Musical Theatre Time Periods – A Full Breakdown
- Pre-1920s
- The Jazz Age (1920-1939)
- The Golden Age (1940-1959)
- Post-Golden Age (1960-1969)
- Pre-Contemporary (1970-1999)
- Contemporary (2000-2019)
- Current (2020-Present/Currently Running Shows)
What are the six eras of music?
Transitioning from the Romantic Period
- Medieval era (500-1400AD)
- Renaissance era (1400-1600AD)
- Baroque era (1600-1750AD)
- Classical era (1730-1820AD)
- Romantic era (1800-1910AD)
- 20th Century era (1900-Present)
What are the different eras of music?
The era can be split into three mini-periods:
- Early Medieval music (500-1150AD)
- High Medieval music (1150-1300AD)
- Late Medieval music (1300-1400AD)
What are the musical periods?
In Western art music or Classical music, a period is a group of phrases consisting usually of at least one antecedent phrase and one consequent phrase totaling about 8 bars in length (though this varies depending on meter and tempo).Generally, the antecedent ends in a weaker and the consequent in a stronger cadence; often, the antecedent ends in a half cadence while the consequent ends in an ...
What are different eras of classical music types?
What are the different periods of classical music?
- Early Music – Till 1400. This actually covers a huge period – essentially everything that happened till the Renaissance, when things started to really take off.
- Renaissance – 1400-1600. ...
- Baroque – 1600-1750. ...
- Classical – 1750-1830. ...
- Romantic – 1830-1900. ...
- 20th Century – 1900-2000. ...
- Modern – 2000-present. ...

What are the 7 eras of music?
Early Music – Till 1400.Renaissance – 1400-1600.Baroque – 1600-1750.Classical – 1750-1830.Romantic – 1830-1900.20th Century – 1900-2000.Modern – 2000-present.
What are the 6 eras of music history?
This post will act as a guide to the different periods of classical music, with an overview of the six main eras: Medieval music, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th Century classical. That's a time span of more than one and a half millennia!
What are the 4 musical eras?
With centuries of history to consider, it can be easy to get in a bit of a twist when it comes to the various eras of Western classical music. Here's a quick guide to the four key periods we usually learn about in music theory: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century and beyond.
What musical era are we in now?
Contemporary classical music at the beginning of the 21st century was often considered to include all post-1945 musical forms. A generation later, this term now properly refers to the music of today written by composers who are still alive; music that came into prominence in the mid-1970s.
What are the 5 eras of music?
The 6 musical periods are classified as Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th/21st Century, with each fitting into an approximate time frame.
What was after Renaissance music?
The Renaissance period of classical music spans approximately 1400 to 1600. It was preceded by the Medieval period and followed by the Baroque period.
What was the first musical era?
the Renaissance periodEarly Music The first fully acknowledged era in classical music was the Renaissance period, beginning in around 1400. There was, however, all sorts of music before that, much of it laying the foundations for the composers who were to come – and this all is what we refer to today as the Early period.
What period is after Baroque?
A Brief Overview of the Art Periods TimelineArt PeriodYearsRenaissance1495 – 1527Mannerism1520 – 1600Baroque1600 – 1725Rococo1720 – 176027 more rows•May 3, 2022
Is Baroque after Medieval?
Music historians divide the Western classical music repertory into various eras based on what style was most popular as taste changed. These eras and styles include Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modernist, and Postmodernist.
What does the P in music mean?
pianop. piano (soft) mp. mezzo-piano (medium soft)
What is the best era of classical music?
Baroque period (1600 to 1750): During the Baroque era, classical music surged forward in its complexity. The Baroque era saw a full embrace of tonal music—music based on major scales and minor scales rather than modes—and it maintained the polyphony of the Renaissance era.
What does era mean in music?
Era mixes Gregorian chants and occasionally world music with contemporary electronic and pop-rock arrangements. It is reminiscent of new-age music projects such as Enigma, Gregorian, and Deep Forest.
What came after Baroque?
The Baroque period of music occurred from roughly 1600 to 1750. It was preceded by the Renaissance era and followed by the Classical era.
What were the years of the classical era?
What Is the Classical Period? The Classical period of music was an era that lasted from approximately 1730 to 1820, although variations on it extended well into the middle of the nineteenth century.
What is the medieval music period?
When Was the Medieval Period of Music? The Medieval period of music history began around the fall of the Roman empire in 476 AD. It progressed into the sixth century and lasted through the end of the fourteenth century, when it gave way to Renaissance music. Medieval-era music centered around the church.
