The Later Periods of Musical History
Musical history often reflected more than just what was happening musically. The music itself was influenced by what was happening in the world at the time. These influences had just as much to do with changes in governments, the sciences, and society as they did with musical tastes. The six periods of musical eras are known as the Middle Ages, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and Twentieth Century. We will deal here with the last three.
The classical period dealt with the years 1750 to 1825. This was a time of great changes. Continuing new industries were able to make better products more easily available to the average consumer. It was the Industrial Revolution, a time of wealth and prosperity. Writers such as Voltaire were talking about a person’s rights. Politics were a major concern for the time as both the American and French revolutions occurred. Music became simpler but with more emotion. The piano became more important and was the popular solo instrument of its day.
This period produced the likes of Mozart, Haydn and Beethoven. Haydn wrote over one hundred and twenty five compositions for the baritone. Prince Nikolaus of Austria played this instrument, much like a viola, and so that is why he wrote these pieces. He also wrote many beautiful symphonies. He is known to have been a big influence on the music of the other two composers. Mozart was a child prodigy and one of the most prolific composers of his day. He wrote more than six hundred pieces. Beethoven is said to have been a man of two periods with his music coming into the romantic period. He lost his hearing half way through his life yet continued to write incredible compositions until the end.
The Romantic period ran from 1825 to 1900. This was a time of change as countries searched for their independence and the chance to grow. Darwin created theories that many found alarming. Man began to value that which they had created in the past while flourishing with a new appreciation of the arts of the present. In music the harmonies became fuller; the melodies longer and more emotion continued to creep into music. Music told more stories. Composers had more freedom, as they no longer counted on the royal courts for their soul incomes. This was the time of Franz Schubert, Mendelssohn, Chopin, Liszt, Verdi, Wagner, Brahms, Debussy and Tchaikovsky. Amy Marcy Cheney Beach was the first important women composer in the United States. She was a child prodigy and despite the difficulties of being taken seriously as a woman composer she was quite successful.
The music of the twentieth century saw the world through an incredible amount of change. Man went through two world wars, incredible changes in technology that made communication nearly instantaneous and brought distance to its knees. Civil rights were fought for. There were more genres of music than there ever had been before. People could listen to big band, country, rock and roll, rhythm and blues, jazz or hip hop. Self-expression through music became the norm. New instruments were invented or no instruments were used. The possibilities were endless. Methods to record music allowed people to listen to what they wanted when they wanted in the comfort of their own homes. Television allowed musicians to be watched at home as well. It was a time of Scott Joplin, Igor Stravinsky, Duke Ellington and Leonard Bernstein. It became a time of silly love songs, protest songs, ballads and rap. Music of this age transformed the world with the help of Elvis Presley, The Beatles, and Nirvana.
