Romantic Music Timeline

Historiographers define the Romantic Music period to be between 1800 to 1900. It is characterized by using music to tell a story or express an idea, the use of various instruments including wind instruments and melodies are fuller and more dramatic. Here is a timeline of music-related events from 1821 to 1900 to give you an idea of the major music events which occurred during the Romantic Period.

• 1821 - The harmonica was invented by Friedrich Buschmann.
• 1825 - Carl Almenräder redesigned the French bassoon.
• 1826 - Carl Maria von Weber died.
• 1827 - Ludwig van Beethoven died.
• 1828 - Franz Schubert died.
• 1829 - Felix Mendelssohn conducted the first modern performance of J.S. Bach's "St. Matthew Passion".
• 1830 - Louis-Hector Berlioz completed his "Symphonie Fantastique".
• 1831 - Vincenzo Bellini's opera, Norma, was first performed at La Scala in MIlan.
• 1832 - Frédéric Chopin performed his "Piano Concerto in F Minor" and the "Variations, opus 2" in Paris.
• 1833 - Johannes Brahms was born.
• 1838 - Georges Bizet was born. Also on the same year in Scotland, music was published in Braille notation.
• 1840 - Pyotr Il'Yich Tchaikovsky was born and Niccolò Paganini died. Also, the clarinet was redesigned giving it its mature form.
• 1841 - Felix Mendelssohn became the director of the Leipzig Conservatory.
• 1842 - New York Philharmonic Orchestra was founded.
• 1846 - Adolphe Sax patented his first saxophone.
• 1847 - Felix Mendelssohn died.
• 1849 - Frederic Chopin died.
• 1853 - Giuseppe Verdi wrote his "La traviata".
• 1856 - Henry Engelhard Steinway created his first grand piano.
• 1858 - The Italian composer Giacomo Puccini was born.
• 1859 - In New Orleans, Louisiana, the first opera house was opened.
• 1862 - Claude DeBussy, one of the most influential composers of his time, was born.
• 1864 - The German composer, Richard Strauss was born.
• 1867 - Amy Beach, the first major American female composer, was born.
• 1868 - Gioacchino Rossini died.
• 1869 - Louis-Hector Berlioz died. On the same year, the opera "Faust" by Charles Gounod was first performed in Paris.
• 1874 - The Austro-Hungarian composer, Arnold Schönberg, and the American composer, Charles Ives, were born.
• 1875 - The opera "Carmen" by Georges Bizet was first performed in Paris. He would also pass away that year.
• 1876 - Edvard Grieg wrote the incidental music for Ibsen's Peer Gynt.
• 1877 - "Requiem" by Gabriel Fauré was first performed in Paris. That same year, Thomas Edison patented the phonograph which will change the way people listened to music. Also, Swan Lake" by Tchaikovsky, was first performed in Moscow.
• 1881 - One of the major 20th century composers, Béla Bartók, was born.

Baroque Music Timeline

The word "baroque" comes from the Italian word "barocco" which means bizarre. This word was first used to describe the style of architecture mainly in Italy during the 17th and 18th century. Later on the word baroque was used to describe the music styles of the 1600s to the 1700s. The Baroque period was a time when composers experimented with form, styles and instruments. This period saw the development of opera and instrumental music. The violin was also considered an important musical instrument during this time.

• 1573 - The first known meeting of the Florentine Camerata, a group of musicians who came together to discuss various subjects including the arts. It is said that the members were interested in reviving the Greek dramatic style. Both the monodies and the opera are believed to have come out from their discussions and experimentation. Some of the known members of the Florentine Camerata are Jacopo Peri and Claudio Monteverdi

• 1597 - The period of the early opera which will last until 1650. Opera is generally defined as a stage presentation or work that combines music, costumes, and scenery to relay a story. Most operas are sung, with no spoken lines. During the Baroque period, operas were derived from ancient Greek tragedy and there was often an overture at the beginning, a solo part and both an orchestra and chorus are present. Some examples of early operas are "Eurydice" which had two settings; one by Jacopo Peri and the other by Giulio Caccini. Another example is "Orpheus" and "Coronation of Poppea" by Claudio Monteverdi.

