Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Landmarks
What is an orchestra?
Baroque
Classical
17th
18th
1600-1750 1750-1810
Romantic
Modern
19th
20th & 21st
1800s-1910 1900s+
Instruments
Harpsichord
(only in
Baroque)
+ Clarinet
French Horn
+Piano
+ Greater use of
percussion
Saxophone
+ Electric
instruments
Size
Small orchestra
Getting bigger
Large orchestra
Anything goes.
Styles
Concerto
Dance Suites
+ Symphony, Sonata
Same again!
Anything goes.
Notes
Strings
dominate: brass
& woodwind
punctuate
Much greater
independence of
brass and
woodwind.
Anything goes
Mozart
Haydn
Beethoven
Chopin
Tchaikovsky
Schoenberg
Bernstein
Reich
Century
Dates
Composers Bach
Handel
Vivaldi
Baroque Music
The Music in this period:
Very decorated and elaborate sounding.
Harmonies were often very intricate, but not dissonant (clashing).
Limited ranges of instruments and types of instruments (brass
did not have valves; limited sizes of orchestra)
Dynamics were often loud or quiet; not much contrast.
Strings have main role
Imitative and complex music (polyphonic) was common, with
devices such as Fugue and Canon used to build up the texture.
However, alongside this, there was often the use of more simple
melody and accompaniment (a homophonic texture).
Much music was still very sacred (i.e. Religious-based).
Classical Music
The Music in this period:
Light and elegant
Simple, straightforward harmonies
Limited ranges of instruments (notes they can play) and also
choice of actual instruments.
Limited range of dynamics
Strings have main role
Tune with simple accompaniment (a homophonic texture).
Very structured, balanced phrase lengths with cadences.
All about balance e.g. A loud section followed by a quiet one; a
major section followed by a minor one etc.
Romantic Music
The Music in this period: