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What era do you belong in? Is it Medieval, Rock, Baroque, Contemporary?? Let's find out!

What Era Of Music Do You Belong In?

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The medieval period spans from roughly the 11th to 15th century. New to music in this period was the development of notation of pitch and duration. Another development was the creation of polyphonic music where there were independent, simultaneous melodies that moved in different melodic directions and at different speeds. Gregorian Chant exemplified sacred, church music, which started as monophony but progressed to polyphony during the period, where composers layered voices with independent melodies and varying rhythms. Some notable composers of sacred music during the period included Leonin, Perotin, and Hildegard von Bingen. Troubadours, Trouveres, and Minnesingers emerged in this period as secular music became more acceptable. These were aristocratic poets/composers who used their regional language to create mainly love songs. Bernart de Ventadorn was one of the most famous troubadours. (connect4education)

Medieval Period

The Renaissance period took place from 1450-1600. The Renaissance period is considered the Golden Age of choral music because more choral music was written during this time than any other time period, the notable forms of this period were all choral music forms, and it would still be a long time before the modern orchestra was in place. Similarly to the medieval period, sacred music built melodies off of Gregorian chant, and more emphasis was put on harmony in compositions. During the renaissance period, a major transformation occurred in music from the Catholic Church, where composers continuously altered the original chant. The primary form of secular music in this time was the madrigal that aimed to convey the meanings of poems that they were based on. One of the more popular instruments to use during the Renaissance was the lute. Some notable composers of the time include Giovanni da Palestrina, William Byrd, Jacob Obrecht, and Carlo Gesualdo. (connect4education)

Renaissance Period

The Baroque period took place between the years of 1600-1750 in Europe. It was a tumultuous time filled with conflict and changing ideas that led to a revolution in the musical world. Simultaneously during this period was the Scientific Revolution, the Catholic-Counter reformation, the 30-Years War, colonization, and the rise of the bourgeoisie. There were major paradigm and cultural shifts happening, leading to plenty of new ideas about everything, including music. There was a shift in emphasis to individual expression and extravagance, especially present in art. This led to emotional, experimental and extremely original music. The main characteristics were generally a unity of mood throughout a piece, ritornello form, or recurring musical ideas throughout a piece, and intricate melodies, including the use of counterpoint polyphony. This era led to the creation of Opera, as well as the rise in popularity of Castrati singers. Some noteworthy composers from this era were Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Antonio Vivaldi. (connect4education)

Baroque Period

The Classical Period took place between 1750-1825 during a time of intense political upheaval and shifting ideas. They lived in the Age of Enlightenment, and there was a clear shift from believing in God as the end all be all, and instead believing in reason and the power of science. The American and French Revolutions both occurred during this time and the shift away from monarchies began. Rococo style of art and interior design dominated, characterized by intricate gold and soft pastels. Classical music, however, was predominantly characterized by balance, logic, and simplicity. Melodies tended to be more regular, symmetrical and formed well defined patterns.The progressions were much more straightforward and the idea of form was developed during this time. The Sonata-Allegro form was created and became the basis for most instrumental music. Some noteworthy composers from this era were Franz Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven. (connect 4 education)

Classical Period

The romantic era took place between 1820-1910 in a world that had just experienced immense political upheaval and shifts in ideas. After the dissolution of the aristocracy, artists were now reliant on commissions and royalties from publications instead of a patron. The Romantic artists were excited by the power of the individual and much of the art being created at this time was connected to other forms of art. Because of this, there was a large rise in Program music, or music that tells a story. Opera was given new life by composers like Wagner and Puccini. Composers explored new ways to use rhythm, and often changed tempo within songs. They also explored different ways of using melody by creating long and flowing melodies that were extremely emotionally expressive. They added interesting harmonies and experimented with dissonance and unexpected tonal shifts. Some noteworthy composers were Frederic Chopin, Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt. (connect 4 education)

Romantic Period

The post-romantic period took place in the last 20 years of the Romantic period. There were two different schools of thought in this period. One emerged in France, where French composers were working against the German Romanticism movement in the development of the popular ballet and different opera forms. Post-romanticism in Italy came with the development of a new type of opera that depicted everyday people in ordinary situations that would be thrust into violent action. Giacomo Puccini is known as one of the greatest Italian post-Romantic composers. German post-Romanticism was characterized by the extremes of emotional expression, harmonic changes, dynamics, and size of orchestra being used. Gustav Mahler and Richard Strauss were famous German post-Romantic composers. (connect4education)

Post-Romantic Period

The Contemporary music era hit in the 20th century very rapidly, more so than any other time in history. Musicians began to explore new and original ways of expressing themselves, all kinds of “isms”—Post-Romanticism, Impressionism, Modernism, Expressionism, Neoclassicism, serialism, minimalism, indeterminism, even polystylism—were developed. Examining this explosion of new styles, it is important to keep in mind that change is almost always a reaction to what has gone before. 18th-century Classical composers sought to impose order and symmetry on the excessiveness of the Baroque period by fitting music into well-balanced forms. 19th-century Romantic composers then reacted against the formality of the Classical period by producing increasingly large and emotionally complex works that explored the depths of the human soul and psyche. There is no clear set of defining characteristics for 20th-century music as a whole. A few general points, however, will help identify some of the salient features during this period; form, melody, rhythm, harmony, texture, and timbre.

Contemporary Period

The Jazz period started in the 1920’s and continues to be popular today. Jazz emerged in the form of independent traditional and popular music styles, all linked by the common bonds of African American and European American musical parentage with a performance orientation. Jazz spands over a period of a hundred years and ranges from ragtime to jazz-rock fusion in the 1970’s. Jazz makes heavy use of improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation, and swing notes, making each jazz composition unique within itself. Such influential examples of jazz performers are; Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, and Billie Holiday.

Jazz Period

Rock music started in the 1950’s and has developed into various different types throughout the years here in the United States and in England. Heavily influenced by blues and country, rock music also draws influence from jazz, R&B, and and even classical. Rock music has served as a vehicle for cultural and social movements, leading to major sub-cultures such as; hippie, punk, goth, and emo. The sound of rock music is centered around the use of electric guitar and bass, with percussion from a drum kit. Later electric keyboard and synthesizers were added to the genre. Rock music continues to be a popular genre of music today and is ever evolving and changing. Influential rock musicians are; The Beatles, Bob Dylan, Queen and Led Zeppelin to name a few.

Rock Period

Neo-romanticism, or the return to the ideals of the romantic era, was a common trend in popular music in the 1970s. The renewed interest in exploring Romantic techniques and genres represented a desire to find a more expressive musical voice. This reaction to the more abstract elements of experimental music of the time, Neo-romantic music included the creation of compositions on a large scale, the expression of overt emotionalism, and the use of lush harmonies and orchestrations. Neo-romanticism gained additional momentum in the 1980s from the increased exploration of exotic literary sources of inspiration, allowing composers to create uniques

Neo Romanticism Period

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