Western Classical music originates from the Latin word Classicus which means first class or to the

Romans, artistry of the highest. There are two different parts within Western Classical music, Church
(religious) music and secular music. Church music consists of chants, carols and requiems whereas
secular music is made up of operas, Sonatas, concerts and symphonies. Western Classical music
includes a wide range of different music styles over a period of 800 years, these are

Medieval ( Before 1400 )

Renaissance ( 1400-1600 )

Baroque ( 1600-1750 )

Classical ( 1750-1830)

Romantic ( 1830-1920 )

20th century/ Modern ( 1920-2017)

Mozarts famous quote- All I insist on, and nothing else, is that you should show the whole world that
you are not afraid. Be silent, if you choose; but when it is necessary, speakand speak in such a way
that people will remember it.
 Audience Overview of western classical music
When we talk about Secular music ( concerts, operas etc.) we think of the more wealthy
people dressing up with high end suits and dresses. Especially during the years before the
modern period. Only the wealthy could afford to attend concerts and operas.

The age of technology in the Modern period allowed people from all wealth and culture to
listen to Western classical music through radios and broadcasts. It enabled them to listen to it
for free without having to order tickets and spend hours listening in a theatre. Technology also
allowed people to listen to any composer of their choice without having to go through a set of
composers in a theatre.
The clothing worn to operas and concerts etc is normally high-end much more luxury clothes.
Western Classical music dates right back to the medieval period before the 1400s mainly being
performed mainly in churches. During this period it was very popular as the majority of the
population went to church.
Western classical music has evolved through time with help from very influential incredible
composers. The popularity of this genre of music was kept alive because it kept evolving into new
interesting ideas. The use of Atonality instead of Tonality in the works of Arnold Schoenberg
confused people but also made them think about the message being sent across. Still hundreds of
years later the style is still hugely loved and composers are still putting there own twists into their
music.
Mozart was born 1756, January the 27th in Salzburg, Austria to Johann Georg Leopold Mozart
and Anna Maria Walburga Mozart.
At a very young age, he was already able to play the piano and violin, he composed from the
age of five and performed in front of European royalty. He was one of the most crucial
composers during the Classical period, evolving the style of music from the Barque period to
then leading onto the Romantic period. He is one of the most famous composers to have ever
lived, creating compositions which are still loved today.

Here are Some of his very influential pieces are Eine Kleine Nachtmusik
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcpM0yN7p0c) and Le Nozze di Figaro
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YYQFbDuT9k).
Beethoven was born December 1770 in Germany to Maria Magdalena Keverich and Johann van
Beethoven. At a very young age Beethoven took an interest in music and like Mozart, was taught by his
father. Beethovens very first live performance was at Cologne and he was only seven years old. At 27
years old, Beethoven went deaf only being able to hear a few sounds.

He was one of the main composers along side Hayden and Mozart who brought Western Classical
music through the Classical and Romantic periods. To this day, he still remains one of the most famous
and influential composers.

Here are some of his most well known compositions which are still highly loved today:

5th symphony in Cminor- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOk8Tm815lE

9th symphony- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3217H8JppI
Johann Sebastian bach was born on the 31st of march 1685 in Eisenach, Germany and died on the
28th of July 1750 in Leipzig, Germany. His parents were Johann Ambrosius Bach and Maria Elisabeth
Lammerhirt. His whole family were musicians and his father taught him how to play the violin. He is
thought to be one of the most influential composers of all time.

Bach evolved Western Classical music during the baroque period and produced some incredible
pieces.
Some of these are:

toccata and fugue in d minor- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzR9bhei_o

This peiece is said to be one of the greatest organ peieces ever written.

Air on the G string- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzR9bhei_o

Frdric Chopin was born on March 1, 1810 in Zelazowa Wola, Poland. He died in October 17, 1849,
Paris, France. Chopin was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic era who wrote his
compositions mainly for the piano. Chopin was influenced by worldwide composers of earlier eres,
some of these were Mozart, Bach and Schburt. Over 230 of Frederic Chopins pieces are still played
today in a modern era.

