Description
See Classical Music for an understanding of what makes something Classical
Covers a broad range of art music that originated in Europe around 500 AD.
Characterised by its tonal system and harmonic language, dodecaphonic tuning system, fixed notational system, standard musical forms, and instrumentation.
When compared broadly to other traditions of music, Western Classical Music tends to place more emphasis on harmony and less on rhythm, and relies more on fixed performance rather than improvisation.
The umbrella genre has exhibited radical change, but mainly linear change which can be solidly traced back.
History
The Western Classical Music tradition begins with music written for and by the early Christian Church (Christian Liturgical Music). This tradition begins after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, and the predominant musical form was Plainsong until ~1100.
The early Church wished to disassociate itself from the pagan-associated Ancient Music of the Romans and Greeks. Regardless, this music was still heavily influenced by Ancient Greek and Roman music theory (monophony, improvisation, modes)
This monophonic music gradually developed into Medieval Classical Music where polyphony, staff notation and the nascent forms of many modern instruments developed.
During the 9th century, several important developments took place
- First, there was a major effort by the Church to unify the many chant traditions and suppress many of them in favour of Gregorian Chant
- Second, the earliest polyphonic music was sung, a form of parallel singing known as organum
- Third, and of the greatest significance for music history, notation was reinvented after a lapse of about five hundred years, though it would be several more centuries before a system of pitch and rhythm notation evolved having the precision and flexibility that modern musicians take for granted.
Child genres
Historical genres
In order of development Medieval Classical Music Renaissance Music Baroque Music Classical Period Romanticism Neoclassicism