What was the style of singing in the Medieval period?
Though the monophonic style was a staple in the Medieval period, it’s important to note that polyphonic vocal genres also developed in this time. Polyphony is the use of multiple independent voice types, as opposed to the one melody line in monophonic singing.
What was the Renaissance?
The Renaissance was a golden age for choral composition , especially in a capella compositions. Religious music continued to flourish throughout the entire Renaissance period, ...
What is a Gregorian chant?
Gregorian Chants were monophonic, (a single, unaccompanied melodic line) and most commonly sung by monks. Take a moment to listen to the Gregorian Chant below. Notice the notation in the background as well, which has also drastically changed over time.
What was the Baroque period known for?
However, the Baroque period is commonly known for complex pieces and intricate harmonies. Still, this period laid the groundwork for the next 300 years of music.
What instruments were used in the Renaissance?
As instrumental pieces became more prominent, individual instruments advanced drastically. Many new instruments emerged, such as the oboe, bassoon, cello, contrabass, and fortepiano (an early version of the piano ). The string family of the Renaissance was replaced with stronger sounds from the violin, viola, and cello .
What was the second half of the Renaissance?
The second half of the Renaissance period was incredibly influential , as composers became to move away from the modal system of harmony and towards the organization of major and minor scales. The strong sensation of each piece having a definitely tonal center (or key) became commonplace in the Renaissance period.
What instruments were used in the Medieval period?
Instruments used during this time included the flute, the recorder, and plucked string instruments , like the lute. Early versions of the organ and fiddle also existed. Perhaps the most known type of music to come out of the Medieval period was the Gregorian Chant.
When did music start to split into different categories?
Music really started to split into different categories during this time (1910-2000). This is where you get styles like Impressionism, Modernism, Ragtime, Jazz, Musicals and more.
What period of music did pianos and keyboards originate in?
However, this is where Western music began, and it’s a fascinating period of time. The Baroque Period .
What era was Mozart in?
This era in music was from 1750-1820, and is the era that people tend to be the most familiar with. This is where you get symphonies and sonatas by famous guys like Mozart and Beethoven.
When was the romantic period in music?
The Romantic period in music was from about 1820 to 1910. It’s typically the era that intermediate and advanced students fall in love with once they start getting into more exciting repertoire by Chopin and Liszt.
Is Baroque music difficult to learn?
Music from this era is very different from more modern styles, and can be more difficult to listen to and play because of this. But Baroque music is very rewarding to get into – nothing teaches you hand independence like learning some fugues by Bach.
Did pianos exist in the Middle Ages?
Since pianos and keyboards basically didn’t exist in the Middle Ages, we don’t spend much time talking about them in the piano world. However, this is where Western music began, and it’s a fascinating period of time.
What was the Romantic period?
The Romantic Period (1800-1910AD) Following on from Beethoven’s developments, The Romantic Period (1800-1910) saw composers free themselves from the restrictive conventions of the Classical era, working on a grander scale with much more expressive and emotive content.
Why was secular music so popular?
Religious music was still ubiquitous, but secular music increased in popularity, as composers were allowed to write creative music for its own sake, and the invention of the printing press allowed for more widespread distribution.
What was the 20th century?
The 20th Century (1900-Present) A vast range of totally new and radical music came out of the 20th Century, as composers reacted in different ways to the conventions and traditions of previous decades.
How many eras are there in classical music?
This post will act as a guide to the different periods of classical music, with an overview of the six main eras: Medieval music, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th Century classical. That’s a time span of more than one and a half millennia!
What period is Gregorian chant?
Each one has its own distinctive sounds, features and key composers. A Gregorian chant from the Medieval period sounds very different to a Romantic-era opera and, ideally, you should be able to listen to a piece and know roughly when it was written and who the composer might be. This post will act as a guide to the different periods ...
What was the dominant style of music in the 1600s?
The Baroque Era was the dominant style during the years 1600-1750. Perhaps its most distinctive feature is the use of dense polyphony, where multiple complex melodies weave in and out of each other to impressive effect.
What is monophonic music?
The music was monophonic, meaning that it contained just a single melodic line, sung in unison, with no accompanying harmony parts or instrumental accompaniment. Here is an example, sung by the Gregorian Choir of Paris: Example of Gregorian Chant.
What was the Renaissance period?
The renaissance period encompassed music, art and literature. It means rebirth and many great things came to be during this period, between the years 1400 and 1600. Of the many composers of the time, a couple of names easily stand out, like Josquin de Prez, Palestrina and Allegri.
What period of music was the Baroque period?
