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Period: 400 to 1450
Medieval Period
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Period: 800 to 814
Charlemagne
Charlemagne was the Holy Roman emperor. He established 500 to 600 tunes, which were later increased to 3,000. -
Period: 850 to 890
Musica Enchiriadis
The author the the Musica Enchiriadis talks about the organum. The two types discussed are parallel organum and oblique organum. Parallel has voices that are a fifth, fourth or octave below that often created problems with tritones. This led to the creation of the oblique organum that had a different added melodic line. -
1030
Guido of Arezzo's Micrologus
The Micrologus is a treatise about Medieval music. Guido speaks of Gregorian chant and polyphonic music. He speaks of how Gregorian chant is sung and how polyphonic music is composed. -
Period: 1098 to Sep 17, 1179
Hildegard of Bingen
Hildegard of Bingen is famous for creating nonliturgical but scared works of music. Her most famous work is a mortality play, in which she wrote the melodies and the poetry. -
Period: 1101 to 1200
Troubadour/trobairitz
Troubadour (male) and trobairitz (female) were poet singers in the south of France. They spoke provençal. These singers created songs of courtly love in the strophic form. The singers often used chansonniers, or songbooks. -
Period: 1163 to 1225
Notre Dame School Polyphony
The first man to bring change at Notre Dame was Leonin. He composed lots of music with polyphony, two voice settings, solo portions and discant style. This was sung during the time of the Notre Dame School of Polyphony. -
1280
Franco of Cologne/Ars Cantus Mensurabilis
Ars Cantus Mensurabilis is a music theory treatise written by Franco of Cologne.In his treatise, Franco wrote of consonances and dissonances. Within consonances were perfect, intermediate and imperfect intervals. Within dissonances there were perfect and imperfect intervals. The Franconian Mensural notation, named after Franco, was made up of the double long, long, breve and semi-breve. This was a new way to notate. -
Period: 1300 to 1377
Guillaume de Machaut
Guillaume de Machaut was the main composer for Ars Nova in France. He was the first to create more secular songs than sacred. One of his most famous compositions is the "Messe de Nostre Dame" that was made up of a polyphonic and unified sound. -
1320
Ars Nova Treatise
Philippe de Vitry from France wrote the Ars Nova Treatise. This included the new styles of music. The Ars Nova introduced more isorhythmic songs composed of the rhythmic talea and the melodic color. -
Period: 1335 to 1397
Francesco Landini
Francesco Landini was a famous Italian musician of the Trecento. He is known for the "Landini Cadence" and musica ficta. "Landini Cadences" were the lower voices moving a 6th, 5th or octave to create a cadence. Musica ficta was used to make music more pleasing to the ear, avoid the tritone and accomplish landini cadences. -
1450
Gutenberg Printing Press
The Gutenberg Printing Press brought opportunities for composers to make more of an income and allowed for more amateur music to be produced. The press also allowed for more preservation of music as it could be printed and saved. -
Period: 1450 to
Renaissance
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1515
Josquin’s Missa Pangue Lingua
Josquin’s "Missa Pangue Lingua" is part of the ordinary of the mass. This mass, most likely written at the end of Josquin's life, is his most famous mass. It is based off of "Pange Lingua Gloriosi", by Thomas Aquinas. -
1529
Martin Luther’s Ein feste burg
Martin Luther’s "Ein feste burg", which translates to "A Mighty Fortress is Our God", is Martin Luther's most famous Hymn. -
1538
Arcadelt Il bianco e dolce cigno
"Il bianco e dolce cigno" is Arcadelt's best know work. The entire song is an intricate innuendo. The piece is mostly homophonic and inspired "The Silver Swan" by Gibbons. -
1567
Palestrina's Pope Marcellus Mass
Palestrina's "Pope Marcellus Mass" is a mass composed of six voices. This is the most famous example of Renaissance polyphonic choral music. Palestrina used the piece to save polyphony as he pronounced text through imitative lines so they were clear to the listener. -
Period: 1580 to
Concerto delle Donne
Concerto delle Donne were a group of professional female singers in the court of Ferrara, Italy. -
Sonata pian’e forte