One of his very well known compositions is Nocturne in E flat major also known as op 9 no. 2.
Nocturne in E flat major. It starts of with a legato melody played by the piano, the melody is heard
again three times during the piece. Each time , it is altered and has a slightly different tones and has
an added trill. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZueoFgG3oJ8

Another sensational composition by Chopin is Etude op.25-

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLZ4WJiDldU
Arnold Schoenberg was a Austrian composer, painter and leader of the Second Viennese
School. He was born 13th of September 1874, Leopoldstadt, Austria to Samuel Schoenberg
and Pauline Schoenberg and died died July the 13th 1951, Los Angeles. Audiences and critics
found Schoenbergs music difficult to understand which so much unrest and in one of his
concerts the police were called. Still, he was one of the most influential composers during

He was part of the Romantic period and then lead into the 20th century Western classical
music. He created a different way of writing compositions and used Atonality instead of
tonality. Tonality meant that the piece was in a specific key. Because of this, Tonality was used
much less after his era.

His first composition was Verklrte Nacht ( Transfigured night) which was a very romantic
piece. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-pVz2LTakM
Ludovico Einaudi was born in Turin on the 23rd of November 1955. He is
a modern day Italian classical pianist. His compositions are played
worldwide and have featured in many different films. His father was
Giulio Einaudi who was a publisher and his mother, Renata Aldrovandi,
played the piano and taught him the basics of music. Enaudi trained at
the Conservatorio Verdi in Milan and was taught by Luciano Berio in
the early 1980s.

Einaudi became world famous when he performed his piece, Timed

Out which took of all over the media.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7baW85kLcLI
The medieval period was earliest type of western music written we are able to understand.
Its time scale of between 1150-1400.The beginning of the Medieval period was very much
based for churches, with religious meanings. There were three different sections to the
medieval period, middle ages, higher middle ages and the late ages. It wasnt till the
middle ages where secular music was formed. In the 10th and 11th century, composers
began too write their compositions polyphonically which meant that there was more than
one melody.
Here are some of the main instruments used in the time period:
The recorder
Early stages of the organ
fiddle
trombone (called the sackbut)
What are the features of this style?
What are the features of this style?
The medieval period was mainly church music. Music was not accompanied by instruments, but new styles were starting to
appear. The singing alternated between a solo singer and a choir or sometimes they sung together which was called
Organum. In the style of Organum the piece would simply have a second part followed the main part at a fixed interval so that
the two parts moved in parallel together. Gradually the second part of the music became more independent which led to
basic forms of harmonies. Most composers in the medieval period were monks and there names were not on the sheet of
music. Only a few composers were recorded In this time period, the likes of Hildegard von Bingen and Guillaume de Machaut.
Differences to other time periods:
Differences to other periods?
The medieval period was very different to other periods because it was so basic. Composers had barely any freedom with
their music which didnt allow them to express their full emotion in the piece. In the medieval period they were unaware of
being able to change key in the music or to have instruments to accompany the melody line. Compared to the Classical
period and the Romantic period etc. The medieval period did not any powerful instruments which could have a wide range of
pitch to truly emphasises the piece of music such as the piano and the broad range of the string family.

Famous Piece
Lonin - Messe du Jour de Nol (Ensemble Organum)- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mYfzf5O8QY
This is Gregorian chant. It is composed by Leonin and called 'Messe du Jour de Noel'. Leonin was from the School of Notre
Dame composers, a group of composers from Paris around 1160-1250. The music you can hear is called 'organum' and is
solely voices. There are no recordings of this music but notation has survived. Organum is a type of chant using a range of
voices. In this recording I can hear the voices moving in parallel motion and sometimes the voices singing in unison. There is
sometimes more than one melody performing which is called polyphony. The rhythm and tempo are very free and you often
can't feel a pulse. There is lots of melisma and the harmony is quite free compared to later music.
The Renaissance period allowed composers to have a lot more freedom in their music.
Composers moved away from basic harmonies which had taken over the music for over
300 years and taken it into the direction of using major and minor scales. This created
more types of emotion allowing the composers to express their feelings through their
music. The renaissance period brought vocals into the style of music.

One of the most famous composers during the renaissance period was Thomas Tallis who
was born in 1510 and died in 1585. His most famous composition is Spem in Alium.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT-ZAAi4UQQ

Here is a list of the instruments used in the period of Western Classical music.
Harp
Harpsichord
Lute
Organetto
Percussion
Pipe and Tabor
What are the features of this style?

In the renaissance period, church music is described as choral polyphony. Choral polyphony means a
combination of different parts. Choral polyphony was intended to be sung a cappella, which means a piece
without instruments. The main forms of choral polyphony were the mass and the motet. mass meant ordinary, it
was used in events at a church. A Motet was the complete opposite to mass, it included everything which
wasnt ordinary. The motet was used in everyday life. Eventually, composers added in accidentals to their
pieces. Instruments were less important to voices at this stage and were only used for accompaniment.