From the year 1600 to 1750 comes the period of Baroque music. This period is marked by many great composers like Bach, Vivaldi and Handel. They have composed so much music that it would take entire books to write about that. People still know of Bouree, the Four Seasons and Water Music, each from their respective authors. Many of these compositions are featured in everyday things like advertisements or even sports matches. Concertos and operas marked this period, shifting towards orchestral music rather than Christian.
What is the period of classical music?
Classical Music. When talking about old music, many people talk about this period, knowingly or unknowingly. From 1750 to 1820. This period was marked by Haydn and Mozart. Sonatas were popular at the time, written for a single instrument, but mostly the piano because it was introduced during the time.
What is romantic music?
Romantic Music. This does not mean love songs but represents a movement which took place from 1820 until the 20th century. This period, like the previous one, was full of great composers, Beethoven, Wagner, Liszt, Verdi, Chopin, Strauss, and so many more. Symphonies and virtuoso musicians were present at the time.
Why was the end of the romantic period important?
The end of the Romantic period is important, as it led the way to the Modernism, which is what we still have today, plenty of different genres and approaches to music. Music changed through the centuries, from simple choir compositions to operas, sonatas, concertos, symphonies and today, everything. Music will still evolve, and into ...
Who were the composers of the time?
The church had a large influence at the time. Some famous composers of the time are Hildegard of Bingen and Guido d’Arezzo.
Did the 1420s have string instruments?
This period is a bit different from the rest, given the lack of instruments at the time. Yes, there were some trumpets, recorders and other wind instruments, yet there were almost no string instruments. This period is often considered up to the year 1400 or 1420, according to some historians. The compositions of the time were made specifically ...
What is the Romantic period?
The Romantic period of music is from 1830 to 1900.The Romantic period was a time where composers, artists and authors moved away from the formal restraint of the Classical …
What is the period of Baroque music?
Baroque Music is the period of time from 1600-1750. It was a time of great musical development as famous Baroque composers, such as Bach (his death in 1750 is …. [Continue Reading...]
What is the longest period of music?
The Medieval Period of music is the period from the years c.500 to 1400. It is the longest “period” of music (it covers 900 years!!) and runs right through …. [Continue Reading...]
When was the classical period?
The Classical period of music is from 1750 to 1830. Classicism was a stylistic development in mid 1700s across the arts and architecture which was hugely influenced by the …. [Continue Reading...]
What are the different eras of classical music?
These eras and styles include Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modernist, and Postmodernist.
What is an approximate date?
Approximate dates can be assigned to the beginning and ending of each of these eras, which can be useful in describing changes in taste and to estimate the style of a work composed in a particular year. However, these dates are approximate and even good approximations are hard to make.
Why is it so hard to pick a particular year for the beginning and end of a classical era?
Second, works of particular styles can be found that were composed after the style was no longer popular or important.
Is the 20th century a musical era?
The 20th and 21st centuries are not musical eras in themselves, but are calendar periods that do not relate individually to musical history. However, these two calendar centuries can be combined into a longer musical period that includes the Modernist and Postmodernist eras. Some of the terms, such as "Renaissance" and "Baroque", ...
Is the 20th century arbitrary?
Date ranges of classical music eras are therefore somewhat arbitrary, and are only intended as approximate guides. Scholars of music history do not agree on the start and end dates, and in many cases disagree whether particular years should be chosen at all. The 20th century has exact dates, but is strictly a calendar based unit of time.
When did music start?
Ancient music extended from approximately 1500 BC until the fall of Rome in 476 AD.
Is the 20th century a calendar based era?
The 20th century has exact dates, but is strictly a calendar based unit of time. The Modernist era is confined mostly to the 20th century, but the Postmodern era continues into the current century which is therefore not a separate musical era in its own right.
When did the Beatles break up?
The Beatles Break Up (April 10, 1970)
When was the world web created?
Birth of the Worldwide Web (August 6, 1991)
When was the Rock Era born?
Birth of the Rock Era (June 29, 1955)
How many musicals were made in 1930?
In addition, there were scores of musical features released with color sequences. Hollywood released more than 100 musical films in 1930, but only 14 in 1931. By late 1930, audiences had been oversaturated with musicals and studios were forced to cut the music from films that were then being released.
What musicals did Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers make?
These lavish production numbers are typified by his choreographic work in 42nd Street, Gold Diggers of 1933, Footlight Parade (all from 1933). During the 1930s, the musical films of Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers became massive cultural fixtures in the eyes of the American public.
What were the most famous movies of the 1930s?
