-
The Epitaph of Seikilos is the oldest complete musical composition that has been preserved to our days. The epitaph probably dates from the 1st or 2nd century BC, and is part of a Greek inscription written on a marble column placed over the tomb that Seikilos built for his wife Euterpe. The author is anonymous. It was discovered in 1883 by William Mitchell Connor Ramsey in Turkey.
The inscription consists of two parts: an introductory text and a short song. -
The gregorian chants are simple monodic chants wich were used to teach the word of God.
They don´t have a specific rhythm since it depends of the text they´re singing. They are written in latin and they have no instrumental accompaniment.
There are several types of gregorian chant such as the syllabic, neumatic or melismatic. -
Guido of Arezzo is one of the musicians who gave shape and structure to music. He originated the musical notes as we know them today, inspired by the initial syllables of verses dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, “Ut queant laxis”
He created the tetragram, a system that was used before our today’s pentagram. This system of four horizontal lines allowed the pitch of musical sounds to be fixed, revolutionizing musical notation and making the teaching and transmission of melodies much easier. -
The ars antiqua is the timespan in wich the first poliphonic form of music was developed. There are several types of ars antiqua compositions: organum,conductus, motet.
It developed brilliantly in france during centuries XII and XIII. -
Also known as the Sibyl of the Rhine and the Teutonic prophetess, she is one of the most famous composers of sacred monophony.
She is considered one of the most influential, multifaceted, and fascinating figures of the Late Middle Ages and of Western history.
More of her chants have survived than those of any other composer from the entire Middle Ages, and she is one of the few known composers who wrote both the music and the lyrics. -
Léonin (1150–1201) is, along with Pérotin, the first known composer of polyphonic organum, associated with the Notre Dame School.
He was a French composer, poet, and teacher. From 1150 to 1160, he served as administrator of the cathedral in Paris. In 1192, he was ordained as a priest at the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.
He created the Magnus liber organi (“Great Book of Organum”), a style of composition from the mid-12th century.
He also composed organum for the Mass and the Office. -
He was a popular troubadour and Provençal poet.
He wrote in Occitan, influenced the development of the poetry of the trouvères in northern France, and is recognized for a simple style of composition called “trobar leu” (“light” or “plain” style), which contrasted with the complexity of other poets. His most famous work is “Poco puede valer el cantar” in which he reflected on love and poetic creation. It is said that he was the patron of Eleanor of Aquitaine. -
Pérotin was a medieval French composer, active around the year 1200 and associated with the Notre Dame School. He is considered the most outstanding composer of his time and is credited with composing the first polyphonic works for three and four voices, such as Viderunt omnes and Sederunt principes. His contributions revolutionized Western music by expanding polyphony beyond the two voices established by Léonin. -
Alfonso X “the Wise” was king of Castilla and León between 1252 and 1284. He reigned for 32 years, from the death of his father, Fernando III, until his own death in 1284. He promoted music in several ways: he commissioned the composition and compilation of works such as the Cantigas de Santa María, a monumental corpus of songs of great historical and artistic value. He also encouraged research and study in musical theory, notation, performance, and instrument making of the time. -
The Ars Nova is a musical period that developed in France and Italy during the 14th century, approximately between 1320 and 1380. It was characterized by rhythmic innovations and greater complexity in polyphony, breaking away from the earlier Ars Antiqua style. It emerged in 14th-century France, and forms such as the isorhythmic motet and the canon were developed or perfected. It was characterized by great freedom and variety of rhythms.
-
Guillaume de Machaut is one of the greatest composers of 14th-century France and belongs to the movement known as Ars Nova. In addition to composing secular songs, he also wrote motets and a mass: the Messe de Notre Dame. He was a medieval French cleric, poet, and composer. His influence was immense, and he is historically regarded as the leading representative of the movement known as Ars Nova, being considered the most famous composer of the 14th century. -
Francesco Landini was a 14th-century composer, organist, poet, and instrument maker, considered the most important musician of the Italian Ars Nova. He is famous for composing around 140 ballate, being a virtuous organist, and an innovator in instrument making. He is credited with the “Landini cadence,” although he did not invent it, as he used it in a highly systematic way. -
Johannes Gutenberg was a German goldsmith who invented the movable-type printing press, a system that combined individually cast metal characters, oil-based ink, and a press. In terms of music, this represented a huge advance for its production and dissemination. His printing press played a crucial role in spreading Martin Luther’s ideas, thus propagating the Protestant Reformation.
His most important work is the “Gutenberg Bible,” printed in 1455. -
Juan del Encina was a musician, poet, and playwright of the Spanish Pre-Renaissance, considered one of the great creators of both sacred and secular polyphony at the end of the 15th century and the beginning of the 16th.
