When Did Classical Music Start?

Discover when the various eras of classical music began, from the Early Middle Ages to the present day.

The definition of classical music

Classical music is difficult to define in formal terms, because the span of time it covers is so great, and the interpretation of “classical” can vary greatly. Generally, though, classical music can be described as including all Western art music composed during a period lasting from the early Middle Ages to the present day. This period is typically divided into three sections: the Medieval era (500-1400), the Renaissance (1400-1600), and the Common Practice period (1600-present).

The history of classical music

Classical music is a broad term that can refer to a variety of different genres and sub-genres of music. It is typically characterized by its use of complex harmonic progressions, melodic lines, and counterpoint. In its simplest form, classical music can be traced back to the medieval period.

The Baroque period

The Baroque period of classical music is generally dated from 1600 to 1750. Baroque music forms a major portion of the “classical music” canon, and parts of it are still performed regularly. The term “baroque” comes from the Portuguese word barroco, meaning misshapen pearl, a negative description of the ornate and heavily embellished music of this period. Later, the name came to apply also to the architecture of the same period.

The first major figure of the Baroque era was Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643). His operas L’Orfeo (1607) and L’incoronazione di Poppea (1643) are still performed today. Other important Baroque composers include Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), George Frideric Handel (1685-1759), Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741), Heinrich Schutz (1585-1672), Arcangelo Corelli (1653-1713), and François Couperin (1668-1733).

The Classical period

The Classical period was an era of classical music between roughly 1730 to 1820. The Classical period falls between the Baroque and the Romantic periods. Classical music has a lighter, clearer texture than Baroque music and is less complex. It is mainly homophonic, using a clear melody line over a subordinate chordal accompaniment, but counterpoint was by no means forgotten, especially later in the period.

One of the major characteristics of the Classical style is an increased use of clarity, simplicity and order. In contrast to the sometimes murky tonal colorations of the late Baroque era, instruments and voices were better able to project their individual sounds during this time. Composers favored a clean texture that relied on clearly delineated melodic lines for its effect.

The Romantic period

The Romantic period (c. 1810 – c. 1900) was one of the most fertile times in the history of classical music, with composers such as Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Wagner and Verdi producing works of enduring popularity and influence.

The period saw a dramatic increase in the size and scope of orchestral music, as well as the emergence of new genres such as the song cycle and programmes symphony. It also witnessed a rise in virtuoso performers, who became increasingly important to the success of public concerts.

One of the defining characteristics of Romantic music is its emphasis on emotion and feeling, as opposed to the intellectualism of earlier periods. Romantic composers were inspired by – and sought to evoke – powerful emotions such as awe, terror, yearning and triumph in their music.

They also frequently drew on literary sources for inspiration, setting poems or entire plays to music in works such as Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique (1830) and Wagner’s operas The Flying Dutchman (1843) and Parsifal (1882).

The increased importance placed on feeling and emotion was partly a reaction against the Enlightenment ideal of rationalism, which had dominated Western thought in the 18th century. It was also inspired by new developments in philosophy, such as Kant’s idea that there are things (such as art) that cannot be understood through reason alone.

The Modern period

In the early 20th century, composers began to break away from the established forms of tonality—that is, traditional major and minor keys. They experimented with new harmonic (chord) progressions and used increasingly dissonant (non-harmonic or clashing) sounds. This period, called modernism, lasted from about 1890 to 1945. During this time, composers began pushing beyond traditional tonality and explored new ways of writing music.

Among the most important composers of the modern period are Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Anton Webern—all three of whom were associated with what came to be known as atonality (music without a tonal center). Other important composers from this period include Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitry Shostakovich, Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, and Aaron Copland.

The elements of classical music

Classical music is art music produced or rooted in the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times. How did classical music come to be? Let’s take a look at the history and origins of classical music.

Melody

In music, a melody is a series of pitches that the listener perceives as a single entity. A melody is not just a series of pitches: it also has “rhythm”, or a meter, which defines how long each note is played. A particular pitch may be held for several beats, or just a fraction of a beat. The notes of a melody are typically played in succession (one after the other), although more complex melodies may have notes that are played simultaneously (known as harmony).

A Melody typically contains one or more musical phrases. Phrases are units of melodic structure that conveys a complete musical idea: they usually contain 2-8 bars of music, and often end with some sort of cadence. Cadences serve to mark the end of a phrase, and give the listener the sense that the phrase is “complete”.

There are many different types of melodies, ranging from simple and easily-remembered nursery rhymes to complex works that may take several hearings to fully appreciate. Within classical music, there are four basic types of melody:

1. Cantabile melodies are lyrical and flowing in nature, often associated with Italian opera. They are usually sung by vocal soloists, and feature wide leaps between notes (which can be difficult to sing).
2. Con moto melodies are active and energetic, often featuring fast-paced arpeggios or sequential scales. These types of melodies are common in fast movements of sonatas and concertos.
3. Affettuoso melodies are tender and express emotion, often featuring slow tempos and rubato (or expressive) phrasing. These types of melodies are common in slow movements of sonatas and concertos.
4. Grazioso melodies are playful and graceful, often featuring whimsical or cascading phrases. These types of melodies occur frequently in divertimenti and other light-hearted works.