Differences to other periods:

The renaissance period was different to the medieval period because of their particular music texture. A
Medieval composer e.g. Guillaume de Machau, tended to separate their compositions into sections and build
up in layers whereas in the renaissance period, the composers attempted to merge their music together as they
worked through their compositons.

A piece in this time period by Thomas Tallis

Spem in Alium https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iT-ZAAi4UQQ
It was composed in c. 1570 for eight choirs of five voices each, meaning it needs at least 40 different voices.
The Baroque period was where the orchestra and opera side of music formed . Western
classical music was starting to be played in front of society, restaurants, special events etc and
was spreading and evolving into a worldwide style of music. One of the most popular
composers of this period was Johann Sebastian Bach. His most famous piece is the toccata and
fugue in d minor.

Instruments which evolved through this time period includes the soft string family of the
Renaissance period and also the harpsichord which was where the piano originated from.
What are the features of this style?
The Baroque period was where accidentals and the minor/major key system was created. The third degree is the third note
played in the scale of a certain key or in a triad( chord). The third degree of the scale is what gives minor and major keys
have their own tone. With the major key, the third note is played one semitone up which gives it a happy/cheerful effect
whereas the third degree of the minor key is one semitone down. This creates sad/low tone of music.

Differences to other periods:

The Baroque period is different to the medieval and renaissance period because the Baroque period was the start of the
early operas, the suite, monody and Oratorio. The orchestra was mainly strings in this time period and the Violin became
the centre instrument. The very first opera was written in 1597 and was called Dafine, composed by peri. Oratorio were
very similar to operas but was based more on sacred story. A Monody is a single voice line accompanied by instrument bass
line. The words were half singing and half reciting, this was called recitative. The suite was a bunch of dances for one or more
instruments. They contained:
A German Allemande, in 4/4 time, at a moderate speed.
A French Courante, in 3/2 time, at a moderately fast speed (the Italian version is a Corrente).
A Spanish Sarabande, in a slow triple time.
A Gigue, usually in compound time

A piece composed in this time period was Johann Sebastian Bachs St Matthew Passion.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCOW9ZckXfM
The piece was created to present the passion story for the good Friday vespers Service. The music was divided into two
sections. The first part include the last supper and the betrayal and arrest of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane and then the
second part, the music turns softer and more somber emphasising the trial, crucifixion and burial of Jesus.
The classical period brought us the start of modern concerto, symphonies and sonatas. It
produced some of the most amazing influential composers of all time such as Joseph Hadyn,
Johann Christian , Wolfgang Mozart and in the late stages of this period Beethoven. The classical
period was dominated by instrument compositions. Compositions were mainly homophonic,
using a clear melody line over a accompaniment.
Here are the typical instruments played in the this period:

Wood: Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet, Flute, Piccolo

Brass: French Horn, Trumpet, Trombone
Strings: Violin, Viola, Cello, Double Bass, Harp
Percussion: Timpani.
Fortepiano.
What are the features of this style?
Style Galant was the early start to Classical music and was composed to please the listener/audience and to also make the
listener think about what the music was about. In the later Classical period the style became more complexed and had a
balance between the melody and accompaniments. The main feature was that classical music was homophonic. Homophonic
means the melody and the backing instruments playing together, the melody stands out more and the instruments are the
harmonic accompaniments. One of the main features of this period was the invention of the piano by Bartolomeo Cristofori, a
craftsman in 1700 Florence.

Differences to other periods:

The Classical period was different to the baroque period because where classical was mainly Homophonic, the baroque period
was mostly polyphonic. Also known as contrapuntal music, polyphonic means different sounds/voices. In the classical period,
the harpsichord was less used and wind instruments became more common, though strings were still the main instruments. The
classical period had more variety and contrast within pieces than the baroque period, the use of dynamics, different
instruments, tempo, key etc.
Famous Composers:
Some of the many composers which helped develop western classical music were Mozart and Beethoven. Especially Beethoven,
he wrote 9 symphonies. One of which his 5th symphony is the most loved and played today. As all his other compositions it was
written in 4 movements. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOk8Tm815lE

