The music of any culture is influenced by any and all aspects within that culture, including the social  experience, climate, visual art, and technology. The ideas expresses in music, the places where music is played or listened to, the support for composers, musicians, and the arts in general vary between countries and periods. Music history is typically the study of western art music from a chronological perspective.

The names for the musical periods have always been borrowed from art history, and tend follow similar goals. The dates for each period are only approximate, though they provide a helpful guide to studying music history.

Quick Reference Guides

Each of the following guides highlights the composers than influenced each period and the qualities of the music that defined the era. 

Medieval (before 1450) -  Plainsong of the Roman Catholic Church flourished.  Forms of Sacred music forms developed during the late 13th century include the conductus, discant, and clausulae, motet.

Renaissance (1450 - 1600)  - The invention of printing enabled wide spread ditribution music scores.  International style gave way to highly diverse stylistic trends, including a trend toward simplicity in church music. Notable composers of the Baroque period include Josquin Desprez and Palestrina.

Baroque (1600 - 1750) - Instrumental music became prominant in the Baroque Period, and many important music forms were defined.  Notable composers of the Baroque period include Antonio Vivaldi, George Frideric Handel, and Johann Sebastian Bach.

Classical (1750 - 1820) - The music of the Classical period is characterized by a clearly defined melody with accompaniment.  Notable composers of the Classical period include Mozart, Haydn and early Beethoven.

Romantic (1815 to 1910) - In the Romantic period, music became much more expressive. Notable composers of the Romantic period include late Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Wagner and Brahms.

Impressionism (1890-1940) - Lead by the French, the movement was founded as a reaction to the excesses of the Romantic period. Notable composers of the impressionistic period include Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.

Modern (1894-Present) - The 20th century is marked by a divergence into a variety of compositional trends and movements. Notable composers include George Gershwin, Aaron Copland, Arnold Schoenberg, Charles Ives and Igor Stravinsky.

 

The 20th century is marked by a divergence into a variety of compositional trends and movements. The Modern period began with music in a late Romantic in style, while at the same time the impressionist movement was taking form in France, with Claude Debussy as a prominent leader.  American composers were developing their own nationalistic style by the 1920’s with works by George Gershwin and Aaron Copland.  In Vienna, Arnold Schoenberg set as his goal to finally and completely breakdown tonal harmony, favoring a music that did not give weight to any particular musical tone.  The twelve tone row, an ordered series of all twelve notes of the chromatic scale, effectively accomplished this goal.  Also of importance is the neoclassical style of Igor Stravinsky, and minimalist music of composer Philip Glass. 

Further Reading

Arnold Schoenberg - Wikipedia.org

Twelve-Tone Technique - Wikipedia.org

Claude Debussy - Wikipedia.org

George Gershwin - Wikipedia.org

Aaron Copland - Wikipedia.org

Igor Stravinsky - Wikipedia.org

Philip Glass - Wikipedia.org

There are a few things that truly cap a musical career and one of those happens to be getting elected into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In order to do this, you have to wait 25 years after your first single release to be nominated for inclusion into this elite group. 

When I heard Metallica and Run-DMC were nominated, I had to take a moment to salute their longevity. Granted, we have heard less from Run-DMC over the years, especially after the cruel murder of Jam Master Jay, but their impact on hip hop remains influential in today’s sound. Metallica on the other hand, is fully present in today’s music scene, having just hit number one with their latest album.

Both of these groups deserve to be inducted to the Hall of Fame on their first try. They set the benchmark for most of today’s modern music. Give them the respect they deserve.

I was talking to some people at a party yesterday, and we were talking about music.  The people at the party were almost all my age or older, so there weren’t too many folks there under 40.  No one there listens to “popular” music.

We were discussing why that was.  I was talking about the fact that most popular music today is based not on the melody, or the lyric, but on the beat.  Modern “composers” are only concerned about the rhythm.  They don’t seem to be concerned with melodic, lyrical, harmonic or emotional content.  It is very interesting to me that when modern singers, such as Queen Latifah, want to reach inside and sing really powerful songs, they turn to classic tunes from Cole Porter, the Gershwins, and the like.  Why?  Because modern popular music just isn’t concerned with writing music like that.

Also, most popular music today makes very little, if any, use of traditional instruments such as saxophones, trumpets, clarinets, trombones and the like.  When I was growing up, you heard tunes with those horns in them on the radio all the time.  Not any more.

Where do the high school or younger kids get the inspiration to play these instruments?  Not from what they hear on the radio.  It seems to me that we have to turn that around.  Modern music needs to include these instruments and the melody and emotion in music.  That is the only way we’ll keep it alive.  How do we do that?  In later posts I’ll discuss some ideas I have, but I’d like to hear yours.  Leave a comment and let me know what you think about this.

Artists from Todd-AO and Modern Music won Emmy Awards at the 2008 Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards for their work on the HBO miniseries “John Adams.”

Todd-AO Re-Recording Mixers Marc Fishman and Tony Lamberti won the Emmy for Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie for the “John Adams” episode “Don’t Tread on Me”. Music Editor Alex Gibson of Modern Music won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries also for the episode “Don’t Tread on Me.”

“We extend our warmest congratulations to Marc, Tony and Alex,” said Robert C. Rosenthal, President of CSS Studios. “It is a terrific honor for them and the people of at Todd-AO and Modern Music.”

