(For the first part of this look at the break between “classical” and “popular” music, go here:  Part 1)

Renaissance Music (~1400-1600)

The increase of Polyphony – multiple voices/parts moving separately from one another – opened up a wide range of choices to the composers of the era. No longer were they restricted to a melody with unobtrusive and  mild harmonization; now they could begin weaving multiple musical threads together. And while the melodic and harmonic simplicities of Medieval music required some rhythmic complexity, the music of the Renaissance was able to have smoother, more flowing music that was offset by the more diversity allowed elsewhere. This included larger instrumental requirements, so larger ensembles began forming. However, there still existed (at least in the early part of the period) a heavier reliance on modal, rather than tonal, structures. As time progressed, however, the increasing usage of the circle of fifth progressions led naturally to the tonal cadences we’re used to today.

Baroque Music (~1600-1750)

No discussion of the Baroque period would be complete without mention of the Florentine Camerata. This group of thinkers met in Florence to discuss the arts, and are responsible for many changes that occurred. One more significant is their revival of Greek theater, which manifested as opera. One more familiar member was Vincenzo Galilei, father of the famous Galileo Galilei.

As music evolved in this period, a heavy emphasis was put on idomatic writing – that is, the idea that certain styles of music were more fitting for some instruments than others. Additionally, the evolution of tonal writing, built on cadences, meant that music of this time put a heavier focus on harmonic writing, rather than polyphonic (though this was often blurred in canons, fugues, and so on). This meant that, while Renaissance music essentially saw each voice as equally important, the music of the Baroque relegated some voices to supporting the main line. This also meant that very unlike instruments were mixed in an ensemble, allowing for greater contrasts in pieces of music.

Classical Music (1750-~1820)

The date of transition between Baroque and Classical music is chosen because this is the year of Bach’s death. There’s an old joke in musicology circles: Bach died at the end of July, 1750. Letters went throughout western civilization calling all the composers to a great conference, where they agreed that, since Bach had died, it was time to start the Classical period. An agenda was handed out with the changes to be made in composition style.

In many ways, Classical music could be seen as a reaction against the complications and ornateness of the Baroque period (in fact, that’s what Baroque means, a definition applied some time after) and a yearning to return the the aesthetics of the “classical” period of history (~5th century BC). Classical music is marked by cleaner textures, simpler parts, and an overall “lighter” feel. It is also much more monophonic – a melodic line over harmony. A contrast could be made between the “elegance” of the classical and the “magnificence” of the Baroque.

That said, there was still more growth in the contrasts that could be made. Orchestras grew more in size; the harpsichord (an instrument that sounds by plucking a string with a feather quill; ergo, not very dynamically variable) was replaced by the fortepiano (today shortened to “piano”, but named after the dynamic contrasts it allowed (literally, the “loudsoft”). Additionally, instrumental music became much more dominant over choral, and it is around this time that the symphony was developed.

Romantic Period (~1800-~1900)

Yes, there is an overlap. The seeds of the Romantic period began growing quite a while before blooming. It, too, can be seen as a reaction against the cleanliness and rationality of the Classical period. It is marked by a growing fascination with the supernatural, with the greatness of nature, with the unknown, with superstition. It was also influenced by the Industrial Revolution and the rise of nationalism (the Revolutions of 1848 happened in the midst of this period). Music became more elaborate – not necessarily in any one way, but generally more complicated: longer pieces, requiring more skilled musicians, and taking much longer to write. For example, Mozart, a Classical composer, wrote his opera “The Marriage of Figaro” was written in the first part of 1786, and has 12 main roles, 16-20 instruments, and lasts around 3 hours. By contrast, Wagner, a Romantic composer, wrote his operatic cycle (four full operas telling a single story) “The Ring of the Nibelung” over a period of 24 years, and has 34 main roles, plus a men’s choir and a small women’s choir, 92 instruments plus 6-8 unique instruments per opera (including 18 tuned blacksmithing anvils), and lasts approximately 15 hours (meaning each opera, on average, is nearly 1/3 again as long as Mozart’s).

The Ring cycle also serves to show another significant change in muic from this time period – as it progresses (and, due to its long composition time that reflects the progress of music as a whole), the concept of tonality, key structure, and so on breaks down – it becomes a shifting series of chords and harmonies, at some times appearing nearly atonal (lacking a clearly defined key). The composer is free to transition the melody, harmony, structure at will, without adhering to the confines of traditional harmonic and melodic progressions. This led to the next great evolution in music, which we’ll look at next week.