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Period: 476 to 1376
Medieval Period
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1025
Guido of Arezzo’s Micrologus
A major music theory treatise introducing staff notation and early ideas about teaching sight singing -
Period: 1098 to 1179
Hildegard of Bingen
A German composer, and writer. She created sacred music full of vivid imagery and wrote the musical drama Ordo Virtutum. -
1320
Ars Nova Treatise
A key document that introduced new rhythmic notation, allowing for greater complexity. It marked a shift from earlier, simpler styles. -
Period: 1400 to
Renaissance Period
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1529
Martin Luther Ein feste Burg ist unser Gott
A powerful hymn of the Reformation that became a symbol of Protestant faith. -
1538
Arcadelt Il bianco e dolce cigno
One of the most famous early madrigals. -
1567
Palestrina Pope Marcellus Mass
A mass that, according to legend, showed that clear polyphony could meet the Catholic Church’s needs for text clarity after the Council of Trent. -
Victoria Missa O magnum mysterium
A beautifully expressive mass based on Victoria’s own motet. -
Period: to
Baroque Period
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Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo
One of the first great operas and helped define early opera as an expressive art form blending music and drama. -
First Public Concerts in England
The first ticketed public concerts in England, marking a shift toward concerts as a commercial public event. -
Period: to
JS Bach
Bach is one of the most influential composers of the Baroque era. -
Antonio Vivaldi’s L’Estro Armonico
Is a set of twelve concertos that greatly influenced the development of the concerto grosso and solo concerto. -
Rameau’s Traité de l’harmonie
A landmark theoretical work that codified tonal harmony and became a major reference for Classical composers. -
Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, Volume 1
A collection of 24 preludes and fugues in all major and minor keys, demonstrating the practicality of well-tempered tuning and inspiring future keyboard composers. -
Period: to
Franz Joseph Haydn
Haydn shaped Classical style and mentored both Mozart and Beethoven. -
Handel’s Messiah
famous for its “Hallelujah” chorus, it is a major work performed frequently to this day. -
Period: to
Viennese Classical Period
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Period: to
WA Mozart
A prodigy who mastered every major genre of his time. -
Period: to
Le Chevalier de Saint-Georges, Director of the Concert des Amateurs
Saint-Georges, led the prestigious Concert des Amateurs in Paris, making it one of Europe’s finest orchestras and showcasing Black excellence in Classical music. -
Mozart’s Don Giovanni
Don Giovanni blends opera seria and opera buffa, showing Mozart’s dramatic genius. -
Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 “Surprise”
Nicknamed “Surprise” for its unexpected loud chord in the slow movement.