These films included, Top Hat (1935), Follow the Fleet, Swing Time (both 1936), and Shall We Dance (1937). Victor Fleming's The Wizard of Oz (1939) would become a landmark film for movie musical as it experimented with new technology such as Technicolor .
What is the genre of singing in the rain?
Film genre. Singin' in the Rain (1952) film poster. Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serve merely as breaks in the storyline, ...
When were musical shorts made?
Musical short films were made by Lee de Forest in 1923–24. Beginning in 1926, thousands of Vitaphone shorts were made, many featuring bands, vocalists, and dancers. The earliest feature-length films with synchronized sound had only a soundtrack of music and occasional sound effects that played while the actors portrayed their characters just as they did in silent films: without audible dialogue. The Jazz Singer, released in 1927 by Warner Brothers, was the first to include an audio track including non-diegetic music and diegetic music, but it had only a short sequence of spoken dialogue. This feature-length film was also a musical, featuring Al Jolson singing "Dirty Hands, Dirty Face", "Toot, Toot, Tootsie", " Blue Skies ", and " My Mammy ". Historian Scott Eyman wrote, "As the film ended and applause grew with the houselights, Sam Goldwyn 's wife Frances looked around at the celebrities in the crowd. She saw 'terror in all their faces', she said, as if they knew that 'the game they had been playing for years was finally over'." Still, only isolated sequences featured "live" sound; most of the film had only a synchronous musical score. In 1928, Warner Brothers followed this up with another Jolson part-talkie, The Singing Fool, which was a blockbuster hit. Theaters scrambled to install the new sound equipment and to hire Broadway composers to write musicals for the screen. The first all-talking feature, Lights of New York, included a musical sequence in a night club. The enthusiasm of audiences was so great that in less than a year all the major studios were making sound pictures exclusively. The Broadway Melody (1929) had a show-biz plot about two sisters competing for a charming song-and-dance man. Advertised by MGM as the first "All-Talking, All-Singing, All-Dancing" feature film, it was a hit and won the Academy Award for Best Picture for 1929. There was a rush by the studios to hire talent from the stage to star in lavishly filmed versions of Broadway hits. The Love Parade (Paramount 1929) starred Maurice Chevalier and newcomer Jeanette MacDonald, written by Broadway veteran Guy Bolton.
Where are Bollywood movies based?
An exception to the decline of the musical film is Indian cinema, especially the Bollywood film industry based in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), where the most of films have been and still are musicals.
Which Indian movie was the first to be a musical?
Despite this exception of almost every Indian movie being a musical and India producing the most movies in the world (Formed in 1913), the first Bollywood film to be a complete musical Dev D (Directed by Anurag Kashyap) came in the year 2009. The second film to follow its track was Jagga Jasoos (Directed by Anurag Basu) in the year 2017.
How many eras are there in the Prehistoric era?
The Prehistoric era can be divided into three shorter eras based on the advancements that occurred in those time periods. They include: The Stone Age (2.5 million B.C. to 3000 B.C.) - documents the human migration from Africa and first use of tools by Neanderthals, Denisovans and early humans.
What is the Middle Ages?
The Middle Ages (A.D. 476 -A.D. 1450 ) The Middle Ages is also known as the Medieval or Post-Classical era. Historians refer to the early part of this period as the Dark Ages due to the loss of recorded history after the fall of the Roman Empire in A.D. 476.
What were the major technological innovations of the Industrial Revolution?
1840) - beginning of the modern era that saw several technological innovations, including the invention of the cotton gin, the increase of city factories and mills and the completion of the Erie Canal.
What was the name of the period that saw the Black Plague, the beginning of European exploration and the invention of the?
Late Middle Ages (A.D. 1250 to A.D. 1450) - a period that saw the Black Plague, the beginning of European exploration and the invention of the printing press
What were the major civilizations of the Classical Era?
These empires included: Ancient Greece (600 B.C. to A.D. 600) - foundation of democracy, philosophy, mathematics , drama, and poetry.
What are the five eras of history?
They use these resources to divide human existence into five main historical eras: Prehistory, Classical, Middle Ages, Early Modern, and Modern eras. Keep reading to learn the main civilizations, technological achievements, ...
How long did the Middle Ages last?
The Middle Ages was an unstable period that lasted for nearly a millennium. Historians often group the era into three distinct periods: the Early Middle Ages, the High Middle Ages and the Late Middle Ages.

