This brief PowerPoint presentation contains introductory information about the periods of Western musical history.

1. The Periods
of
Western
Musical History

2. In the study and
documentation of world
history, it is common to
divide long spans of time
into a series of "periods" in
order to more clearly
understand the changes
that took place over time.
Historians refer to this as
"periodization.”

3. In the history of "Western
music," most historians
generally agree on the
existence of at least six
different periods of musical
history over the last 1000 to
1500 years.

4. These periods musical history are
abstract concepts, formed in
retrospect, decades or hundreds
of years after the fact. At the time
that the changes in musical style
and form were happening, most
people were generally not aware
that a new period of music
was beginning to take place.

5. The periods of musical history
correspond to changes and
developments in music, changes
and developments in the other arts
(such as painting, sculpture,
architecture and literature) and
changes and developments in
society as a whole.

6. Musical History
Prior To The
Medieval Period

7. In the period of history prior to
the Medieval period, little is
known about the music of the
ancient Romans due to the fact
that so much of the ancient
Roman culture was lost with the
fall of the Roman Empire.

8. From the documents and
artifacts that survived, it is
known that music was an
important part of Roman culture
and that the Romans had a wide
variety of musical instruments.

9. More information is known about
the music of ancient Greece,
because some significant
writings about ancient Greek
music have survived. The Greek
system of musical tuning, which
is not unlike the modern system,
was developed by the famous
mathematician Pythagoras
(570 BC - 495 BC.)

10. Eight Periods
of
Western Musical History
For the purposes of this course,
we will use the following
eight periods of Western
musical history.

11. Periods of Western Musical History
1. Medieval (476 A.D. to 1400 A.D.)
2. Renaissance (1400 to 1600 A.D.)
3. Baroque (1600 to 1750)
4. Classical (1750 to 1820)
5. Romantic (1820 to 1900)
6. Impressionist (1875 to 1925)
7. Modern (1900 to 1960)
8. Post-Modern (1960-present)
(a.k.a. Contemporary)

12. It is important to note that
the dates of these periods of
music are approximate and
not all historians agree
on the exact dates
of each period.

13. Periods of Western Musical History
1. Medieval (476 A.D. to 1400 A.D.)
2. Renaissance (1400 to 1600 A.D.)
3. Baroque (1600 to 1750)
4. Classical (1750 to 1820)
5. Romantic (1820 to 1900)
6. Impressionist (1875 to 1925)
7. Modern (1900 to 1960)
8. Post-Modern (1960-present)
(a.k.a. Contemporary)