He left the university in 1492 to work, upon the recommendation of Don Gutierre de Toledo, as Chapel Master -
Martin Luther was a professor of theology, and in 1517 he made public his 95 Theses at the door of a church in Wittenberg, in which he criticized the Church. At the beginning of 1521, he was expelled from the Church.
He then initiated the Protestant Reformation, a religious movement that sought to denounce corruption within the Church, especially the sale of indulgences.
The movement divided Christians into two groups: Catholic Christians and Protestant Christians. -
Cristóbal de Morales was a Catholic priest, chapel master, and one of the most important Spanish composers of Renaissance polyphony.
His Requiem for Five Voices (or Missa pro Defunctis) was published in Rome in 1554 during his time in the papal choir, and from there it became known throughout Europe. He composed many significant works that were widely printed in the 16th century, such as his famous motets Lamentabatur Jacob and Emendemus in melius, both written for five voices. -
Antonio de Cabezón was an organist and keyboard composer who became one of the most important figures of Renaissance Europe and one of the most significant composers in Spanish musical history.
He also stood out as court musician to Charles V and Philip II. He composed important works for keyboard instruments, such as variations (diferencias) and instrumental motets (tientos), and is considered a key figure in the development of keyboard music in the 16th century. -
Andrea Gabrieli fue un compositor y organista italiano de finales del Renacimiento. Tío del quizás más famoso compositor Giovanni Gabrieli, fue el primer miembro de renombre internacional de la Escuela Veneciana de compositores.
Gabrieli compuso una amplia gama de obras, incluyendo música para órgano, piezas instrumentales como canzonas, y música vocal tanto sacra como profana. Destacó por su música ceremonial para la Basílica de San Marcos. -
Maddalena Casulana was an Italian Renaissance composer, singer, and lutenist, famous for being the first female composer in Western history whose music was published during her lifetime in a complete volume.
She composed more than 65 madrigals, many of which were included in several collections of her work published in Venice. Her legacy also includes paving the way for future women composers in an era dominated by men. -
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina was an Italian Renaissance composer known for his sacred music.
He composed numerous works, including masses, motets, magnificats, offertories, and madrigals. He is considered the “savior of church music” because his work convinced the Council of Trent that polyphony could be used in the liturgy without losing the clarity of the sacred text. His masterpiece, the Missa Papae Marcelli, is an iconic example of his style. -
Orlando di Lasso was a prolific and versatile Franco-Flemish Renaissance composer, considered one of the most influential musicians of his time. His work included more than 2,000 vocal compositions across multiple genres—motets, madrigals, chansons, and lieder—and in several languages.
He became especially famous as a composer of sacred motets. His musical setting of the Seven Penitential Psalms of David is one of the most renowned psalm collections of the entire Renaissance. -
Tomás Luis de Victoria was a celebrated Spanish polyphonic composer of the Renaissance, considered one of the most important of his time. He composed mainly sacred music, including masses, motets, and psalms, with an innovative style. He was also a Catholic priest and chapel master. His most important works are the Officium Hebdomadae Sanctae and the Officium Defunctorum, both collections of liturgical music, the first for Holy Week, and the second for funeral services. -
Giovanni Gabrieli was an influential Italian composer and organist of the late Renaissance, considered a transitional figure to the Baroque period. He is known for bringing the Venetian polychoral style to its best era, creating spectacular works that combined choirs, soloists, and instruments.
His most influential work was his collection Symphoniae Sacrae, which includes some of the earliest significant pieces in the symphonic style, and he trained important composers such as Heinrich Schütz. -
Carlo Gesualdo was an Italian composer of madrigals and sacred music, as well as a noble prince. He created intensely expressive and chromatic music that was considered highly experimental for his time.
Among Carlo Gesualdo’s most famous compositions are his madrigals for five voices, his Sacrae Cantiones (Sacred Songs), and the Tenebrae Responsories (Responsories for Holy Week). -
Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643) fue un compositor, gambista, cantante y sacerdote italiano, considerado una figura crucial en la transición entre la música del Renacimiento y del Barroco. Se le reconoce ampliamente por ser el primer gran compositor de ópera y por sentar las bases del género tal como se conoce hoy en día.
De hecho, la obra de Monteverdi: La fábula de Orfeo se considera la primera ópera maestra y la más antigua que se sigue representando regularmente. -
Giacomo Carissimi (1605–1674) was a distinguished Italian composer and teacher of the early Baroque, and a central figure of the Roman School of music. He is a key figure in the history of sacred music for establishing the defining characteristics of the Latin oratorio, distinguishing it from opera and giving it a form that would endure for centuries.