Giovanni Gabrieli wrote "Sonata pian'e forte". This was the first piece where instrumentation was specified. It is also one of the first pieces to use piano and forte markings. The piece was written for St Mark's, Venice. -
Period: to
Baroque
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Monteverdi's L’Orfeo
Monteverdi's L'Orfeo is an opera based on the greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. The opera follows Orpheus as he descends into Hades to try and retrieve his dead bride and fails to do so. -
First Public Concerts in England
Public concerts were held in the homes of the musicians. Concert rooms began to be set up and taverns began to invite musicians to play at their establishments. It was considered an honor to be asked to play at a concert. -
Period: to
JS Bach
JS Bach is one of the most famous composers and musicians of the Baroque era. Bach was famous for his use of the fugue in much of his instrumental works. Bach also wrote a number of chorales. -
Period: to
Handel
Handel was a composer who spent most of his time in London composing a number of operas, oratorios, concertos and anthems . -
Purcell's Dido and Aeneas
Purcell's Dido and Aeneas is based on Virgil’s Aeneid. The opera follows Dido, queen of Carthage, who falls in love with Aeneas. Dido then falls into despair as Aeneas leaves her. The Libretto was by Nahum Tate. The Orchestra was composed of only strings and basso continuo. -
Antonio Vivaldi's L’Estro Armonico
Antonio Vivaldi's L’Estro Armonico is a set of twelve concertos for string instruments. -
Brandenburg Concertos
Six concertos written for Christian Ludwig, Margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt. -
Rameau's Traité de l’harmonie
Rameau's Traité de l’harmonie is the most used of any theoretical works as it became the basis for teaching functional harmony. -
The Well-Tempered Clavier volume 1
The Well-Tempered Clavier is a number of preludes and fugues in all keys to help students of the clavier to progress in their studies. -
Period: to
Pre Classical Period
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Period: to
Franz Joseph Haydn
Haydn was an Austrian composer. He spent most of his time at Esterhaza Palace composing for the family that lived there. He wrote many symphonies, sonatas, quartets, operas and oratorios. -
Handel's Messiah
Handel's Messiah is composed of three parts, the prophecies, the passion and the second coming. The whole composition ends in the hallelujah chorus, which is a familiar tune to many as Handel intended it to be. -
Period: to
Chevalier de Saint-Georges as director of Concerts des Amateurs
Chevalier de Saint-Georges conducted one of the top orchestras in Paris called the "Concerts des Amateurs". After the American revolution the orchestra struggled to stay funded but was soon taken up by the free masons who renamed it "Le Concert Olympique". -
Period: to
WA Mozart
As a child, Mozart traveled the world on tour performing before many people, including royalty. Mozart was a musician in Salzburg for a time until he decided to stay in Vienna where he would compose many of his greatest works. -
Period: to
Viennese Classical Period
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Period: to
Beethoven
Beethoven was a German pianist and composer. He is considered to be one of the greatest composers. -
Haydn's op.33 String Quartets
Haydn's op.33 had a new composition to it. These used the rondo form, presenting the music in an ABACA format. These pieces are dedicated to the Grand Duke Paul of Russia. -
Mozart's Piano Concerto No.23
Mozart's Piano Concerto No.23 is composed for a solo piano and orchestra. This piece consists of three movements. -
Mozart's Don Giovanni
Mozart's Don Giovanni is an opera set in Seville, Spain. This opera is based on the legend of Don Juan and is sung in Italian. The opera is a Dramma giocoso. -
Period: to
Haydn's London Symphonies
The London Symphonies are a number of symphonies that Haydn wrote on his first and second visit to London. Symphonies 93-98 were written on his first visit while symphonies 99-104 were written on his second visit. -
Period: to
Franz Schubert
Schubert was a romantic composer who wrote lieds, song cycles, nine symphonies, and quintets. -
Niccolo Paganini 's 24 Caprices for Unaccompanied Violin, op.1
Niccolo Paganini 's "24 Caprices for Unaccompanied Violin, op.1" are a set of etudes for violin that focus on different skills related to the violin. Many of these works are dubbed as unplayable. -
