Development of Western Music free essay sample

Music Western music may be referred to as classical music and Its traditions and styles originate from the beginning of the Middle ages (10th century) onward. Due to the Catholic Church being the dominant religion of the time, a large portion of the music was religious/sacred. Beginning with Gregorian Chant, sacred music slowly developed Into a polyphonic. Early Christians based their music off of already existing Jewish chants These chants (like most of the religious music at this time) were monophonic meaning that they had one melody without any support from a harmony r accompaniment.As theses chants spread around Europe, different variations were formed as a result of the chants coming In contact with deferent cultures. Pope Gregory eventually made these chants official church music, thus dubbing them Gregorian Chants. Secular music flourished until the period culminated with the sacred and secular compositions of the first true composer of Western music, Gallinule De Mach. Most of Gallinule De Muscats compositions were focused around courtship love.He wrote loosely in five genres: the ballade (a short, lyrical ice of music), the rounded (lyrical poem), the alai (very tempo intensive lyrical poem), the motet (a short piece of sacred choral music), and the virile (a rhyming poem set to music). Gallinule De Muscats greatest achievement by far was to introduce a polyphonic mass Into the Catholic Church. Gallinule De Mach saw to It that his works were well preserved as he realized that his successes in music were taken well throughout the world.Giovanni Periling dad Palestinian was a sixteenth century representative of the Roman School of Musical Composition. Palestinians music is est. known as the pinnacle of the Renaissance polyphony. HIS masses were Influential In the development of the Baroque period, and his Miss sine nominee had an obvious effect on Johann Sebastian Bach who was performing this mass while writing his famous Mass in B minor as is evident by the similar melodies and refrains.After Giovanni Papergirl dad Palestinians death In 1594 of pleurisy, the Baroque period of music erupted with such composers as: Antonio Vivaldi, Jean- Philippe Reamer, and George Frederic Handel. The Baroque period is the first time that composers as a collective began to veer away from strictly religious works. Vivaldi worked in an all girls school teaching music and composing in his spare time.He eventually wrote his famous violin concerto The Four Seasons and began to travel Europe with four of his students. At the same time, Reamer became the head composer of the French Opera. Reamers music was extremely technical and he strives to be known for his strict attention to detail in his works. George Frederic Handel began his career by working with and starting several opera companies (Operas were fairly new at the time and were reserved for the upper class), but he had a dramatic change of heart.Handel began composing and performing for the public. Perhaps the most well-known composer of the Baroque period, Johann Sebastian Bach drew from all of these composers by stressing technicality in his compositions and allowing his music to be heard by all. Christopher , the leading Bach scholar, said in his book, Bachs musical style arose from his skill in 1 OFF North and South German, Italian and French music, and his devotion to the Lutheran liturgy.His access to musicians, scores and instruments as a child and a young man and his emerging talent for writing tightly woven music of powerful sonority, allowed IM to develop an eclectic, energetic musical style in which foreign influences were combined with an intensified version of the pre-existing German musical language [4] Bachs work with contrapuntal invention (motion of two melodic lines in relation to one another) would become exceptionally influential in the Romantic. The Classical period of music spans from 1780 to 1820.Classical music is much lighter and less dynamic than that of the Baroque period. It focuses much more on a single melody than counterpoint and harmonies. Some of the more notable composers from his time period are: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, as well as Ludwig van thieving. Haydn is often referred to as the Father of Symphony due to his devotion to the symphony. Throughout his composing career, his music gradually increased in complexity, breaking away from the guidelines of Classical music. Knolling Amadeus Mozart was a very diverse composer.He wrote in almost every genre of music. Much like Haydn, Mozart began to stray from the simple classical styles later in his life with pieces like Symphony No. 29 in A minor which features a contrapuntal main theme in the first movement. Ludwig van Beethoven was a transitional piece between the Classical period and the Romantic. Beethoven is one of the most famous and accomplished composers, being included in the Three Bis Each, Beethoven, Brahms) and having two of his pieces featured on the Voyager Golden Record which was sent into space [2].Beethoven studied with both Mozart and Haydn and was strongly influenced by them. Beethovens main focus in composing was the piano. He wrote 32 sonatas and several more short pieces. thieving is known for his very dramatic and free pieces like: Piano Sonata No. 14 in C sharp minor and Piano Sonata No. 8 Pathetic. These works laid the foundation for the Romantic period. The Romantic period (1850 1910) was partly a revolt against the social and political norms brought on by the Age of Enlightenment.This period in music emphasized very free and moving pieces accentuated by such composers as: Frederic Chopin, Franz List, and Johannes Brahms. As a composer, Franz List revolutionized music with his invention of the symphonic poem and the use of transposition. The symphonic poem is a style of symphony music used to illustrate a certain theme, setting, or even painting. Lists use of transposition opened a new door in the realm of music. With transposition, one is able to take a piece to use as a base and build an entirely new piece around it (e. G. Beethovens Ode to Joy turned into a Turkish march).Frederic Chopin is a Polish born composer and pianist. His pieces are known for their demanding technicality and freedom of Interpretation (Chopin often included very little dynamic markings in his pieces so that each performer could interpret the piece themselves) [3]. Influenced by Johann Sebastian Bach, Chopin made great use of counterpoint in his pieces and even wrote piece dedicated to him. The opening theme of his Opus 25 No. 12 (which some argue that even Chopin could not play) if blocked, spells out BACH (in German, B flat is B, A is A, C is C, and B is H). Chopping pieces were so influential that during World Near II, the last thing heard on the Polish radio station before it was seized by the himself was very influential in the creation of twentieth century music. Chopping Polonaise No. 3 in A major is quite obviously the inspiration for George Gershwins Rhapsody in Blue which features very broad transitional chords much like the Polonaise No. 3 in A major. In summary, Western music began as very simple tones used exclusively for religious purposes. It then was developed by the implementation of varying masses that introduced polyphony.It then began to get much more technical as it turned to secularism with the Baroque period in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. With the Classical time period, the music returned to its simplistic origins (simple melodies with no harmonies) for some time up until the Romantic period. There, it began to be formed by the revolts of the public against the Age of Enlightenment into a freely flowing and dramatic way of expression. After that, as instruments have become more available, music has been shaped into an numerous amount of styles.