Medieval Music Timeline

CULTURE/PERIOD
PHILOSOPHY
ACTIVITIES/PRACTICES
MUSICAL INSTRUMENT
PROPONENTS/COMPOSERS
Medieval Ages Music Timeline (500-1400)
Believed that music should make a listener receptive to spiritual thoughts and reflections
They allowed music in Christian churches in the form of medieval music that involves chanting
Their characteristic of music as based on plainchant improvising with parallel melodies
Medieval singers continued experimenting with melodies and polyphony became more elaborate and complex
The Harp
The Fiddle
The Rebec
The Psaltery
The Dulcimer
The Hurdy-gurdy
The Viol
The Flute
The Trumpet
The Pipe
The Shawn
Recorder
The Bagpipe
The Crumhorn
The Gemshorn
The Lizard
The Drum
The Cymbal
The
During this time, many new forms emerged: the art song, (lied) which combined Romantic poetry with voice and piano; stylised piano music such as the waltz, mazurka, polonaise, and etude (study piece); piano music in free form such as the fantasy, arabesque, rhapsody, romanza, ballade and nocturne; and symphonic works such as the tone poem (descriptive piece). Programmatic content was expressed in tone poems by Liszt and others, and in symphonic works such as Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastique, and in piano music such as Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (later orchestrated by Ravel in 1923). Nationalism is prevalent in works like Chopin’s polonaises and mazurkas. Other examples are Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsodies, Smetana’s The Bartered Bride and The Moldau, Borodin’s Prince Igor and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherezade.
The music of the Romantic period mostly contained warm, personal melodies; expressive indications (espressivo, dolce, con amore, con fuoco,) implied interpretive freedom (rubato) and harmonic colour (new chords such as the ninth) Colour was intensified by improvements in instruments, particularly the piano. Performers carried the new music to great heights with the new improved versions of their instruments. During this period exaggerated emotional response was
This was due to the fact that many of the composers of the time were musicans themselves, main pianists. http://www.mostlywind.co.uk/romantic.html General Characteristics of 20th Century Music

Rhythm was underdeveloped in Western music before 1900. It became much more complex and irregular in the 20th century.

Melody became of secondary importance in much of the music in the 20th century. Melodies were often erratic with wide leaps, irregular rhythms, and unexpected phrases - an instrumental rather than vocal approach.

Harmony was freed from "the tyranny of tonality" (Schoenberg). References to a "key" or tonal center were often determined unimportant and atonality was explored. New scale and chord structures were developed.

Timbre was explored in depth. New playing techniques were developed on traditional instruments to expand their tonal range. New instruments were created (mostly electronic) and instruments unique to "world" or ethnic music were incorporated into the sonic spectrum.

Recording technology increased accessibility for audiences and change the way musicians created music and made a