He was an influential teacher at the Collegium Germanicum in Rome, where he worked as a chapel master from 1629 until his death. -
Barbara Strozzi fue una destacada compositora y cantante italiana del período barroco, reconocida por ser una de las pocas mujeres de su tiempo que logró publicar su música y ganarse la vida como compositora profesional. Es una figura importante en el desarrollo la cantata y el aria. A pesar de vivir en una época en la que el mundo musical estaba dominado por los hombres, logró publicar ocho volúmenes de su propia música entre 1644 y 1664, más que cualquier otro compositor de su tiempo. -
Henry Purcell was an English composer of the Baroque period, regarded by many as the greatest native composer of England and known posthumously as the “Orpheus Britannicus.” Throughout his short life (he died at the age of 36), he created a unique musical style that blended elements of traditional English music with Italian and French influences.
He served the British monarchy during the reigns of Charles II, James II, and Queen Mary. -
Antonio Stradivari was the most prominent Italian luthier in history and the most famous string instrument maker of all time. The Latin form of his name, Stradivarius, is used to refer to his instruments, which are universally recognized for their exceptional tonal quality and meticulous craftsmanship.
He lived to the age of 93 and crafted around 1,200 instruments during his lifetime, about 600 of which are still preserved today. -
Antonio Vivaldi fue un influyente compositor y violinista italiano del Barroco tardío. Es conocido principalmente por su enorme producción de conciertos instrumentales, música sacra y óperas. Su obra más célebre es la serie de conciertos para violín conocida como "Las cuatro estaciones." Aunque fue ordenado sacerdote a los 25 años, su verdadera pasión fue la música, y sus problemas de salud lo mantuvieron alejado de oficios litúrgicos regulares, permitiéndole centrarse en la composición. -
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violinist, and chapel master of the late Baroque period, universally regarded as one of the greatest composers in the history of Western music.
He is distinguished by his profound intellectual depth, technical perfection, and artistic beauty.
He mastered counterpoint like no one else, remained faithful to Baroque forms, and expanded the harmonic and structural boundaries of music. -
Georg Friedrich Händel (1685–1759) was a Baroque composer of German origin who became a central figure in British music.
He is celebrated for his mastery of Italian opera and his monumental English oratorios.
Alongside Johann Sebastian Bach, he was one of the most influential composers of his time.
He showed prodigious musical talent from a young age and, despite his father’s initial opposition, traveled to London in 1712, where he spent most of his life and built his career. -
Georg Philipp Telemann was a German late Baroque composer, universally recognized as the most prolific composer in the history of Western music, with over 3,000 works cataloged.
In his time, he enjoyed even greater fame and popularity than his close friends Bach and Händel.
He integrated influences from German, Italian, French, and Polish styles into his work and held several prestigious musical positions throughout his life, including church director and opera director. -
A key composer of early Classicism. He deeply reformed 18th-century opera, aiming for music to serve drama and text rather than vocal display. He removed Baroque excesses and sought a more natural and clear expression. His ideas strongly influenced the later development of classical and Romantic opera. -
One of the greatest geniuses in music history. He mastered all genres of his time: opera, symphony, concerto, chamber and sacred music. His style combines classical balance, melodic beauty and deep emotional expression. He stood out for his creative ease and his ability to portray universal human emotions. -
A central figure of the Classical period. He is considered the father of the symphony and the string quartet because he established their basic formal structures. He worked for decades at the Esterházy court, which allowed him to experiment and refine his style. His music is known for clarity, balance, humor and inventiveness, and he strongly influenced Mozart and Beethoven. -
An Austrian pianist, singer and composer who was blind from early childhood. She was internationally respected as a performer and worked with important composers of her time. She actively promoted music education and accessibility. Her output includes piano works, vocal music and operatic compositions, making her a significant female figure of the Classical era. -
A revolutionary composer who marked the transition from Classicism to Romanticism. He expanded traditional musical forms and gave music a deeply personal and emotional character. Despite becoming completely deaf, he composed some of the most powerful works in music history. His symphonies, sonatas and quartets transformed musical language and artistic expression. -
An Austrian composer who represents early Romanticism. He is especially famous for his lieder, in which he achieved a profound union of music and poetry. He wrote over 600 songs, as well as symphonies, chamber music and piano works. His music is lyrical, emotional and often melancholic. Despite his talent, he received little recognition during his short lifetime. -
Mozart’s older sister and an exceptional pianist. As a child, she toured Europe performing with her brother and received high praise. She also composed music, although most of her works are lost. Her career was limited by social expectations placed on women at the time, which prevented her from pursuing a professional musical life comparable to her brother’s. -
