Lesson 2
Music styles changed over time.
Today’s lesson is mostly in the Watch It section. The other sections are short today.
P.S. Feel the steady beat in the music!
Look at the music history timeline below. Music sounded different during each of these musical periods.
The Medieval Period lasted during the years 800-1450.
The Medieval Period is also known as the Middle Ages. This was the time period after the Roman Empire ended and when feudalism was popular.
Feudalism is a social system where peasants promised to work for a lord, and the lord promised the peasants a place to live and protection from invaders.
Most of the music that was written down during the Medieval Period was music composed by monks living in monasteries. Their written music looked very ornate, or fancy.
The monks’ music sounded monophonic. Mono means one, and phonic means sound. Their monophonic music was one sound.
That means all the singers sang the same notes, which made their voices sound like one sound. Listen to the monophonic music from the Medieval Period.
The Renaissance Period lasted during the years 1450-1600.
Renaissance is the French word for rebirth. During the Renaissance Period there was a lot of change in education, science, and art.
This is when Johann Gutenberg invented an improved printing press. That technology allowed many Bibles to be printed so that more people could read the Bible themselves.
Their music sounded polyphonic. Poly means many, and phonic means sound. Their polyphonic music was many sounds all playing or singing at different times. Listen to the polyphonic music from the Renaissance Period.
The Baroque Period lasted during the years 1600-1750.
Music in the Baroque Period was very fancy. This is when the famous composer Johann Sebastian Bach lived.
This is a picture of a manuscript written by Bach. A manuscript is the original paper that the composer wrote on.
Their music sounded polyphonic. Poly means many, and phonic means sound. Their polyphonic music was many sounds all playing or singing at different times.
Listen to the polyphonic music The Four Seasons (Spring) written by Vivaldi.
The Classical Period lasted during the years 1750-1820.
Music in the Classical Period was less fancy. Their music sounded homophonic.
Homo means same, and phonic means sound. Their homophonic music was several sounds playing at the same time.
This is part of Mozart’s manuscript for Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. This is a German title that means A Little Night Music. Listen to the homophonic music Eine Kleine Nachtmusik.
The Romantic Period lasted during the years 1820-1910.
Music in the Romantic Period was very dramatic. The music was sometimes homophonic and sometimes polyphonic.
This is part of Richard Wagner’s manuscript for his opera Der Ring des Nibelungen. This is a German title that means The Ring of the Nibelung. Listen to the polyphonic music Der Ring des Nibelungen.
Music styles changed over time. Today we listened to music styles from five different musical periods:
Medieval
Renaissance
Baroque
Classical
Romantic
We will keep learning about the musical periods.
But for now, let’s go to your Try It section.
You watched it, so now let’s try it!