larger orchestras;
piano predominant as solo instrument.
Forces
Virtuosity Increased virtuosity; composers specified more in scores

Expression Emotions, mood atmosphere emphasized; interest in the bizarre and macabre
 Twentieth-Century Styles (Trends) 1900-1950
STYLE Impressionism Expressionism Primitivism Neoclassicism Serialism
(French) (German)
Debussy, Ravel (post- Schoenberg, Berg, Stravinsky Stravinsky, Hindemith, Schoenberg, Webern
Composers Impressionist) Webern, Stravinsky Berg, Webern

lush, lyric melodies wide leaps, dissonant countermelodies balanced phrases instrumental in concept;
Melody intervals, instrumental in Klangfarbenmelodie
concept (disjunct)

non-western influences; distinct rhythms African influenced; use of regular rhythms often very calculated
Rhythm weak rhythms; obscured polyrhythms;
beat polymeters

church modes; non- atonality polytonality Quartal 12-tone system

Harmony western influences; developed by
parallel chord movement Schoenberg

thin density to the sound complex, often used layering of ideas and homophonic, thin density
Texture imitative polyphony colors polyphonic

small programmatic programmatic forms, programmatic works, absolute forms of the smaller chamber type
Instrumental forms; chamber works, concertos ballets Baroque and Classical works
Genres piano works eras

N/C N/C N/C N/C N/C

Sacred Vocal
Genres
N/C N/C; use of N/C N/C N/C
Secular Vocal Sprechstimme
Genres
N/C N/C N/C N/C N/C
Performance
Sites
programmatic forms orchestral and chamber programmatic works Baroque forms, absolute forms
Forms works; largely instrumental forms of
programmatic the Classical era (sonata
cycle); formalism

public audiences and salon public audiences and public audiences and public audiences and public audiences and
Audience salon salon salon; amateur salon
performances

subtle use of dynamics variety of changes use of extreme Balanced controlled

Dynamics dynamic changes

veiled blending of timbres; exploited extreme ranges bright colors – Blended controlled
Timbre flutes, clarinets, harp, of instruments; bright layered not mixed
celesta, muffled drums colors

large orchestras used in a smaller orchestras, large orchestras Baroque – Classical smaller, unusual
Performing subtle way sometimes chamber size sized orchestras orchestras, strings not
Forces the focal timbre

N/C N/C N/C N/C N/C

Virtuosity

Expression very expressive; expressive style, dramatic, strong objective approach very abstract
sensual; exotic very abstract emotions (Classical era)