HELPING FOR MORE UNDERSTANDING MUSIC!! ^^

HELPING FOR MORE UNDERSTANDING MUSIC! ^^

MUSIC can be divided into many periods. Some of them that are importance are, BAROQUE PERIOD, CLASSICAL PERIOD, ROMANTIC PERIOD AND TWENTIETH CENTURY PERIOD.

·         Baroque Period. It includes 17th century and early 18^th century.  It took place from 1600 to 1750, as the Baroque artistic style flourished across Europe. During this time, music expanded in its range and complexity. Baroque music began when the first operas were written and when contrapuntal music became prevalent. German Baroque composers wrote for small ensembles including strings, brass, and woodwinds, as well as choirs, pipe organ, harpsichord, and clavichord. During this period several major music forms were defined that lasted into later periods when they were expanded and evolved further, including the fugue, the invention, the sonata, and the concerto.

·         Classical Period. It includes late 18^th century and early 19^th century. It took place from 1750 to 1830. It has a lighter, clearer and considerably simpler texture, and tended to be almost voice like and singable. Importance was given to instrumental music. It was dominated by further evolution of musical forms initially defined in the Baroque period: the sonata, the concerto, and the symphony. Others main kinds were trio, string quartet, serenade and divertimento. The sonata was the most important and developed form. Although Baroque composers also wrote sonatas, the Classical style of sonata is completely distinct. All of the main instrumental forms of the Classical era were based on the dramatic structure of the sonata.

·         Romantic Period. The whole of the 19^th century is generally termed as the Romanic era. It took place from 1810 to 1900. It turned the rigid styles and forms of the Classical era into more passionate and expressive pieces. It attempted to increase emotional expression and power to describe deeper truths or human feelings. The emotional and expressive qualities of music came to take precedence over technique and tradition. Romantic Period can be divided into two categories. It is EARLY ROMANTIC and LATE ROMANTIC. The musical style became more nationalistic from about 1850 onwards.

·         Twentieth Century Period.  The style of ‘music’in the 20^th century was varied and some of the more importance styles were the ‘Impressionism’and the ‘Neo-Classicism’. Unusual rhythm, sound and melody were common features in this era. The composers who were inspired by the folk music were Bartok (Hungarian folk songs), Stravinsky (Russian folk songs) and Charles Ives (American tunes). While, Composers who were inspired by the Asian culture were Debussy (Javanese music) and Messiaen (India music).