1st Movement, Sonata. This was the powerful first movement which opens with the Fate motif.
2nd movement, Andante ). The second movement is a lot more relaxed than the first, but still has some grand moments.
3rd Movement (Scherzo. The third movement enters a very dramatic style of music. Beethoven slowed the piece down and pus
huge emphasis on the first beat so it sounds more like a thundering slow march in.
4th movement (Finale). The Finale is the explosive joyful part of the fifth symphony.
The romantic period heavily involved the new, bright and powerful piano. The orchestra also
upgraded and strings, percussion brass and woodwinds expanded further. Instruments such as
the clarinet, snare drums and xylophones were invented in this period of time.
This period brought us many famous composers, some of these were Frederic Chopin and
Tchaikovsky. This period allowed composers to have more freedom with writing sonatas and
symphonies.
What are the features of this style?
The Romantic period allowed composers to attempt to increase emotional expression and power to describe deeper truth of
their time either in a negative or positive way. Some of the ideas behind these pieces in this time period were:
The distant past
Dreams
Night and moonlight
Rivers, lakes and forests
Nature and the seasons
The joy and pain of love
Fairy tales
The supernatural
Magic
Also, the invention of the piano in the Classical period developed further in the Romantic period, this gave an increase in the
range and the power of the piano. The musics frame instead of been made out of wood was now starting to be made out of
metal and more notes were added which widen the range of the piano.

Differences to other periods:

The Romantic period allowed composers to create richer harmonies with more complexed melodies. In addition, the range
of instruments in the orchestra increased, for example, the tuba was added to the brass section and the strings involved even
further. The bongos were added to the percussion which allowed composers to widen their music in pitch.

Fredicric Chopin was one of the most famous composers during the romantic periods. His pieces such as Marche Funebre
from Piano Sonata No. 2 Op. 35, Nocturne in C Sharp Minor Op. Posth., and Waltz in B minor Op. 69 No.2. Nocturne in C sharp
minor was written in 1830. It is written in a common time. The start of the piece begins with a soft texture and then the main
section comes on at bat 5 adding a haunting/mysterious feel to it. The theme of the music then changes to a pianissimo in
bar 21and then returns to the main section in bar 47.
Modern/high modern music transformed Western Classical music with new technology which
was growing around it. Radio broadcasts and gramophone records were being invented so the
less wealthy didnt have to spend vast amounts of money on concerts etc and could listen and
enjoy at a low costs
Technology was evolving fast it enabled people to listen to it for free without having to order
tickets and spend hours listening in a theatre due to music apps and websites. Technology also
allowed people to listen to any composer of their choice without having to go through a set of
composers in a theatre.
What are the features of this style?
The 20th Century was very diverse for Music. Genres such as impressionism, atonality, neoclassical, minimalism and
contemporary classical music.

20th Century Piano music was very diverse. One of the very important features of this period was the creation of atonality by
Arnold Schoenberg. Atonality was the opposite to Tonality, if the piece was written as tonality the key would not change
whereas Atonality meant that the piece had a key change during the piece. This left he audience very confused when this
feature was first introduced and could not understand the music. Further, Arnold Schoenberg then invented what is called The
Twelve Tone Technique. The twelve tone technique means that all 12 notes of the chromatic scale are sounded as often as one
another in a piece of music while preventing the emphasis of any one note. The use of tone rows meant all 12 notes are given
more or less equal importance which then makes the music avoid being in a key. 20th Century piano music was also
influenced by minimalism and a number of composers wrote tonal, peaceful, relaxing music which is stripped back from
music which came before. Famous works such as River Flows In You, Michael Nyman, Einaudi are often heard in the media
as well as at concerts.

Differences to other Periods

The 20th century was different to the majority of other time periods due to how composers pushed the boundaries of music
which came before. For example, when the audience of Stravinskys Rite of Spring first heard the opening bassoon melody
they were so shocked by the use of atonality and unusual choreography that there was a near riot. Not all 20th century
composers wrote atonal music. Composers such as Debussy wrote impressionist music which was explored different tonalities
such as the wholetone scale and more recently composers such as Einaudi have written more minimalist but beautiful pieces.
Ludovico Einaudi, nuvolve bianche was written in 2010 and featured in the film Insidious. Einaudi is a famous
contemporary piano performer and composer. He has written beautiful, relaxing music which is often
performed by accomplished pianists. Nuvole Biance is a melancholy, reflective and legato song which has
changes in time signature and explores different keys.

The song starts off with the time signature 4/4 and after the first bar converts to 12/8. This is unusual and
changes the atmosphere of the music. The piece explores a slow, and relaxing. The tempo in the second bar
is 78 and then to slowly increase ( poco acdcel) for example the maximum tempo it reaches is 96. The piece
of music is very melodic in sound and flows smoothly. As the piece progresses so does the tempo and also
the dynamics gets louder. Using ( F, MF and cresc ) to signify this. Einaudi uses Glissando in this piece to
glide from one note to the other quickly and smoothly.