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1700 BCE
Tambourine
Percussion family
Unknown where it came from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tambourine#:~:text=The%20origin%20of%20the%20tambourine,way%20of%20merchants%20or%20musicians. -
900 BCE
Flute
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900 BCE
Xylophone
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500 BCE
Maracas
Percussion family
Central Chile, Pre-colonial Brazil, Puerto Rico, and West Africa
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/guide-to-maracas -
10 BCE
Hurdy-Gurdy
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1398
Snare drum
Percussion family
Switzerland
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snare_drum#:~:text=The%20tabor%20snare%20dates%20back,the%20different%20types%20of%20tabor. -
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1500
Crumhorn
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1500
Trumpet
Brass family
Germany
What instruments are in the Brass Family? - Oregon Symphony -
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Violin
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Period: to
Baroque - Madrigal
Explanation- madrigal is a type of secular, polyphonic song
prominent composers- Antonio Lucio Vivaldi, Claudio Monteverdi and George Frideric Handel
Fun fact- most madrigals are through-composed, featuring different music for each stanza of lyrics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madrigal#:~:text=Unlike%20verse%2Drepeating%20strophic%20forms,of%20the%20poem%20being%20sung. -
Period: to
Baroque - Motet
Explanation - a compositional technique that combines the characteristics of a motet—often polyphonic and sacred choral music—with other musical forms.
prominent composers - William Byrd, Antoine Busnois , and Heinrich Isaac
Fun fact- Motet was invented by Josquin des Prez and, later, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina.
https://study.com/academy/lesson/motets-characteristics-composers.html#:~:text=From%20its%20roots%20in%20the,later%2C%20Giovanni%20Pierluigi%20da%20Palestrina. -
Period: to
Baroque - Opera
Explanation- staged dramas that are sung from beginning to end
Prominent composers- Claudio Monteverdi, Pier Francesco Cavalli, and Antonio Vivaldi
Fun fact- Singers also requested that old arias be slotted into new operas—especially if the aria in question was particularly suited to the singer's voice or if it was an exceptional crowd-pleaser.
https://www.britannica.com/art/Baroque-music -
Period: to
Barbara Strozzi
Venice
Was influenced by Francesco Cavalli
Notable work- Cantate, ariette e duetti, Op.
Fun fact- she was adopted
https://www.musicbywomen.org/composer/barbara-strozzi/#:~:text=She%20was%20the%20adopted%20(and,Unisoni%20to%20promote%20Barbara's%20performances. -
Period: to
Antonio Vivaldi
Venice
Was influenced by Arcangelo Corelli.
Notable work- Le quattro stagioni (The Four Seasons)
Fun fact- He was called the “Red Priest” because of his flaming red hair
https://www.classicsforkids.com/composer/antonio-vivaldi/#:~:text=He%20was%20called%20the%20%E2%80%9CRed,for%20the%20girls%20to%20play. -
Period: to
Johann Sebastian Bach
Germany
Was influenced by his own elder family members
Notable work- Brandenburg Concertos
Fun fact: Had 20 children
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Johann-Sebastian-Bach -
Period: to
George Frideric Handel
Germany
Was influenced by Arcangelo Corelli and Alessandro Scarlatti
Notable work- Theodora and Jephtha
Fun fact- spent most of his adult life in England
https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/George-Frideric-Handel/274760#:~:text=A%20musical%20giant%20of%20the,instrumental%20works%2C%20and%20church%20music. -
Period: to
Baroque - Motet
Explanation- style of vocal composition that has undergone numerous transformations through many centuries.
Prominent composers- Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Händel, and Antonio Vivald
Fun fact- Motet is a piece of music for a church service sung by a choir without using any instruments.
https://kids.kiddle.co/Motet -
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Period: to
Classical - Serialism,
Explanation - a method of composition using series of pitches, rhythms, dynamics, timbres or other musical elements
Prominent composers - Arnold Schoenberg, Alban Berg, and Aaron Copland
Fun fact- Arnold Schoenberg invented Serialism
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serialism#:~:text=Serialism%20began%20primarily%20with%20Arnold,form%20of%20post%2Dtonal%20thinking. -
Period: to
Classical - Nationalism
Explanation - is expressed by the use of folk music influences, rhythms, folklore, text, and other performance aspects of native music traditions
Prominent composers - Modest Mussorgsky, Frederic Chopin, and Jean Sibelius.
Fun fact- Frédéric Chopin was one of the first composers to incorporate nationalistic elements into his compositions
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Musical_nationalism#:~:text=Musical%20nationalism%20refers%20to%20the,and%20harmonies%20inspired%20by%20them. -
Period: to
Ludwig van Beethoven
Germany
Was influenced by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Notable work- 5th Symphony
Fun fact- He was terrible at math.
https://metronautapp.com/metronaut-blog/27/Beethoven-Most-Famous-Pieces-Top-10-Compositions -
Period: to
Romantic - Programme
Explanation - music that is based on an extra-musical source such as a poem, a story, a painting or picture, nature, or a personal experience
Prominent composers- Franz Liszt, Giuseppe Verdi, and Richard Wagner
Fun fact - Programmatic music tells a story through instruments
https://www.masterclass.com/articles/romantic-period-music-guide -
Period: to
Romantic - Lieder
Explanation - a variety of chamber music, or music performed in intimate settings
Prominent composers - Schubert, Robert Schumann, Johannes Brahms and Hugo Wolf
Fun fact- generally for a solo voice with piano accompaniment, which often required a virtuoso technique.
https://www.britannica.com/art/lied -
Period: to
Hector Berlioz
France
Was influenced by Beethoven and Weber
Notable work- Symphonie Fantastique
Fun fact- . Was the first composer to write for suspended cymbal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hector_Berlioz#:~:text=Berlioz%20was%20born%20on%2011,%2C%20in%20south%2Deastern%20France. -
Period: to
Fanny Mendelssohn
Germany
Was influenced by her great-aunts Fanny von Arnstein and Sarah Levy
Notable works-- Oratorium nach den Bildern der Bibel
Fun fact- Fanny is said to have memorized Johann Sebastian Bach's complete Well-Tempered Clavier by age 13
https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Fanny-Mendelssohn/312462#:~:text=Fanny%20is%20said%20to%20have,for%20most%20of%20her%20life. -
Period: to
Frédéric Chopin
Poland
Was influenced by Johann Nepomuk Humme
Notable work- Nocturne in E-flat major, Op.
