| Classical music is a term with three
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| | before the year 476, the approximate time
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| distinct meanings:
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| | of the fall of the Roman Empire. Most of
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| The European tradition of music which is
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| | the extant music from this period is from
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| associated with high culture, as distinct
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| | ancient Greece.
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| from popular or folk forms (including
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| | Medieval, generally before 1450.
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| works in this tradition in non-European
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| | Monophonic chant, also called plainsong
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| countries).
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| | or Gregorian Chant, was the dominant form
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| That tradition as well as similar
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| | until about 1100. Polyphonic
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| non-European traditions.
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| | (multivoiced) music developed from
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| A particular stage in the development of
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| | monophonic chant throughout the late
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| the European art music tradition,
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| | Middle Ages and into the Renaissance.
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| centered in the late 18th century.
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| | Renaissance, about 1450-1600,
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| This article discusses classical music in
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| | characterized by greater use of
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| the first sense. For the second, see List
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| | instrumentation, multiple melodic lines
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| of classical music styles. For the third,
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| | and by the use of the first bass
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| see Classical period (music).
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| | instruments.
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| Classical music is a broad, somewhat
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| | Baroque, about 1600-1750, characterized
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| imprecise term, referring to music
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| | by the use of complex tonal, rather than
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| produced in, or rooted in the traditions
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| | modal, counterpoint, and growing
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| of, Western art, ecclesiastical and
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| | popularity of keyboard music (harpsichord
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| concert music, encompassing a broad
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| | and pipe organ).
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| period from roughly 1000 to the present
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| | Classical, about 1750-1820, an important
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| day. The central norms of this tradition
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| | era which established many of the norms
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| developed throughout this period but
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| | of composition, presentation and style.
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| reached their heights of complexity and
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| | Also, the classical era is marked by the
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| development in the period between 1550
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| | disappearance of the harpsichord and the
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| and 1900: what is known as the common
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| | clavichord in favour of the piano, which
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| practice period.
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| | from then on would become the predominant
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| This music evokes classical traditions,
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| | instrument for keyboard performance and
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| focuses on formal styles, invites
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| | composition.
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| technical and detailed deconstruction and
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| | Romantic, 1820-1901 a period which
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| criticism, and demands focused attention
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| | codified practice, expanded the role of
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| from the listener. It is written down
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| | music in cultural life and created
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| using a formal notation and a work of
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| | institutions for the teaching,
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| classical music is usually defined by the
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| | performance and preservation of works of
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| notated version, rather than a particular
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| | music. Characterized by increased
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| performance of it. This music is
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| | attention to melody and rhythm.
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| associated with, and often compared to,
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| | Modern, 1905-1985 a period which
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| fine art and high culture, sometimes
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| | represented a crisis in the values of
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| leading to accusations of haughtiness and
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| | classical music and its role within
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| exclusivity being leveled at its
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| | intellectual life, and the extension of
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| enthusiasts. Nevertheless, many
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| | theory and technique. Some theorists,
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| "classical" pieces were the popular music
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| | such as Arnold Schoenberg in his essay
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| of their time, and have remained popular
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| | "Brahms the Progressive," insist that
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| to this day. The public taste for and
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| | Modernism represents a logical
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| appreciation of formal music of this type
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| | progression from 19th century trends in
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| is often described as having waned
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| | composition; others hold the opposing
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| through the later part of the 20th
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| | point of view, that Modernism represents
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| century and into the present millennium,
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| | the rejection or negation of the method
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| particularly in the USA and UK, although
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| | of Classical composition.
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| it continues to thrive elsewhere in the
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| | 20th century, usually used to describe
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| world. Certainly, this period has seen
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| | the wide variety of post-Romantic styles
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| classical music falling well behind the
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| | composed through the year 1999, which
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| immense commercial success of popular
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| | includes late Romantic, Modern and
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| music.
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| | Post-Modern styles of composition.
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| The term classical music did not appear
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| | The term contemporary music is sometimes
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| until the early 19th century, in an
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| | used to describe music composed in the
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| attempt to "canonize" the period from
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| | late 20th century through present day.
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| Bach to Beethoven as an era in music
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| | The prefix neo is usually used to
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| parallel to the golden age of sculpture,
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| | describe a 20th Century or Contemporary
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| architecture and art of classical
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| | composition written in the style of an
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| antiquity (from which no music has
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| | earlier period, such as classical,
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| directly survived). The earliest
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| | romantic, or modern. So for example,
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| reference to "classical music" recorded
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| | Prokofiev's Classical Symphony is
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| by the Oxford English Dictionary is from
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| | considered a Neo-Classical composition.
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| about 1836. Since that time the term has
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| | The dates are generalizations, since the
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| come in common parlance to mean the
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| | periods overlapped. Some authorities
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| opposite of popular music.
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| | subdivide the periods further by date or
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| Timeline
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| | style. However, it should be noted that
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| According to one school of thought,
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| | these categories are to an extent
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| musical works are best understood in the
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| | arbitrary; the use of counterpoint and
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| context of their place in musical
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| | fugue, which is considered characteristic
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| history; for adherents to this approach,
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| | of the Baroque era, was continued by
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| this is essential to full enjoyment of
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| | Mozart, who is generally classified as
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| these works. There is a widely accepted
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| | typical of the Classical period, by
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| system of dividing the history of
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| | Beethoven who is often described as
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| classical music composition into
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| | straddling the Classical and Romantic
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| stylistic periods. According to this
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| | periods, and Brahms, who is often
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| system, the major time divisions are:
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| | classified as Romantic.
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| Ancient music - the music generally
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