The Eras of Classical Music

In our exploration of classical music, we must first establish a foundation upon which we can build upon. I believe a perfect starting point would be the six main eras of classical music: Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern. We will focus today on the first five eras of classical music.

The Medieval Era:

The Medieval period (c. 1150-c. 1400) was an interesting time in music, as very little music was written down to be passed to the next generation. Most music, like family history and stories, were passed down orally, due to the low literacy rates at the time. Most of the music we have from that era today are from churches, many of them being monophonic chants, the most popular being the Gregorian chant. Nearer the end of this period, composers started to experiment with harmonies and counterpoint.

Listen to some Medieval music here.

The Renaissance Era:

The Renaissance period (c.1400-c.1600) was a time of great growth for classical music, as composers were continuing to explore new harmonies, melodic lines, rhythms, and forms of notation. Due to the invention of the printing press in 1439, music was more accessible to people, as compared to the music of the Medieval period where scores had to be copied by hand. Since music was now easily copied, we still have many manuscripts from that era today.

New instruments were also becoming more common, allowing for more variety in sound and encouraging the style of polyphony (multiple voices). This resulted in a lusher sound than that of the Medieval era. Some common instruments of the Renaissance period were the recorder, guitar, clavichord, harpsichord, and cornet, along with several others. Composers were also becoming bolder in their music, deviating from the rules of church music common in the Medieval Era.

Listen to some Renaissance music here.

The Baroque Era:

Beginning in Italy, the Baroque period (c.1600-c.1750), greatly expanded the genre of classical music. The word "baroque" is derived from a word that means "oddly shaped pearl." What do pearls have anything to do with music? Well, pearls are typically associated with luxury or wealth, and the music of this era was characterized by ornate flourishes in its instrumentation, such as trills and grace notes, giving it an extravagant sound. Concerts were also becoming a common occurrence, and having performances at homes and parties gave guests the impression that their host was of high class and wealth.

Many different forms of music were developed in this period. The orchestra was born, bringing along concertos, sonatas, and suites. Instrumental arrangements and ensembles slowly became more popular than choral works, and the introduction of new instruments like the pianoforte opened the door for varieties in tone and dynamics. The opera was also introduced in this era, along with other vocal ensembles such as the cantata and oratorio.

Notable composers of this era include Handel, famous for his the Messiah, an amazing oratorio telling the story of Jesus' life here on earth, his death on the cross for our sins, and his resurection (full version; selections), Vivaldi, known for his Four Seasons, Bach, and many others. Their music is still popular today and are often played in concerts around the world.

Listen to some Baroque music here.

The Classical Era:

The Classical Period (c.1750-c.1830) was characterized by the development of structure, order, and clarity in the different forms of music. Music of this era was characterized by its simple and elegant sound, with organized passages and melodies. Chamber music was very popular at the time, with groups performing in trios or quartets. The most popular form of chamber music was the string quartet, and as a result, many composers have written pieces for these ensembles.

The piano was invented during this period, and gradually replaced the harpsichord, clavichord, and organ as the most popular keyboard instrument. Reed instruments such as the clarinet, bassoon, and oboe became popular as well. As a result, the orchestra grew significantly during this period, as composers combined these new instruments with the string orchestra of the Baroque period.

Music became more accessible to the general public as public concerts became more popular in Europe. This allowed the middle class to enjoy and participate in in music, in contrast to being reserved for only the upper-class in the Baroque period.

The sonata and concerto continued to be developed, and the increasing size of the orchestra led to a new form of music called a symphony, which would become increasingly popular in the Romantic period.

Famous composers of this era included Mozart, Hayden, and Clementi. Shubert and Beethoven were also a part of this period, although they are more commonly associated with our next period of classical music - the Romantic era.

Listen to some Classical music here.

The Romantic Era:

The Romantic period is commonly divided into two parts: the Early Romantic period (c.1830-1860) and the Late Romantic period (c.1860-c.1920). This era of music was characterized by rich and lush tones, swelling in melody and emotion. Composers were inspired by nature, folklore, heroic ballads, and even their nationality.

Ballets and tone poems became popular during this time, along with nocturnes, rhapsodies, and overtures. Opera continued to be developed, with the emotion and drama that were attributed to this era.

The orchestra also continued to increase in size, allowing for broader and fuller tones. Composers took advantage of this new sound, using the wide variety of instruments to express love, anger, grief, and joy in dramatic swells of dynamics and harmonies.

Ludwig van Beethoven was very influential to this period of music, as his style was very dramatic and expressive. His works were full of grandeur and emotion and exemplified the qualities of Romantic music. Other notable composers of the era included Wagner, Liszt, Rachmaninoff, Schumann, Tchaikovsky, Sibelius, Dvořák, and Mahler.

Listen to some Romantic music here.

Want to learn even more? Here are some sources that I used as well as some other resources to help you in your research.

• Eras of Classical Music

• Medieval: A Guide to Medieval Music; An Overview of the Medieval Music Period; Medieval Era Music Guide

• Renaissance: Renaissance Era Music Guide; A Guide to Renaissance Music

• Baroque: The Baroque Music Period; Baroque Era Music Guide

• Classical: Classical Era Music Guide; The Classical Music Period

• Romantic: Romantic Period Music Guide; An Overview of the Romantic Period