Fun fact- only gave around 30 public concerts as an adult
https://artsandculture.google.com/story/five-fantastic-fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric-facts/ngXhLPpU4EJqNg?hl=en -
Period: to
Robert Schumann
Germany
Was influenced by Franz Schuber
Notable work- piano music, lieder (songs), and orchestral music.
Fun fact- Schumann spent the last two years of his life in a mental asylum.
https://www.npr.org/sections/deceptivecadence/2012/09/20/161482421/5-things-you-never-knew-about-schumann -
Period: to
Richard Wagner
Germany
Was inspired by Beethoven
Notable work- The Ring
Fun fact- composed dramatic operas
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Richard-Wagner-German-composer -
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Period: to
Romantic - Opera
Explanation - the piece essentially switched back and forth between drama and music
Prominent composers - Fryderyck Chopin, Robert Schumann, and Franz Liszt
Fun fact- It's unique for it's Dramatic Fluidity
https://louis.pressbooks.pub/musicappreciation/chapter/romantic-period-opera/#:~:text=Dramatic%20Fluidity&text=In%20a%20certain%20sense%2C%20the,hand%20with%20the%20drama%20continuously. -
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Alto horn
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Period: to
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Russia
Was inspired by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Notable work- Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Fun fact- He was just 4 when he began composing
https://www.rpo.co.uk/promoters-area/388-five-facts-about-tchaikovsky -
Saxophone
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Period: to
Classical - impressionism
Explanation - focused on creating moods, emotions, and deviating from traditional harmonic progressions
Prominent composers- Erik Satie, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel
Fun fact- Elements often termed impressionistic include static harmony
https://www.britannica.com/art/Impressionism-music -
Period: to
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Russia
Was influenced by Tchaikovsky
Notable work- Second Piano Concerto
Fun fact- he was once dubbed a 'six-foot scow
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Rachmaninoff#:~:text=In%201885%2C%20Rachmaninoff%20suffered%20a,retreat%20by%20the%20Volkhov%20River. -
Period: to
Igor Stravinsky
Russia
Was influenced by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
Notable work- The Rite Of Spring
Fun fact- Stravinsky lived in a Swiss hotel, but wouldn't compose there unless he was sure no one could hear him
https://www.obt.org/blog/5-fun-facts-about-igor-stravinsky/#:~:text=At%20one%20point%2C%20Stravinsky%20lived,of%20his%20most%20famous%20works. -
Period: to
20th Century - Modernism
Explanation - focused on disregarding the traditional rules of an art form.
Prominent composers- Arnold Schoenberg, Igor Stravinsky, and Anton Webern
Fun fact- Igor Stravinsky Is the father of Modernism
https://tmms.co.uk/igor-stravinsky-the-father-of-modern-music-1882-1971/#:~:text=Igor%20Stravinsky%20(1882%2D1971),figures%20in%2020th%2Dcentury%20music. -
Period: to
20th Century - Electronic
Explanation - musique concrète and elektronische Musik paving the way for synthesizers and computer-generated sound
Prominent composers - Vangelis, Tomita and Klaus Schulze
Fun fact- Electronic music was first attempted in the United States and Canada in the 1890s.
https://blog.oup.com/2014/03/facts-about-synthesizer-electronic-music/ -
Period: to
20th Century - Chance
Explanation - a reaction against traditional methods of composition that relied heavily on predetermined structures and notations
Prominent composers - John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Earle Brown
Fun fact- Chance music challenges traditional notions of composition and interpretation, encouraging a collaborative relationship between composer, performer, and listener.
https://www.m5music.hk/en/dictionary/chance-music/#:~:text=Prominent%20composers%20associated%20with%20chance,experimental%20 -
Period: to
Sergei Prokofiev,
Russia
Was influenced by Russian musical traditions
Notable work- Romeo and Juliet Op. 64
Fun fact- Sergei was also a chess master.
https://balletaz.org/10-things-you-need-to-know-about-prokofiev/#:~:text=Born%20on%20April%2023%2C%201891,was%20also%20a%20chess%20master. -
Period: to
Lili Boulanger
France
Was influenced by Fauré and Debussy
Notable work- cantata Faust et Hélène
Fun fact- first woman to win the prestigious Prix de Rome
https://www.vialma.com/en/articles/161/Lili-Boulanger:-the-composing-prodigy#:~:text=Lili%20Boulanger%20was%20the%20first,at%20the%20age%20of%2018. -
Period: to
Dmitri Shostakovich
Russia
Was influenced by Igor Stravinsky
Notable notes- 5 in D minor
Fun fact- He spent much of his life walking a political tightrope
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-musicapp-medieval-modern/chapter/dmitri-shostakovich/#:~:text=Shostakovich's%20music%20is%20characterized%20by,Romanticism%20associated%20with%20Gustav%20Mahler. -
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Congo