A German composer with a refined Romantic style rooted in Classical tradition. He played a key role in reviving the music of J. S. Bach. Mendelssohn composed symphonies, concertos, chamber and choral music. His works are admired for their clarity, elegance, lyrical quality and balanced musical form. -
A Polish composer and pianist who wrote almost exclusively for the piano. His music is intimate, poetic and emotionally rich. Chopin revolutionized piano technique and explored new expressive possibilities. His works often convey melancholy, lyricism and deep Romantic sensitivity, making him one of the most influential composers for the instrument. -
A German Romantic composer whose music reflects deep emotional states, imagination and literary inspiration. He composed piano works, songs, chamber music and symphonies. Schumann was also an influential music critic who supported young composers. His life and career were affected by serious mental health problems, which deeply influenced his artistic output. -
An Italian composer best known for his operas, particularly comic opera. His music is energetic, brilliant and rhythmically lively. Rossini achieved great success at a young age and retired from opera composition early. His works, especially The Barber of Seville, remain staples of the operatic repertoire due to their charm and wit. -
A French Romantic composer and musical innovator. He expanded orchestral size and explored new instrumental colors. His music is highly dramatic and often programmatic, telling stories through sound. The Symphonie fantastique is one of the earliest and most important examples of narrative orchestral music. -
A Russian composer known for his originality and realism. He sought to reflect natural speech, psychology and everyday life in music. His style was bold and unconventional, sometimes technically rough. Many of his works were later revised by other composers, but his artistic vision remains highly influential. -
A German composer who profoundly transformed opera. He created large-scale music dramas based on mythology and legend. Wagner introduced the leitmotif, a musical theme linked to a character or idea. He expanded orchestral size and complexity and sought a complete fusion of music, poetry and stage action. -
A Czech composer and founder of Czech musical nationalism. He incorporated national history, folklore and language into his works. Smetana is known for his operas and symphonic poems, especially Má vlast. His music played a key role in expressing Czech national identity through art. -
A Hungarian virtuoso pianist, composer and conductor. He transformed piano technique and performance, becoming a musical celebrity of his time. Liszt invented the symphonic poem and experimented with innovative harmonies. He also supported other composers and had a major influence as a teacher, shaping the future of Romantic music. -
A Russian Romantic composer whose music is both technically refined and deeply emotional. He composed symphonies, concertos, operas and ballets. His ballets, such as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker, are among the most famous in history and remain widely performed. -
A virtuoso pianist, composer and educator. She was one of the most respected performers of the 19th century. Clara promoted the music of her husband Robert Schumann and of Johannes Brahms. Although she composed less than her male contemporaries, her works show emotional depth and high artistic quality. -
A German composer who combined Romantic expressiveness with classical discipline. Strongly influenced by Beethoven, he was highly concerned with musical form and structure. Brahms composed symphonies, concertos, chamber music and choral works. His music is known for its depth, balance and rich harmonic language, making him one of the great masters of the 19th century. -
One of the most important composers of Italian opera. His works combine powerful drama, memorable melodies and strong emotional impact. Verdi portrayed intense human emotions and social conflicts, often reflecting political ideas of his time. His operas became symbols of Italian culture and national identity and continue to be among the most performed worldwide. -
An Austrian composer of the late Romantic period, best known for his lieder. He pushed the relationship between text and music to an extreme, using harmony and melody to reflect poetic meaning. His music is intense, expressive and harmonically advanced. Although his output is relatively small, his influence on German art song is highly significant. -
A Czech Romantic composer who combined classical forms with folk-inspired melodies. His music is expressive, accessible and richly melodic. While working in the United States, he absorbed American musical influences. His New World Symphony is one of the most famous symphonies ever written. -
Edvard Grieg (1843–1907)
A Norwegian composer who drew heavily on the folk music of his country. His style is lyrical, atmospheric and closely connected to nature. He wrote piano works, orchestral music and incidental music, most famously Peer Gynt. His music helped define a national Norwegian musical identity. -
A Russian composer, teacher and master of orchestration. His music features brilliant colors, exotic harmonies and folk-inspired themes. He played an important role in shaping Russian national music and taught many later composers. His works are admired for their imaginative sound and orchestral brilliance. -
A Russian composer, teacher and master of orchestration. His music features brilliant colors, exotic harmonies and folk-inspired themes. He played an important role in shaping Russian national music and taught many later composers. His works are admired for their imaginative sound and orchestral brilliance. -