Medieval
Renaissance
- The Renaissance brought significantly increased amounts of harmony and polyphony into music, as most composers were focused on choral music. Religious music continued to flourish throughout the entire Renaissance period, including new forms such as masses, anthems, psalms, and motets. Some composers of sacred music began to adopt secular forms (such as t…
Baroque
- Expanding upon the end of the Renaissance period, the Baroque period saw the creation of writing music in a particular key. However, the Baroque period is commonly known for complex pieces and intricate harmonies. Still, this period laid the groundwork for the next 300 yearsof music. The idea of the modern orchestra was born, along with opera, the concerto, sonata, and …
Classical
- The term “Classical Music” has two meanings 1. The broader meaning includes all Western art music from the Medieval era to the 2000s. 2. The specific meaning refers to the music from the 1750s to the early 1820s. We are discussing the specificmeaning in this section. The Classical period expanded upon the Baroque period, adding a majorly influential new song form: the sonat…
Romantic
- Beethoven and Schubert bridged the gap between the Classical and Romantic periods of music. Just as one might assume from the word “romantic,” this period took Classical music and added overwhelming amounts of intensity and expression. As the period developed, composers gradually let go of heavily structured pieces and gravitated towards drama and emotion. Instrum…
20th Century and 21st Century
- 20th Century and 21st Century can be broken down into even smaller periods. 1. Impressionist:1890 – 1925 2. Expressionist:1908 – 1950 3. Modern:1890 – 1975 4. Postmodern:1930 – present 5. Contemporary:1945 – present However, these sub-genres are normally lumped into one large category since there are so many diverse and opposing styles. E…
The Medieval Period
The Renaissance Period
- From 1400-1600 The Renaissance Erasaw music become more expressive and complex. Religious music was still ubiquitous, but secular music increased in popularity, as composers were allowed to write creative music for its own sake, and the invention of the printing press allowed for more widespread distribution. Technological developments in instrument making gav…
The Baroque Period
- The Baroque Erawas the dominant style during the years 1600-1750. Perhaps its most distinctive feature is the use of dense polyphony, where multiple complex melodies weave in and out of each other to impressive effect. Many of the forms and structuresestablished during this period, including opera and concertos (one or more soloists featured with an ensemble), would become …
The Classical Period
- Confusingly, the word “Classical era” (capitalised) refers to this specific era (1730-1820), while “classical” (non-capitalised) refers to the whole western art music tradition that we are covering in this post. Melodywas now the order of the day: simple, elegant tunes and highly elegant tunes organised in neat, balanced phrases, in contrast to the complexity of the Baroque era. The mor…
The Romantic Period
- Following on from Beethoven’s developments,The Romantic Period (1800-1910) saw composers free themselves from the restrictive conventions of the Classical era, working on a grander scale with much more expressive and emotive content. The trend for programmatic works continued, with music inspired by nature, literature, legends, national identity and other non-musical stimuli…
The 20th Century
- A vast range of totally new and radical music came out of the 20th Century, as composers reacted in different ways to the conventions and traditions of previous decades. One example of this was Impressionism, a movement in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, in which French composers like Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel used ambiguous tonality and unusual scales like the w…
Summary
- So, that concludes our guide to the eras of classical music: we hope it will prove interesting and useful for you. Of course, one of the best ways to help familiarise yourself with the sound of each era is lots of listening to the relevant major composers. Enjoy!
Early, Pre-Renaissance Music
Renaissance Music
- The renaissance period encompassed music, art and literature. It means rebirth and many great things came to be during this period, between the years 1400 and 1600. Of the many composers of the time, a couple of names easily stand out, like Josquin de Prez, Palestrina and Allegri. It’s interesting that many of these composers come from Italy, which makes sense, due to the Catho…
Baroque
- From the year 1600 to 1750 comes the period of Baroque music. This period is marked by many great composers like Bach, Vivaldi and Handel. They have composed so much music that it would take entire books to write about that. People still know of Bouree, the Four Seasons and Water Music, each from their respective authors. Many of these compositions...
Classical Music
- When talking about old music, many people talk about this period, knowingly or unknowingly. From 1750 to 1820. This period was marked by Haydn and Mozart. Sonatas were popular at the time, written for a single instrument, but mostly the piano because it was introduced during the time. This period coincided with the Enlightenment, which was also transferred to the music. The…
Romantic Music
- This does not mean love songs but represents a movement which took place from 1820 until the 20th century. This period, like the previous one, was full of great composers, Beethoven, Wagner, Liszt, Verdi, Chopin, Strauss, and so many more. Symphonies and virtuoso musicians were present at the time. The end of the Romantic period is important, as it led the way to the Modern…