Classical Music

Classical Music

Periods:
Medieval (800-1400) The term Medieval covers the period from 800 to 1400. The Middle Ages finds Latin Gregorian chant largely established in Western Europe. This will form the basis of much that follows. Early polyphony has the single melodic line of the chant elaborated by parallel chant in simple organum. Further elaboration of the chant is found in Paris at NotreDame in the 12th century with the composers Léonin (fl.c.1163-1190) and Pérotin (c.1200). At the same time troubadours, active in Provence, and their northern counterpart, the trouvères, sing of love and chivalry in monodic songs. In Germany the Minnesinger provide a similar song repertoire in the 13th century, while in France the trouvère Adam de la Halle (c.1230-c.1288) is active with songs,motets and plays, notably Le jeu de Robin et Marion. Polytextual motets and increasing rhythmic complexities are codified in 1320 by Philippe de Vitry in what is now known as the Ars Nova, as opposed to the earlier Ars Antiqua. The polyphonic Messe de Notre Dame of Guillaume Machaut (c.1300-1377), in about 1370, is the first example of a setting of the Ordinary of the Mass by a single composer.Renaissance (1400-1600) The 15th century finds the English composer John Dunstable (c.1390-1453) at the court of Joan of Navarre. The English style, with its use of fuller musical intervals, is followed by the composers associated with the so-called First Netherlands or Burgundian School, Dufay (c.1400-1474), Binchois (c.1400-1460) and then Busnois (c.1430-1492). The Flanders-born Ockeghem(c.1410-1497) serves at the French court, composing Masses, motets and chansons, while Obrecht (1457/8-1505) works in the Burgundian Netherlands. The so-called Second Netherlands School is dominated by Josquin Desprez (c.1440-1521), who, like other northern European compatriots, worked in Italy. The Netherlands school of polyphony is widespread, partly for political and dynastic reasons. By 1500 a systemof printing music with movable type had been developed in Venice. In 1527 the Flemish composer Willaert (c.1490-1562) takes charge of the music at St Mark's in Venice, creating a major Italian musical centre with compositions of increasing elaboration. Claudio Merulo (1533-1604) was organist there from 1557, followed by Andrea Gabrieli (c.1510-1586) and his nephew Giovanni Gabrieli (1558-1613). InRome, Palestrina (1525/6-1594) published his first Masses in 1554, setting a standard of church polyphony that was to form the basis of such works for many years. He shares fame with the great Orlando di Lasso (Lassus)(1532-1594) in Munich, the Spanish Tomas Luis de Victoria, and the English William Byrd (1543-1623). Other important English composers of the time include Thomas Tallis(c.1505-1585) and the lutenist John Dowland (1563-1626). The last quarter of the century brings the development of the madrigal in the form of part-songs, often on pastoral subjects, with the Italian style and form imitated elsewhere, notably in England, with Byrd and his contemporaries, and further developed in Italy by composers such as Monteverdi (1567-1643), then in Mantua, and the uxoricide prince,Gesualdo (c.1561-1613).


Baroque (1600-1750) The Baroque covers the period from 1600 to 1750. The early Baroque finds the beginning of opera, a form of princely entertainment first seen in Florence, and notably exemplified by Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, staged in Mantua in 1607. This follows the development of a form of Italian monody in which a vocal line, closely associated with the words set, wasaccompanied by a bass-line, with chords from a keyboard or plucked instrument. Monteverdi (1567-1643) moves in 1613 to St Mark's in Venice. His last operas in 1640 and 1642 are staged at a newly opened commercial opera-house in Venice. Italian opera continues with Cavalli (1602-1676), Cesti (1623-1669) and Rossi (1597-1653), among others. Oratorio, associated with the religious order established by...