How Many Classical Styles and Periods are out there?

There are several classical styles or periods of classical

Medieval (500-1400): This period is also known as the Middle Ages and includes sacred music, such as Gregorian chants, as well as secular music, including troubadour and trouvere songs.

Renaissance (1400-1600): This period was characterized by polyphonic vocal music, instrumental music, and the rise of the madrigal. Is traditionally understood to cover European music of the 15th and 16th centuries, later than the Renaissance era as it is understood in other disciplines. Rather than starting from the early 14th-century ars nova, the Trecento music was treated by musicology as a coda to Medieval music and the new era dated from the rise of triadic harmony and the spread of the ‘ contenance angloise ‘ style from Britain to the Burgundian School. A convenient watershed for its end is the adoption of basso continuo at the beginning of the Baroque period.

Baroque (1600-1750): The Baroque period was characterized by ornate and elaborate music, characterized by complex harmonies, counterpoint, and the use of basso continuo. Derived from the Portuguese barroco, or “oddly shaped pearl,” the term “baroque” has been widely used since the nineteenth century to describe the period in Western European art music from about 1600 to 1750. Comparing some of music history’s greatest masterpieces to a misshapen pearl might seem strange to us today, but to the nineteenth century critics who applied the term, the music of Bach and Handel’s era sounded overly ornamented and exaggerated. Having long since shed its derogatory connotations, “baroque” is now simply a convenient catch-all for one of the richest and most diverse periods in music history.Prominent composers of this period include Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Antonio Vivaldi.

Classical (1730-1820): The Classical period is characterized by a simpler and more balanced approach to music, with clear melodic lines and a more formal structure.

By the late 1750s there were flourishing centers of the new style in Italy, Vienna, Mannheim, and Paris; dozens of symphonies were composed and there were bands of players associated with musical theatres. Opera or other vocal music accompanied by orchestra was the feature of most musical events, with concertos and symphonies (arising from the overture) serving as instrumental interludes and introductions for operas and church services. Over the course of the Classical period, symphonies and concertos developed and were presented independently of vocal music.

Prominent composers of this period include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Franz Joseph Haydn.

Romantic (1815-1910): The Romantic period is characterized by an emphasis on emotions and individualism, with a focus on expressive melodies, rich harmonies, and programmatic music. By the late 1750s there were flourishing centers of the new style in Italy, Vienna, Mannheim, and Paris; dozens of symphonies were composed and there were bands of players associated with musical theatres. Opera or other vocal music accompanied by orchestra was the feature of most musical events, with concertos and symphonies (arising from the overture) serving as instrumental interludes and introductions for operas and church services. Over the course of the Classical period, symphonies and concertos developed and were presented independently of vocal music.Prominent composers of this period include Frederic Chopin, Franz Liszt, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

20th Century and Beyond (1900-present): This period includes a wide range of styles, including impressionism, atonality, minimalism, and experimental music. Prominent composers of this period include Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg, and John Williams.

These are just some of the main classical styles or periods, and within each period, there are also sub-genres and variations. Classical music is a rich and diverse art form, with a long history and ongoing evolution.