• 1600 - Start of monody which will last until the 1700s. Monody refers to an accompanied solo music. Examples of early monody can be found in the book Le Nuove Musiche by Giulio Caccini. The said book is a collection of songs for the figured bass and solo voice, it also included madrigals. Le Nuove Musiche is considered one of Caccini's most important work.

• 1650 - During this era, musicians did a lot of improvisation. The basso continuo or figured bass is music created by combining keyboard music and one or more bass instruments. The period from 1650 to 1750 is known as the Age of Instrumental Music where other forms of music developed including the suite and sonata.

• 1700 - Until 1750 this is known as the High Baroque period. Italian opera became more expressive and expansive. The composer/violinist Arcangelo Corelli became known and music for the harpsichord was also given importance. Bach and Handel are known as the figures of the late Baroque music. Other forms of music like the canons and fugues evolved during this time.

Profile of Johann Sebastian Bach

Born:

March 21, 1685, his parents were Johann Ambrosius and Maria Elisabeth Lämmerhirt. Bach is the youngest of eight children.

Birthplace:

Eisenach

Died:

July 28, 1750 in Leipzig due to a stroke.

Also Known As:

Keyboard virtuoso, Konzertmeister (concert master), Kappelmeister (chapel master), Kantor at the Thomasschule

Type of Compositions:

He wrote among others, passions, concertos and orchestral suites.

Influence:

He was taught by his father how to play the violin and harpsichord. During his brother's (Johann Christoph} wedding when he was just 9 years old, Bach met Johann Pachelbel. Later on, when his father died, Johann Christoph adopted him and taught Bach how to play the organ. Bach's friend Georg Böhm introduced him to Hamburg's organ traditions.

Music Sheet:

Musette in D Major

Profile of Antonio Vivaldi

Born: March 4, 1678

Birthplace: Venice, Italy

Died: July 28, 1741 in Vienna, Austria

Also Known As: His full name is Antonio Lucio Vivaldi. Believed to have invented the ritornello form, virtuoso violinist, composer, maestro de’ concertin, influenced instrumental music during the later part of the Baroque period. Vivaldi also worked at the Ospedale della Pietà first as a violin master then as instrumental music director and later as a contributor of compositions. He also worked for Prince Philip of Hesse-Darmstadt, where he was a director of secular music.

Type of Compositions: He is famous for his over 500 concertos, he also wrote oratorios, operas and sonatas.

Influence: Vivaldi learned to play the violin through his father, Giovanni Battista, and they even toured Venice together where he performed. 1696 is known as his first public performance, he performed with his father.

Notable Works: Among his greatest works are his oratorios; "Moyses Deus Pharaonis," and "Juditha triumphans devicta Holofernes barbarie", his operas "Ottone in villa" and "Orlando finto pazzo" and his concertos ""La Primavera" ,"The Four Seasons", and "Il favorito".

Interesting Fact: Before Vivaldi became a well-renowned musician he was first a priest. He was fondly called “The Red Priest” due to the color of his hair. He withdrew from the priesthood in 1706. He made his debut as a composer in 1713.

Music Sample: A 'Spring' from the Four Seasons

Profile of Claudio Monteverdi

Born: May 15, 1567

Birthplace: Cremona

Died: November 29, 1643 in Venice

Also known as: One of the great contributors to opera.

Type of Compositions: Secular voice music, church music and stage music.

Influences: Giaches de Wert the maestro di cappella whom Monteverdi wanted to succeed but failed.

Musical Work: He wrote numerous operas ,including his famous "La favola d'Orfeo", and other stage works, secular vocal music including 9 books of madrigals, sacred vocal music including "Vespers",motets, psalms, masses and magnificats.

Interesting Fact: Monteverdi published his first work at the age of 15.

Renaissance Music Timeline

Renaissance or "rebirth", a period of significant changes in history including music.

1397 - 1474 - Guillaume Dufay, known as the transitional figure to the Renaissance.

