Classical music
Classical music encompasses a rich and diverse range of musical styles rooted in the traditions of Western culture, tracing its origins from the late Middle Ages to the present. It includes various genres such as concerto, symphony, sonata, and opera, reflecting the evolution of musical notation and composition over time. Key periods in classical music history include the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras, each characterized by distinct musical innovations and cultural influences. Prominent composers from these periods, such as Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, are often celebrated for their contributions and technical mastery.
The development of classical music was significantly impacted by sociopolitical changes and advancements in music theory and instrument design. As it evolved, classical music began to express the emotions and national identities of its time, especially during the Romantic era. In contemporary society, classical music remains dynamic, with modern composers drawing inspiration from its historical roots while also integrating elements from genres like jazz and rock. The enduring appeal of classical music continues to resonate, influencing both professional and amateur musicians, as well as educational settings, where its potential benefits for learning and memory are explored. Overall, classical music serves as a vibrant reflection of human experience and cultural expression across centuries.
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Classical music
Classical music refers to a wide variety of music that reflects and is rooted in the classicism of Western culture dating from as early as the late Middle Ages to the present day. European classical music is chronicled from the Renaissance due to the evolution of musical notation and genres including concerto, symphony, sonata, suite, opera, and others. Each generation, in successive waves, brought about innovation. During the early nineteenth century, the term classical music was used to reflect a golden age of music from Johann Sebastian Bach to Beethoven. Earlier classical music emerged as a result of a resurgence of humanism in the arts. Viennese classical music as defined by the work of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven embodied a high degree of technical skill. Romantic classicism emerged as nationalism spread throughout Europe to reflect the emotion of time, place, and composer’s expressiveness.
Brief History
Classical music radio stations have amplified the meaning of classical music to indicate periods including early music (medieval, 600–1400; Renaissance, 1400–1600) and periods when music notation was standardized and instrument design was advanced (baroque, 1600–1750; classical, 1750–1830; Romantic, 1804–1949). Modern and contemporary classical music dates from the early twentieth century. To purists, though, the term classical music refers only to the period between 1750 and 1827 or to ancient Greek music.
Classical music is derived from the humanism of classical antiquity. Greek culture recognized ethnic diversity and placed humans at the center of the universe, revealing a musical worldview where music was at once art and science. After the fall of the Roman Empire, the Roman Catholic Church filled a void by becoming the preserver of culture and learning; from about 600 to 1400 an age of theocracy emerged that systematically submerged the aesthetics, ideas, and technology of the classical world. The Church delineated how music was to be used in Christian worship so that musical ideas and techniques of antiquity were lost; the functions of music were appropriated to bolster the Church. Instrumental music was not used in favor of monophonic plainsong (Gregorian chant) that was conducive to prayerful activity.
Advances in music through the Middle Ages opened the door to highly intellectualized music during the Renaissance. The printing press made mass communication and the movement of ideas possible, which brought about a resurgence of interest in classicism and reasserted elements of ancient Greek sensibilities. This fostered new tuning and harmonic structures and the concept of word painting.
The emotionalism of the Baroque era radically changed how music was played and discussed, and the Age of Enlightenment brought the dissemination of diverse ideas in cosmopolitan areas. The Baroque era gave rise to the French overture, the minuet and trio, the sonata-allegro form, the passacaglia, and later the rondo form. Enlightened ideology related to progressive social issues led to improved educational opportunities and quality of life, and musically this was reflected in “cosmopolitan” music when composers offered their musical ideas, focused on shared humanity, to broader audiences. Likewise, amateur performances by women and men in urban centers fostered the growth of classical music.
The first years of the eighteenth century brought about the establishment of new universities and the start of the Industrial Revolution. Beginning in the 1730s a new classicism emerged as instrumental music came to the fore. The very nature of musical performance was transformed with the use of standard instrumental groups. A single melodic line with accompaniment emphasized the dynamics and phrasing of a composition over polyphonic texture so that the variety and contrast within the piece became more pronounced. Composers such as Wagner, Liszt, and Paganini created richly extended melodic lines during the Romantic era, which started in the 1800s and tapped nationalist fervor.
During the twentieth century, modernism rejected some of the values of earlier classical music including traditional tonality, melody, instrumentation, and structure. Igor Stravinsky with his Rite of Spring (1913) revolutionized classical music and the ears of music audiences with (pre-medieval) pagan Russian themes that explored bitonality. His avant-garde interpretation of classicism was an example of melody following speech patterns that opened the door to new ways of composing classical music that reflect national character.
Topic Today
Classical music in all of its forms remains relevant and continues to evolve with each generation of composer and audiences. When classical music emerged, it was popular contemporary music that reflected societal values and economic and political realities, becoming a vibrant historical record of composers’ lives through time. Classical music continues to interest professional and amateur musicians who bring new interpretations and understanding to various aspects of this genre. Performers today can use written scores like musical blueprints to bring ancient musical concepts to life.
While popular perceptions of classical music remain dominated by the works of historical figures such as Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven, a number of composers in the twenty-first century carried on the tradition of these historic figures in their own work. Modern composers versed in the classical tradition often retain many of the stylistic and compositional choices of their earlier historical counterparts, though contemporary classical music may also include influences from a variety of newer genres, including jazz and rock.
Infants are highly sensitive to music, and a thirteen-week fetus reacts to music outside the womb. Some researchers have suggested that specific classical music (such as Mozart) is conducive to learning, spatial reasoning, and improved memory in the classroom.
Bibliography
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Complete Classical Music Guide. DK, 2013.
Greaves, Helen. Historical Dictionary of Modern and Contemporary Classical Music. Scarecrow, 2012.
Henley, Darren. Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Classical Music but Were Afraid to Ask. Elliott & Thompson, 2012.
Johnson, Julian. Who Needs Classical Music? Cultural Choice and Musical Value. Oxford UP, 2011.
Kallen, Stuart A. The History of Classical Music. Lucent, 2013.
Kramer, Lawrence. Why Classical Music Still Matters. University of California Press, 2007.
McVicker, Mary Frech. Women Composers of Classical Music: 369 Biographies from 1550 into the 20th Century. McFarland, 2011.
Terasti, Eero. Semantics of Classical Music: How Mozart, Brahms and Wagner Talk to Us. De Gruyler Mouton, 2012.
"The Four Eras of Classical Music: A Quick Guide." Classic FM, www.classicfm.com/discover-music/four-eras-classical-music/. Accessed 9 Aug. 2024.