Symphony No. 5 in C minor
This Symphony, set to four movements, would become Beethoven's most famous piece. The opening to it has become a staple of classical music. It was first performed at the Theater an der Wien in Vienna. -
Erlkönig
"Erlkönig" was a song composed by Schubert set to the poem of the "Erlkönig" written by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. This song is characterized by three different voices, the Elf King, father and son. The song is a commentary on infant death and societies fascination with it. -
Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia" is an opera buffa in two acts, based on a French play "Le Barbier de Séville." -
Symphony No. 9
This symphony was Beethoven's last symphony. This symphony was a choral symphony with words from "Ode To Joy'. -
Symphony No.8 “Unfinished”
Symphony No.8 “Unfinished” by Schubert was written with only two movements. Scholars are still unsure as to why Schubert left the piece, some believing it had to do with his battle with syphilis. -
Berlioz Symphonie Fantastique
This symphony written by Berlioz is a program symphony made up of five parts. It tells the story of a man that dreams he kills his lover and is then killed himself for his crimes. The symphony ends in a witches party with the deceased man in attendance. -
Frederic Chopin Mazurkas Op.7
"Mazurkas Op.7" is a set of five mazurkas composed by Chopin. A mazurka is a polish dance in triple time. -
Period: to
Robert Schumann Carnaval
Schumanns' "Carnaval" is a cycle of twenty-one character pieces for the piano. -
Fanny Mendelssohn-Hensel Das Jahr
Fanny Hensel's "Das Jahr" is a piano suite that has a movement for each month of the year. This work was in some ways more progressive than her brothers compositions. Fanny wrote to her brother to inform him she was going to get her piece published but died before she could see it happen. -
Clara Wieck Schumann"Liebst du um Schönheit"
"Liebst du um Schönheit," written by Clara Schumann, is a vocal piece set to the poetry of Friedrich Rückert. -
Berlioz Treatise on Instrumentation
The "Treatise on Instrumentation," written by Berlioz, was a combination of studies for instrumentalist. It included examples of great composers, including some of Berlioz's own works. -
Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy - Violin Concerto in E minor, Op.64
This violin concerto by Mendelssohn was innovative for its time in the way it used the violin and composition of the music. The concerto is one of the most commonly played violin pieces even today. -
Verdi 's La traviata
"La Traviata" by Verdi is a three act opera based on the play "La Dame aux camélias." -
Period: to
Louis Moreau Gottschalk's Souvenir de Porto Rico
"Souvenir de Porto Rico," written by Louis Gottschalk, is a piano piece that combines tones of Latin American and Afro-American music. This piece was written while he was on tour in Puerto Rico and is modeled after "Si me dan pasteles." -
Wagner's Tristan und Isolde
Wagner's "Tristan und Isolde" is an opera or drama in three acts. It is based on the story "Tristan" by Gottfried von Strassburg. -
Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov
"Boris Godunov" is the only completed opera by Mussorgsky and is one of his best works. The opera follows the story of a Tsar of Russia Boris Godunov. -
Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen
Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen" or "The Ring Cycle" are four music dramas. The stories told in the cycle are based around Norse mythology. -
Bizet's Carmen
Carmen is a French opera in four acts written by Bizet. It is based on the novella written by Prosper Mérimée. -
Brahms' Symphony No.4
Brahms' Symphony No.4 is the last symphony that he wrote. The symphony contains four movements. -
Mahler's Symphony No.1
Mahler's Symphony No.1 was composed while Mahler was a conductor at the Leipzig Opera. The symphony contains motifs of other songs that Mahler has written. -
Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two act ballet choreographed by Marius Petipa and composed by Tchaikovsky. The ballet is based on the story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King." -
Dvorak's Symphony No.9 “New World"
