Middle Ages
Major genres include plainchant and Gregorian chant. This era of music is known for monophonic texture and free-flowing, non-metric rhythms. (476-1450)
Renaissance
Genres from this era include the madrigal, the motet, and music for religious masses. This era was considered a “rebirth” for knowledge in art, music, and literature. (1450-1600)
Baroque
Known for homophonic texture and major/minor tonality, genres from this period encompass opera, oratorios, dance suites,, concertos, and fugues. (1600-1750)
Classical
Homophonic texture with the emergence of string quartets and symphonies. The three major Viennese composers of the Classical era were Beethoven, Haydn, and Mozart.
Romantic
Genres such as the lied and the characterpiece, known for being more about love, passion, and dreams; as opposed to Classical, which was during the Enlightenment and centered around knowledge.
20th Century
Saw the emergence of jazz and blues, the Harlem Renaissance brought African American artists into the picture, and experimentalists like John Cage and Arnold Schoenberg tried new musical techniques..
