Music History A brief overview The Baroque Era (1600-1750) Highly - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Music History

A brief overview

The Baroque Era (1600-1750)

• Highly decorative and elaborate music and art
• Music is ornamented and improvised
• Orchestras begin to form
• Opera is invented
• Music is written for nobility and for the church – not for the common folk
• The aim of the arts is to express emotion
• Harpsichord is the most popular keyboard instrument

Listen: Bach’s Toccata in D minor

Going on in the world. . .

• 1608 – Scientific discoveries such as the telescope cause

people to question mysteries of the universe

• 1620 – the pilgrims arrive in America
• 1626 – New York is discovered

The Classical Era (1750-1800)

• Classical Greek ideals of logic, perfect form, balance, simple expression and

emotional control influences all the arts, including music.

• Music is written primarily for entertainment or for amateur performers
• Common people begin attending concerts
• The symphony (a large multi-movement composition for orchestra) makes its

first appearance

• Keyboard sonatas and sonatinas rise in popularity
• Music is simpler and less ornamented than baroque music
• Piano surpasses the harpsichord as the most popular keyboard instrument

Listen: Mozart’s “Rondo Alla Turca”

Going on in the world. . .

• 1776 – Declaration of Independence in America
• Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions
• Benjamin Franklin discovers electricity

The Romantic Era (1800-1900)

• Personal feelings are expressed in music
• Emotions are valued over reason
• Composers write for the public and the new middle class, not for patrons
• The piano evolves into a powerful, extremely popular instrument
• Smaller pianos available and affordable for people’s homes
• Greater freedom of musical form
• Forms such as the symphonic poem and the art song (German Lied) appear
• The age of grand opera

Listen: Franz Liszt’s “Transcendental Etude No. 2”

Going on in the world. . .

• Queen Victoria comes to the throne in Great Britain
• The rubber band, the typewriter, and Coca-Cola are invented
• 1861-1865 American Civil War
• 1885 The Statue of Liberty is erected

The Modern Era (1900-present)

• Science and technology begin to influence society and the arts.
• Composers explore many new ideas
• Impressionism (a style of music popularized by Claude Debussy) appears
• Jazz and Broadway music influence classical composers
• Musicians and composers are exposed to art and music from different cultures
• Synthesized and electronic music comes onto the scene

Listen: Debussy’s “Golliwog’s Cakewalk”

Going on in the world. . .

• First and Second World Wars
• The Great Depression
• Jazz, Rock & Roll, R & B, and rap all appear as musical styles

throughout the 20th century

• Space exploration begins
• The world enters the computer age
• The iPhone and the internet are invented

Click here for a fun video of “The Evolution of Music”