Harmony

Harmony is the use of two or more notes played together. Thenotes blend together to make a chord. In classical music, notes are often played in succession, one after the other (melody), but harmony adds an extra element to the music.

Harmony can be created by playing multiple notes at the same time (simultaneously), or by playing different notes in quick succession (successively). The latter is known as counterpoint.

Notes that are played simultaneously are said to be in harmony; those that are played successively are said to be in counterpoint. When notes are played simultaneously, they create chords; when they are played successively, they create melodic lines.

Classical composers often used counterpoint as a way to add interest and variety to their music. Playing multiple melodic lines against each other creates a more complex sound than playing just one line.

Rhythm

Rhythm is the element of “time” in music. Rhythm can be described as the placement of sounds in time. We can divide time into equal parts (such as 2 beats per second) and these parts are called pulse or tempo. The number of beats per second is called the rate or speed of the tempo (such as Allegro – fast, Largo – slow).

The rhythm of a piece of music is usually organised around a regular, repeating pulse called the beat. The main beats are usually grouped together in twos or threes, giving rise to common time signatures such as 4/4, 3/4 and 6/8. These signatures represent the number of beats in a bar (measure). A piece in 4/4 time will have 4 quarter note beats per bar, while a piece in 6/8 time will have 6 eighth note beats per bar.

The way the different musical elements are put together and interact with each other is what gives a piece of music its overall structure.

Form

Classical music has a lighter, clearer texture than baroque music and is less complex. It is mainly homophonic, using a clear melody line over a subordinate chordal accompaniment, but counterpoint was by no means forgotten, especially later in the period.

Clear designations of weapon for battle such as this were common in the music of the Renaissance period (1400 – 1600), which was a time when composers were still learning how to write for the recently developed technology of the Renaissance orchestra, made up primarily of strings. Given that so many composers were experimenting with musical form during the Classical period, it’s no surprise that formal types such as sonata form and rondo form reached their full potential during this time.

The instruments of classical music

Classical music is art music produced or rooted in the traditions of Western culture, including both liturgical (religious) and secular music. While a more precise term is also used to refer to the period from 1750 to 1820 (the Classical period), this article is about the broad span of time from before the 6th century AD to the present day, which includes the Classical period and various other periods.

The piano

The piano is one of the most important instruments in classical music. It was invented in the early 1700s, and has been a staple of orchestras and concert halls ever since. Pianists such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Frederic Chopin, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart composed some of the most beloved works in the classical repertoire.

The piano is a versatile instrument that can be used for a wide range of musical styles, from lush and romantic ballads to stirring and heroic anthems. The piano can be played solo or in ensemble with other instruments. It is also frequently used as an accompaniment instrument in choirs and orchestras.

The violin

The violin, viola, and cello are together known as the string family of instruments. They are so named because they each produce sound by means of one or more strings. The bow is drawn across the string(s), causing them to vibrate. The vibration is then amplified by the resonating body of the instrument.

The violin is the smallest and highest-pitched member of the string family. It has four strings which are tuned in perfect fifths: G3-D4-A4-E5. (The lowest note, G3, vibrates at a frequency of 196Hz.) The strings are played with a horsehair bow. The violin has a hollow wooden body which acts as a sounding board.

The violin evolved from earlier bowed instruments in the 15th and 16th centuries. It acquired its modern form in the early 1700s, when it was perfected by makers in northern Italy, particularly Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737).

The cello

The cello is a member of the string family of musical instruments. It is the second largest string instrument after the double bass. The cello is played seated with the instrument between the knees. The player holds the bow in the right hand and the strings are stopped by placing the left hand fingers on them. The cello has four strings which are tuned in perfect fifths: C-G-D-A.

The cello first appeared in northern Italy around 1590. At that time it was called the viola da gamba because it was played between the legs like other members of the viol family such as the viola and violin. The name cello (short for violoncello) did not come into use until around 1690.

The earliest known composer to write music specifically for the cello was Domenico Gabrieli who wrote a piece called Sonata Pian e Forte for two cellos in 1599. However, it was not until the late 17th century that composers began to write music that exploited the unique capabilities of this instrument. By the early 18th century, composers such as Antonio Vivaldi and Johann Sebastian Bach had written some of their best-known works for cello including Bach’s six Cello Suites and Vivaldi’s Cello Concerto in A Minor.

During the Classical period (1750-1820), composers such as Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven expanded what could be done on this instrument and wrote some of their most celebrated works for cello including Haydn’s Cello Concerto in D Major, Mozart’s Cello Concerto No. 4 in D Major, and Beethoven’s five concerti for cello (the last category includes his Triple Concerto for Piano, Violin, & Cello).