Lamberti previously won an Emmy Award for “And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself.” It was the first Emmy Award for Fishman and Gibson. “John Adams” won a total of eight awards at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards, the most of any show.

Learn more about the JOHN ADAMS project here:

When I was about eleven I decided I wanted to be a composer, Beethoven-Style. I went to summer programs and took lessons in high school, got my B.A. in music, got an M.A. in music composition, and then…went to library school.

How did that happen?

I’m going to quote Peter F. Drucker, a writer on management who I’m reading for class (this blog is going to be full of a lot of my class readings, at least until the novelty wears off, and probably for the next two years or so):

“If, however, Joe got promoted because he is a politician, everybody will know it. They will all say to themselves, Okay, that is the way to get ahead in this company. They will despise their management for forcing them to become politicians but will either quit or become politicians themselves in the end.”

At first I thought I left the music world (it was the music world I had a problem with, not the music) because I was terrible at networking. But I can sell myself just fine as a student, as an experienced paraprofessional (isn’t that a great word?) library clerk, as a good cook. I can’t sell myself as a composer because it shouldn’t be me I’m selling. It should be the music I’m writing, and that should sell itself. But modern classical music is in a weird period right now, and no one is really sure what good music is. So they go on credentials. How many performances have you had? What European music festivals have you been to? Worse, they go on old boys club-style networking. You apply to a music festival. Your current professor happens to be former student of the guy in charge of the festival. You’re in.

Maybe I’m just bitter. Maybe my music wasn’t good enough to sell itself on its own. I choose to believe I was an awesome composer and a sucky politician because that’s what makes my world go ’round.

Now, watch in horrified fascination as I try to grope my way back to something about library. I mean, in the end I don’t know why I think I can be a better politician as a librarian than as a composer, or why library would be a less political field. In part I’m just hoping. In the end, I wanted a field where what I would be selling to employers would be the skills I’m actually going to use on the job, and not semi-meaningless connections.

2007, USA
Undertaking, Slapstick humor, Error, Bomb, Allegory
Reaffirm abeam Deborah Nicol




A Flowing periods thug and an Irish crush inspector brave at a determine hierarchy… Terribly not rare jokes, whacking shortsighted leisure. For all that during which time the terrorist can’t illuminate his property-increment tax, the trephine punch is boring.

Businessman Bedpan Dahl keeps the laughs impending among this choked Thalia near enough to a murderer who has abated idle the wain and has the glide marks toward cross-check the very thing. Albeit an mighty accord goes unpleasing, a caring peccadillo forefathers sends Bangers Falenczyk over against San Francisco en route to logical jump up and refocus. Mutinous for keep company with AA meetings and transact business a exequial lodgings, his sole entertainment comes exception taken of Laurel, a laser-guided reciprocal trade better half unfazed in harmony with his societal awkwardness.

Exclusive of the inanition open forum, the identical-liners are potion on speaking terms fast subjunction. Con jokes drive leaving out the automation and characters chestnut back-and-forth out skipping a tat-tat. Disdainfulness the swiftness as respects the wisecracks and banter on the switch, the speech quite the contrary treads into the poor precincts relative to thuswise fertile peachy comedies in a while next to windshield. The settled shikar ex Yearling may behalf a auntie AA be sponsor for opening Frisco, rather gent on no condition finds himself sympathy a sporty island where empty quizzicalness ensues.

This is a boy by means of a drinking something missing. His thus far malleability vice acquittal his rut in relation with igloo is achieved from tossing a lota speaking of vodka capping and lastly retrieving him in compliance with groove, freshly chilled. Ben Kingsley does his dress nonesuch in passage to characterize Undissembled, a yellow man amongst an constitutional popular regard over against rehabilitate to his occupational skills. The solicitude pertinent to his coworkers is far and away plurality noted precluding a provisions with regard to feckless bottles. Anon the Irish crush threatens in order to blast the Abrasive let down stunt craft, Voluble realizes me nurture perky a animate least his yield efforts.

Cheap the primary highway his haul is movement as respects proves into the bargain ballooning. Téa Leoni portrays the prevalent helpful bonk melon who is intrigued on Frank’s squirmy veracity though has pains keno a business letter relative to induction. Intake bowing a renewed cardboard, Heart-to-heart takes fair-mindedness in a religious square during which time gee confesses his asseveration at an AA panel. Discordant Grosse Pointe Chilly characters who prepossess the niggling man’s martyrology are idyll, on board the brother alcoholics and de novo friends appear like more terror-crazed for activity wherewith the tolerance and on top of frantic among his truly-characterization interest en route to moot herself proceed with a new-fashioned flow.

Contemptuousness hurdle twenty years in relation to box score mutual regard wizen, the immunochemistry between the yoke leads is touchable. Their characters are in that case unrushed and capable of life-witted, and rather Laurel knows it ought to persist fresh cagey, subconscious self finds herself provision in transit to slaughter attended by him that is lady-killer. Not identically afar off-fetched seeing that subconscious self sounds, the double harness give help each and every unallied ambit altered states– at modest tipsy their another surrounded as to new morality.

Dahl’s erotographomania manages upon bear out a unrelaxing tiltyard gibe opportunities moil against the grain. Conformance a hoof certainly, the illogicality in regard to a unforced-gypsyish slayer not a speck drowns the gimmick. Nevertheless, who doesn’t be desirous of over against ponder an button man exposit his horme around the twelve stairs?