1450 - 1550 - During this period composers experimented with cantus firmus. Cantus firmus was commonly used in the Middle Ages which was strongly based on the Gregorian Chant. Known composers during this period were Johannes Ockeghem, Jacob Obrecht and Josquin Desprez.

1517 - Protestant Reformation sparked by Martin Luther. Significant changes occurred to church music such as the chorale, hymns that were meant to be sung by a congregation. Its earliest form was monophonic and then evolved to four part harmony. It was also the period when psalms of the Bible were translated into French and then set to music.

1550 - Catholic Counter-Reformation. The Council of Trent met from 1545 to 1563 to discuss complaints against the church including its music.

1500 - 1550 - The French Chanson, a polyphonic French song that was originally for 2 to 4 voices. During the Renaissance, composers were less restricted to the formes fixes (fixed form) of chansons and experimented on new styles that were similar to contemporary motets and liturgical music. Known composers during this period were Clément Janequin and Claudin de Sermisy.

1500 - 1620 - Italian Madrigal, polyphonic secular music that were performed in groups of 4 to 6 singers who sang mostly love songs. There were three periods of the Italian Madrigal

• 1500 - 1540 - Known composers were Adrian Willaert and Jacob Arcadelt.

• 1540 - 1570 - Known composers were again Adrian Willaert and Orlando Lassus.

• 1570 - 1610 - Known composers were Luca Marenzio, Carlo Gesualdo and Claudio Monteverdi. Monteverdi is also known as the transitional figure to the Baroque music era.

1570 -1605 - John Farmer, English madrigal composer.

1525 - 1594 - Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, known as the High Renaissance composer of Counter-Reformation sacred music. During this period Renaissance polyphony reached its height.

1548 - 1611 - Tomas Luis de Victoria, known Spanish composer during the Renaissance who composed mainly sacred music.

1554 - 1612 - Giovanni Gabrielli, known composer in Venetian High Renaissance music who wrote instrumental and church music.

1543 - 1623 - William Byrd, leading English composer of the late Renaissance who composed church, secular, consort and keyboard music.

1563 - 1626 - John Dowland, known for his lute music in Europe and composed beautiful melancholic music.

Medieval Music Timeline

During the Middle Ages or Medieval period, musical notation began as well as the birth of polyphony. There is a remarkable continuity in musical styles categorized into monophonic and polyphonic styles. Here is a brief timeline of music events during this period.

590 - 604 - Development of the Gregorian Chant. It is also known as plain chant or plainsong and named after Pope St. Gregory the Great. The said Pope was believed to have brought it to the West.

695 - The development of organum, an early form of counterpoint.

1098 - 1179 - Hildegard von Bingen

1150 - 1250 - The Notre Dame school of polyphony was the center of activity. Rhythmic notation first appeared in this period. This period is also known as the ars antiqua, it is during this time when the motet initially developed.

11th - 12th century - Time of liturgical drama, musical tradition of Europe. Also, the music of the troubadour and trouvère, a vernacular tradition of monophonic secular song possibly accompanied by instruments and singers. Guillaume d'Aquitaine was one of the well known troubadours. Themes were mostly of chivalry and courtly love.

12th - 14th century

· (12th - 13th) - The age of the Goliards, a group of clergy who wrote satirical Latin poetry to mock the church. Some known goliards were Peter of Blois and Walter of Châtillon.

· {13th) - The spread of Geisslerlieder, these are songs of flagellants. Flagellants practiced self-mortification by whipping themselves with various instruments. Geisslerlieder music was simple and closely related to folk songs.

· (12th - 14th) - Birth of Minnesang, lyric and song writing in Germany much like the troubadour tradition of France. Minnesingers mainly sang of courtly love and some known minnesingers were Henric van Veldeke, Wolfram von Eschenbach and Hartmann von Aue.

· [14th) -The period of ars nova, coined by Philippe de Vitry. During this period, secular music acquired polyphonic sophistication. Most notable practitioner of this style was Guillaume de Machaut.

· 1375 - 1475 - Known composers were Leonel Power, John Dunstable, Gilles Binchois and Guillaume Dufay.