The composers of classical music

Classical music is a genre of music that originated in the late 18th century. It is usually characterized by complex structures and harmonies, and by the use of classical instruments like the piano, violin, and cello. Many of the most famous classical music composers were from Austria and Germany.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Johann Sebastian Bach was born in Eisenach, Germany, in 1685. A prolific composer of both sacred and secular music, he is regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. A member of a musical family, Bach began learning to play the violin at an early age. He went on to study at the St. Thomas School in Leipzig, where he eventually became choirmaster and organist.

Bach’s compositions include some of the most well-known and beloved works in all of classical music, including the Brandenburg Concertos, the Mass in B Minor, and The Well-Tempered Clavier. His music is characterized by its complex counterpoint, inventive harmony, and mastery of contrapuntal techniques. Bach died in 1750 at the age of 65.

Ludwig van Beethoven

Beethoven was born in the city of Bonn in the Electorate of Cologne, a principality of the Holy Roman Empire, in present-day Germany, on 16 December 1770. His grandfather Kapellmeister Ludwig van Beethoven (1712–73) was Bonn’s most prosperous and eminent musician. His father, Johann van Beethoven (1740–92), was a singer in the electoral chapel and later became Bonn’s court tenor. Johann prospered financially, but imprudently had an illegitimate son, Ludwig Maria Franz CarlPollaczek (baptised 17 April 1786), with one of his students, Antonia BernhardinaDearana dei Conti Pertusati (1744–87/8), a soprano at the electoral court theatre from Salzburg. Beethoven’s mother, Maria Magdalena Keverich van Beethoven (1746–87), was a native of nearbyAhrweiler. She bore five children: two who died in infancy and three who survived to maturity: Ludwig van Beethoven (the eldest); Caspar Anton Carl von Beethoven (1774–1815), nicknamed “Caspar”; and Nikolaus Johann van Beethoven (1776–1848), nicknamed “Nikolaus”.

Ludwig had one surviving sister: Maria Margaretha Josepha Walburga “Greetgen” van Beethoven (1779–1827). Greetgen married Johan Baptista Van den Eeden on 14 February 1799; they did not have any children together.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791), baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart, was a prolific and influential composer of the classical era.

Born in Salzburg, Mozart showed prodigious ability from his earliest childhood. Already competent on keyboard and violin, he composed from the age of five and performed before European royalty. At 17, he was engaged as a court musician in Salzburg, but grew restless and traveled in search of a better position. While visiting Vienna in 1781, he was dismissed from his Salzburg position. He chose to stay in the capital, where he achieved fame but little financial security. During his final years in Vienna, he composed many of his best-known symphonies, concertos, and operas, and portions of the Requiem, which was largely unfinished at the time of his early death at the age of 35. The circumstances of his early death have been much mythologized.

Mozart learned voraciously from others, absorbed their influences and returned to theGermanic root of classical music. Histechnique encompasses an extraordinary range; he had a mastery of texture , dynamics , phrasing , timing , tone color , harmony and melodic shaping . Mozart’s influence on subsequent Western art music is profound . Beethoven composed his early works in C minor in deference to Mozart’s Symphony No. 25 , [1] [2] and imagined copying out the score of The Marriage of Figaro as practice for undertaking larger works . Ludwig van Beethoven also wrote two setsof piano variations on ” La ci darem la mano ” from Don Giovanni as Study Op. 2 No. 1and Op 129–and two sets based on “Ein Mädchen oder Weibchen”, K 528: one forpiano four-hands Op 66−and one for solo piano Op 82b . Johannes Brahms openlyadmitted that when composingomoeda variations (1862) he had been thinking aboutDon Giovanni’s “cat-duet” ; Schubert transposed this work into F major so that itwould open with an ascending chromatic scale 、another gesture towards DonGiovanni −and put words to it which were themselves based on another partof that opera: “Terrified omoeda I run to you.” Felix Mendelssohnincorporated music directly referencing Mozart’s Don Giovanni overtureinto A Midsummer Night’s Dream Incidental Music (1842) while Hector Berlioz usedthe first four notes prominently as repeated fanfares throughout The Damnationof Faust (premiered 1846). Even Richard Wagner made reference to Blonde ‘supayroll’ melody in Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg : Eva sings it before going offto bed where she dreams that Sachs rescues her from being flogged by her father ; Wagner alsomanaged an apprentice adaptation or rehash during his very first surviving stage work

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a Russian composer of the late-Romantic period, some of whose works are among the most popular music in the classical repertoire. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally, bolstered by his appearances as a guest conductor in Europe and the United States. Tchaikovsky’s compositions include symphonies, concertos, operas, ballets, chamber music, songs, and a piano suite. Among his best-known works are Swan Lake (1876), Sleeping Beauty (1889), and The Nutcracker (1892), all of which have achieved widespread international success as ballets