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Music is based on limited archaeological evidence, primarily from the Paleolithic, which emerged as a form of communication and ritual. It began with the human voice and body percussion in hunting rituals and dances around the fire, imitating animal sounds to express emotions. The instruments date back 43.000 years, like flutes made from vulture or mammoth bone, percussion instruments made with bones and stones. There is no written notation but ethnological comparisons suggest simple rhythms. -
Music was monophonic and vocal, considered a divine gift from gods such as Apollo and the Muses. It evolved from the Archaic period with Mesopotamian and Egyptian influences, developing Pythagoras's theory of mathematical intervals and modes, which led the Greeks to elevate this music to a philosophical and educational art. It was integrated into poetry, theater, and education and was performed in symposia, theaters, and gymnasiums with instruments such as the lyre, aulos, and cymbals. -
Music was pragmatic and utilitarian, adopting Greek music and using it in rituals, the army, theater, and banquets rather than as an independent art form. It adopted Greek instruments like the tibia, perfected military wind instruments, and lacked systematic notation. It evolved to an imperial monarchy, featuring massive spectacles and hydraulic systems and also used in public entertainments like amphitheaters, and some instruments included the tuba, cornu, and timpani for military parades. -
Music was dominated by monophonic, sacred, and a cappella Gregorian chant, attributed to Gregory the Great to unify the liturgy. It evolved into polyphony with organum, ars antiqua (Notre-Dame School, Leonin and Perotin), and ars nova (Machaut), while a secular monody emerged among troubadours and minstrels. Neumatic and mensural notation, as well as modern notation and complex rhythms, developed thanks to Guido d'Arezzo. Some instruments used included the harp, timpani, flutes, and bagpipes. -
Music had a secular and sacred vocal polyphony in four voices (soprano, alto, tenor, and bass), use of thirds as consonances, and the Gregorian modal system. It was influenced by the printing press and humanism. Started in the Franco-Flemish, Venetian, and English schools, producing parody masses and sacred and secular motets. The Council of Trent promoted textual clarity.
Instruments: lute, viola da gamba, and organ, Composers: Josquin des Prez and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina. -
Emerged with opera, as a musical drama and monody with basso continuo, evolving towards tonality, dynamic contrasts, ornamentation, and a concertante style in phases: early (Monteverdi), middle (Lully), and late (Bach). It had emotional expression, polyphony, contrapuntal writing, and forms like the sonata, suite, and concerto grosso. This music manifested itself in fugues, concertos (Vivaldi), suites, oratorios (Handel)...
Instruments: used included the violin, harpsichord, oboe, and cornetto. -
Classical music emphasizes clarity, balance, and proportion with homophony, symmetrical melodies, and sonata form, centered in Vienna. It represents an evolution from pre-Classical styles (Mannheim) toward independent symphonies, quartets, and concertos, reflecting the Enlightenment and the rise of the bourgeoisie. Haydn standardized forms, Mozart perfected opera, and Beethoven initiated the Romantic transition. Instruments used included the viola, flute, bassoon, and fortepiano. -
Romantic music prioritized individual emotion, nationalism, programmatic expression, and formal freedom, expanding orchestral, chromatic, and programmatic compositions, with Beethoven serving as a bridge to Classicism. Lyrical forms such as the German lied (Schubert) and virtuoso piano (Chopin) were prominent, along with expansive symphonies and vocal operas. It reflected Romantic literature, folklore, and virtuosity. Some of the instruments used included the piano, harp, clarinet, and guitar. -
Impressionist music emerged in France as a reaction against Wagnerian Romanticism, prioritizing sensory atmospheres, timbres, and visual suggestions over rigid forms. Led by Debussy, it used whole-tone modal scales and parallel chords, ambiguous harmonies, flexible rhythms, and rubato to evoke fleeting impressions. It was influenced by painting (Money), symbolism (Mallarmé), and Javanese gamelan. -
Contemporary music spans from modernism to postmodernism, encompassing radical breaks (serialism, electronica, minimalism) and current fusions with popular and electronic music. Characterized by atonality, noise, extended techniques, chance, polystylism, and technology, it reflects wars, globalization, and digitization. It includes classical music and crossovers with jazz and rock. Some emblematic composers include Stravinsky, Cage, and Boulez.