A French composer and a central figure of musical Impressionism. He broke away from traditional harmonic rules, using new scales, unresolved chords and subtle orchestral colors. His music focuses on atmosphere, mood and suggestion rather than strict form. Inspired by poetry, painting and nature, Debussy opened the door to modern music and strongly influenced 20th-century composition. -
An Italian opera composer of the late Romantic period. His operas focus on realistic emotions and deeply human characters. Puccini was a master of orchestration and melodic expression. His music is highly dramatic and emotionally engaging. Works such as La Bohème, Tosca and Madama Butterfly are central to modern opera repertoire. -
An American composer and pianist who successfully blended classical music with jazz and popular styles. He became famous for bringing jazz rhythms, blues harmonies and urban energy into concert music. His works include orchestral pieces, stage musicals and songs. Rhapsody in Blue and Porgy and Bess are among his most influential compositions, bridging popular and classical traditions. -
A French composer known for precision, clarity and refined orchestration. Although often linked to Impressionism, his music is more structured and technically controlled than Debussy’s. Ravel drew inspiration from dance, jazz and Spanish music. He was a master of orchestration, famously demonstrated in Boléro, and played a key role in early modern music. -
A Hungarian composer, pianist and ethnomusicologist. He collected and studied Eastern European folk music, incorporating its rhythms and melodies into his compositions. Bartók combined folk elements with modern harmony and complex rhythms. His music is energetic, sometimes harsh, and deeply original, making him one of the most important composers of the 20th century. -
A Spanish composer who combined classical techniques with Spanish folk traditions. His music reflects Andalusian rhythms, flamenco influences and strong national character. De Falla wrote orchestral works, ballets and operas, often with vivid colors and rhythmic intensity. He played a major role in defining Spanish musical identity in the 20th century. -
A Spanish composer influenced by French Impressionism and Andalusian folk music. He blended modern harmony with traditional Spanish rhythms and melodies. Turina wrote orchestral music, chamber works and piano pieces. His style is lyrical and colorful, helping to establish a distinct Spanish voice within European modern music. -
An Austrian composer and theorist who revolutionized modern music. He developed atonality and later the twelve-tone system, which organized music without a tonal center. Schoenberg’s ideas changed the direction of 20th-century composition. He was also an influential teacher, shaping future composers and challenging traditional concepts of harmony and form. -
A Finnish composer whose symphonies and tone poems played a major role in shaping Finland’s national identity. His music is powerful, concentrated and often inspired by nature and mythology. Sibelius developed a unique symphonic style that had a lasting influence on 20th-century music. -
The most important Brazilian composer of the 20th century. He combined European classical techniques with Brazilian folk rhythms and popular music. His output is extremely varied and reflects the cultural diversity of Brazil. Villa-Lobos played a key role in bringing Latin American music to international recognition. -
A Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist and music educator. Like Bartók, he studied folk music and integrated it into his compositions. Kodály is especially known for his contributions to music education through the Kodály Method, which emphasizes singing and ear training. His music blends national elements with clear structures and lyrical expression. -
A Russian-born composer and one of the most influential figures of modern music. His early works used powerful rhythms and bold orchestration, famously causing scandal with The Rite of Spring. Throughout his life, he constantly changed styles, from primitivism to neoclassicism and serialism. His innovation reshaped rhythm, form and orchestral writing. -
An American composer and experimental artist who challenged the definition of music. He explored chance, silence and unconventional sounds. His most famous work, 4′33″, consists of silence, emphasizing environmental sound. Cage expanded musical thought by questioning intention, control and the role of the performer and listener. -
A French composer, organist and teacher with a deeply spiritual musical language. His music uses complex rhythms, modes of limited transposition and birdsong. Messiaen explored time, color and religious themes in innovative ways. He was also an influential teacher, inspiring many important composers of the late 20th century. -
A French composer and pioneer of electronic music. He developed musique concrète, which uses recorded everyday sounds as musical material. Schaeffer transformed sound recording into a compositional tool. His experiments laid the foundation for electronic and electroacoustic music, influencing modern sound design and contemporary composition. -
A French composer and a key figure in electronic and electroacoustic music. He collaborated with Pierre Schaeffer and further developed musique concrète. Henry focused on sound texture, movement and spatial effects. His works combine experimental techniques with expressive intensity, influencing electronic music, film sound and modern audio art. -
An American composer associated with musical minimalism. His music is based on repetition, gradual change and clear harmonic patterns. Glass wrote operas, symphonies, film scores and chamber music. His accessible style helped bring contemporary music to a wider audience and strongly influenced late 20th-century classical and popular music.