This symphony by Antonín Dvořák is one of the most popular symphonies. It embodied what the composer saw the "New World" as with hints of different types of tunes native to the land. -
Debussy's Prélude à l’aprés midi d’un faune
This work is an orchestration inspired by the poem "L'après-midi d'un faune" by Stéphane Mallarmé. It is considered to be one of Debussy's best works and a catalyst for modern music. -
Maple Leaf Rag
This song is a composition for piano by Scott Joplin. This song contributed to the start of the ragtime genre of music. Like many rags, the song is in 2/4 time and has the structure of a march. The song pulls from European form but has distinctly African rhythms. -
Jean Sibelius' Finlandia
This work is a tone poem for orchestra. This is one of Sibelius' most famous works. The composition is in support of the Finnish government and in rebellion of controlled media by Russia. -
Puccini's Madama Butterfly
"Madama Butterfly" is a three act opera by Giacomo Puccini based on the short story "Madame Butterfly" by John Long. -
Schönberg's Pierrot Lunaire
This piece is melodrama, set to twenty-one songs based off of the poems by Albert Giraud. The songs normally feature a soprano soloist in the style of Sprechstimme with an instrumental ensemble. -
Stravinsky's Le sacre du Printemps
Stravinsky's "Le sacre du Printemps" or "The Rite of Spring", is an orchestral composition that takes from pagan Russian stories. The composition makes use of Primitivism to accent mans actions that are primitive during the performance. This work was shocking to audiences as it moves away from tonal music and symmetrical rhythms. -
George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue
This piece is a composition for piano and jazz band. This piece was commissioned by Paul Whiteman for the "An Experiment In Modern Music" concert and has since been one of the most popular american concert songs, . -
Schönberg's Piano Suite, Op.25
This composition is a piano piece consisting of a 12-tone scale, based off of Bach's "Keyboard Suites". There are six movements in this piece. The movements are Präludium, Gavotte, Musette, Intermezzo,Menuett Trio and Gigue. This was one of Schönberg's experimental pieces where he saw the way that classical music had innovated music and believed he should do the same. -
Louis Armstrong's "Hotter Than That"
"Hotter Than That" was one of the first recordings by the Hot Five, a jazz recording group featuring Louis Armstrong's scat singing and other solo instruments. -
Shostakovich Symphony No.5 premiere
This piece is a work for orchestra that premiered in Leningrad. It was well received by the public but closely analyzed by the officials for its undertones of resistance to Stalin. -
Prokofiev Alexander Nevsky (film)
This film is a historical drama directed by Sergei Eisenstein and scored by Sergei Prokofiev. -
Ellington's Cottontail
This piece was written by Duke Ellington, based off of "I've Got Rhythm" by George Gershwin. The original featured a saxophone. Many other versions of this song have been written. -
Olivier Messiaen's Quatuor pour le fine du temps
This piece is a chamber song written by Messiaen during his time as a prisoner of war in Germany. -
Bela Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra
This work is an orchestral composition with five movements commissioned by the Koussevitzky Foundation. The piece is called a concerto because of the way Bartok designed the different instrument sections to imitate solos. -
Copland Appalachian Spring
This piece is an orchestral suite that was commissioned for the dancer Martha Graham. This suite was composed with an American theme and highly praised. -
John Cage's 4’33’’
"Four minutes and thirty-three seconds" is a piece in three movements. This composition is meant for singular or multiple instruments. In the piece, Cage plays with the idea of silence as a part of music. -
Edgard Varese Poeme Electronique
This piece premiered at the Brussels Exposition or World Fair in 1958. It is a fully electronic piece timed to a film by Le Corbusier. -
Miles Davis Kind of Blue
"Kind of Blue" is an album by American trumpeter Miles Davis. This album was an important composition for experimental jazz. -
George Crumb's Black Angels
This piece, for electric string quartet, was a commentary on the Vietnam War and the tragedies that unfolded during that time. -
John Adams' Short Ride in a Fast Machine
This piece is a post minimal style orchestration.