A Brief History of Classical Music: Part I

n my ten years of teaching it has always been (and for other teachers as well) a struggle to motivate certain students to study classical music. Classical music is certainly not the end-all to learning an instrument, but rather the most efficient gateway into proficiency in all musical genres. What one student can accomplish through classical music can translate into learning pieces in jazz (which if I could argue another gateway, would be next in line), musical theater, pop and rock. It is the seemingly antiquated sound and lack of navigation through the classical realm that deters students from enriching their musical lives to their maximum potentials. As a remedy, I have provided a concise ‘guidebook’ into the history of classical music, hopefully inspiring you to explore any of the worlds located in this vast musical universe!
Music has existed since ancient times and was studied and documented by great minds such as Aristotle and Pythagorus. The focus will be of more recent times, beginning with the:

Medieval Era c. 400 - c. 1400. (The abbreviation c. stands for ‘circa’, which is Latin for ‘about’. As with may eras and epochs in history, there are blurred lines as to when one may have started and may have ended.) The Medieval period does not contain as much written music compared to other eras. Furthermore, many of our modern day instruments did not exist, or were in their infantile stages during this period. Check out the shawm, a nasally-sounding woodwind instrument. Also notice the dexterity and high level of playing required for the tambourine:

Much of the written music we have for this time period is for choral music. This style of singing employed is known as plainchant, which has a monophonic (single melody with no accompanying harmony) texture. Composers grew adventurous and began harmonizing these melodic lines. While there are many intricacies to this harmonizing process that will not be discussed, it is known as organum. This particular style of plainchant presented is known as gregorian chant. Listen to how the performers start in monophonic fashion, or monophony. Afterwards, they harmonize using organum and fauxbourdontechniques. (Fauxbordon means to harmonize at an interval of a sixth and a fourth below the original melody.)

Other composers to listen to: Hildegard von Bingen, Guillaume de Mauchaut, Francesco Landini.

Renaissance Era c. 1300 - c. 1600. (Note how the dates overlap with the Medieval!) This period was an explosion in educational and religious reform for Europe. Composers began to again explore harmonic boundaries resulting in multiple melodies performed simultaneously or, polyphony. Although polyphony existed in the Medieval era it was not nearly as complex as in the Renaissance. This next excerpt is the Kyrie from Josquin des Prez’s Missa Pane Lingua. Listen and look at the multiple melodic lines. See how many you can hear, it’s painstakingly complex!

Other important composers to listen to: Guillame Dufay, Giovanni Palestrina, William Byrd

Baroque Era c. 1600 - c. 1750. The defining characteristic of Baroque music would be opera. The harmonic rules we follow today as musicians were recognized and codified during this time. Music existed mostly in homophonic (melody with accompaniment) and polyphonic textures. Arguably, the most influential musician on later composers, J. S. Bach, composed during this time. Listen to how Bach’s harmonies adhere to a slightly more rigid structure when compared to the Medieval or Renaissance eras:

The instrument played is a harpsichord, a predecessor to the piano. The strings are plucked and cannot play different dynamic levels, giving the performer a challenge not seen on the modern piano. Also, notice how the performer adds ‘ornaments’ or little improvisatory riffs; many people misunderstand the improvisatory nature of classical music, composers were doing it all the time in every era!

Other important composers to listen to: Claudio Monteverdi, Jean-Phillipe Rameau, George Frideric Händel.

While the Medieval and Renaissance Eras are not taught a lot in music lessons, many students begin their formal training with pieces found in the Baroque era. In fact, the Bach Minuet you just heard may be one of the most famous beginner pieces ever. Explore the other composers of each era - you never know when a piece is going to hit your ears in the right way! Take a piece of music you know from the Baroque era and try to ornament over it! See if you can compose your own piece using monophonic, homophonic and polyphonic textures.

Until then, stay tuned for part II and keep practicing!