Baroque: ca. 1600-1750 Famous composers include Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Telemann, Albinoni, Corelli, Purcell, Zelenka, Rameau, Monteverdi, Lully. Baroque music often uses strings, harpsichord or organ, bassoon, oboe, and flute, sometimes brass. Music in this era was frequently written for churches but also for secular performances. Genres include concertos (one instrument featured and accompanied by a small orchestra), sonatas (one or two instruments and basso continuo--keyboard, cello, bass or bassoon combination), operas, cantatas. Famous Examples: Bach, Cello Suite No. 1 (Mstislav Rostropovich, cello) http://youtu.be/LU_QR_FTt3E Marcello, Oboe Concerto (Albrecht Mayer, oboe) http://youtu.be/5xM6pYoVT2I Vivaldi, Four Seasons (Itzhak Perlman with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra) (Spring: http://youtu.be/l-dYNttdgl0) Handel, Messiah ( Academy of St. Martin in the Fields Chorus, The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, Sir Neville Marriner), Halleluja Chorus http://youtu.be/pYzOQFpGPYE Classical: ca 1750-1820 Famous composers include Mozart, Haydn, Boccherini, Gluck. Orchestras now often include clarinet, horn, trumpet, trombone, percussion, but are still relatively small in size. Popular genres include string quartets, concertos, and operas. Classical music is generally cleaner and simpler than baroque music in structure. Famous examples: Mozart, Overture to the Marriage of Figaro (Vienna Philharmonic) http://youtu.be/UvWKttnav9Q Haydn, Symphony No. 101 (Radio Sinfonieorchester Stuttgart directed by Sir Roger Norrington) http://youtu.be/GBuJ9VZkOjc Mozart, Oboe Quartet: (Liang Wang, oboe) http://youtu.be/Gu87qUExo9c Mozart, La Ci Darem La Mano from Don Giovanni (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-iZHwbxLBO0 Other famous examples: Mozart, Piano Concerto No. 21 Haydn, String Quartet Op. 76 Romantic: ca. 1810-1910 Famous composers include Beethoven, Brahms, Schumann, Schubert, Mahler, Wagner, Dvorak, Berlioz, Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius. Orchestras become larger, especially brass and woodwinds. Auxiliary instruments such as piccolo, English horn, contrabassoon, and bass clarinet start to be used more frequently, and harp is added to the orchestra. Symphonies, concertos, operas, and string quartets are still popular, but composers begin to bend rules regarding the number and pace of movements, instrumentation, types of chords used, etc. Sometimes music describes a story ("program music," such as Berlioz's Symphony Fantastique). Art songs become more popular, and the piano takes off as a solo instrument. Romantic music is generally more overtly emotional than classical. Famous examples: Beethoven, Symphony No. 5 (van Karajan) http://youtu.be/3cnv4G05vqY Schubert, Der Erlkönig (Ian Bostridge) http://youtu.be/mmx4MN3xZpM Brahms, Violin Concerto, Adagio (Gidon Kremer, Leonard Bernstein, Vienna Philharmonic) http://youtu.be/UkIULqYxiPU Dvorak, New World Symphony (Vienna Philharmonic, Herbert van Karajan) http://youtu.be/aYl4Xb4cDQ8 Schumann, Three Romances for Oboe and Piano, I. Nicht Schnell (Albrecht Mayer, oboe, and Helene Grimaud, piano) http://youtu.be/PBcHbzoMhXs Berlioz, Symphonie Fantastique Wagner, Tristan und Isolde Mahler, Symphony No. 1 Sibelius, Valse Triste Tchaikovsky, Symphony No. 4 Chopin, Nocturnes Debussy, La Mer 20th Century: ca. 1900-1980 Famous composers include Strauss, Bartok, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Schoenberg, Webern, Berg, Messiaen. The early 20th century found Europe embroiled in brutal wars. The music of this era reflects that, using larger ensembles with more diverse instruments, particularly percussion. Chamber music starts breaking free of traditional instrumentation, though those forms remain popular. Some composers started incorporating ideas from jazz, folk, and popular music into their works Opera from this time was often culturally or politically provocative. Music becomes harsher and more primal, then becomes subject to mathematical form after Schoenberg introduces 12-tone music. Famous Examples: Stravinsky, Rite of Spring (San Francisco Symphony, Michael Tilson Thomas) http://youtu.be/Vf0e_n49dcQ Shostakovich, Symphony No. 5 (Berlin Philharmonic, Sato) Opening: http://youtu.be/Yj-4ew4p8pE Shostakovich, Sympony No. 8, English horn solo (Concertgebouw, Haitink) http://youtu.be/TKdX0oyrPQs Pierrot Lunaire (Pierre Boulez, IEC, Christine Schafer) http://youtu.be/veUJxETj7-c Prokofiev, Quintet: http://youtu.be/C1ZX3xoHW4c Poulenc, Oboe Sonata (Hansjorg Schellenberger) http://youtu.be/x0H89J8blMs Strauss, Elektra Bartok, Concerto for Orchestra Berg, Lulu Berg, Violin Concerto Messiaen, Quartet for the End of Time Prokofiev, Symphony No. 5 Contemporary: ca. 1970-present Famous composers include Pierre Boulez, Luciano Berio, Gyorgi Ligeti, John Cage, Morton Feldman, Ned Rorem, Louis Andriessen, Philip Glass, John Adams, Steve Reich, Arvo Pärt, Osvaldo Golijov, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone. There develops a schism between followers of the 12-tone system, who begin to mathematicize music even further (applying a numeric system to rhythm and dynamics in addition to notes), and those who wish to break free of the strident sounds of atonal and 12-tone music. The avant-garde also breaks rules whenever possible. Extended technique (playing instruments in unusual ways, such as multiphonics on woodwinds, using string instruments percussively, putting objects in the box of the piano), alternate tuning, and other experimental forms of music become popular. Particularly those composers born during or after World War II, and especially in America, do not relate to the war-torn qualities of 20th century music. Thus the more harmonious Minimalism develops, drawing some of its influence from pop music and world music, especially classical Indian. Film music solidifies its place as an art form, frequently more tonal and relating directly to onscreen action. Famous Examples: Philip Glass, Koyaanisqatsi http://youtu.be/LFBijDU8PpE Luciano Berio, Sequenza VII (Heinz Holliger, oboe) http://youtu.be/npLqXW-Qlg0 John Adams, Short Ride in a Fast Machine (San Francisco Symphony) http://youtu.be/js4e_0BHr_0 John Cage, 4'33" (Armin Fuchs, piano) http://youtu.be/gN2zcLBr_VM Gyorgi Ligeti, Atmospheres http://youtu.be/aI0P1NnUFxc Arvo Pärt, Fratres (Gidon Kremer, violin; Keith Jarrett, piano) http://youtu.be/fbTK-uY_dIQ Ennio Morricone, The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly (Main Title) http://youtu.be/ESxWyPoK6tA John Williams, Star Wars http://youtu.be/sFvQOc4xS2k See what was going on in history and literature during each of the different musical eras: go to my History & Literature Page. See what was going on in visual art during each of the music eras: go to my Art Page. |