History of Washington, D.C.

The creation of Washington

Washington was established as……capital of the United States as the result of a compromise following
seven years of negotiation by members of the U.S. Congress as they tried to define…..concept of a
“federal enclave.” On July 17, 1790, Congress passed …..Residence Act, which created …permanent seat
for the federal government. George Washington, the country’s first president (1789–97), carefully chose
the site, which is on the Potomac River’s navigation head (to accommodate oceangoing ships), and near
two well-established colonial port cities, George Town (now Georgetown, a section of the city of
Washington) and Alexandria, Va. This location bridged ….Northern and Southern states, but Washington
called it “…. gateway to the interior” because he hoped it would also serve to economically bind the
Western territories to the Eastern Seaboard—the Tidewater and the Piedmont regions—and thereby
secure the allegiance of the frontier to the new country. …. new federal territory was named District of
Columbia to honour explorer Christopher Columbus, and … new federal city was named for George
Washington. In 1790 French-born American engineer and designer Pierre Charles L’Enfant was chosen to
plan the new capital city; meanwhile, surveyor Andrew Ellicott surveyed the 100-square-mile (260-
square-km) territory with … assistance of Benjamin Banneker, … self-educated free Black man. The
territory surveyed by Ellicott was ceded by Maryland, …slave state, and Virginia, the Southern state with
… largest slave population, thus contributing to a significant Black presence in Washington.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Washington-DC/History

The 4 eras of classical music: a quick guide

With centuries of history to consider, it can be easy to get in a bit of … twist when it comes to the
various eras of Western classical music. Here’s … quick guide to the four key periods we usually learn
about in music theory: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century and beyond.

… Baroque era (c. 1600–1750)

…Baroque era spans from around 1600 to 1750, and includes music by the likes of Bach, Vivaldi,
Francesca Caccini, Handel and Purcell.The era was … busy time for musical development. Composers
and musicians were experimenting with new musical styles and different ways to write down their
music. They also began to agree on.. system for tuning instruments which made it easier to play
together.One of the most defining elements of Baroque music is the harpsichord, … early keyboard
instrument which plucked strings to make its distinctive sound.The Baroque era also gave rise to new
musical styles, introducing the concerto, sonata, and opera. Dance suites were in vogue, inspired by
music for dancing but actually intended for listening.Improvisation is common in Baroque music.
Composers often did not specify performance directions, allowing the performer to devise their own
dynamics, phrasing and ornaments on …spot.
…Classical era (1750–1830)

We use ‘classical music’ (small C) as…umbrella term for Western instrumental, orchestral and choral
music. But the Classical (big C) era specifically refers to music composed between 1750 and
1830.Classical era music is sometimes even referred to as ‘Viennese Classicism’. The city was …bustling
hub of musical activity at the time, home to Gluck, Haydn, Salieri, Mozart, Beethoven and
Schubert.Leaps and bounds were made in the development of musical instruments during the Classical
period. ….harpsichord was replaced by the piano as the most common keyboard instrument and was no
longer… musical foundation of the orchestra. Instead, Classical orchestras looked far more like those we
know and love today, with clarinets, oboes, flutes, horns and trumpets joining the strings to create … far
richer sound.With more advanced instruments able to take on better solo lines, more emphasis was
placed on melody. Composers became more specific about how their pieces were performed, writing in
instructions for dynamics and ornaments.Sonata and symphony styles flourished, along with … new
string quartet form. Solo instrumental concertos rose in popularity as concerti grossi (concertos for
more than one soloist) became less common. … sinfonia concertante form remained popular, however,
championed by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges and Mozart.Towards … end of …Classical
era, musical styles began to shift and change. Beethoven heralded in … new era of Romanticism, defying
…traditions passed down by his teacher, Haydn, and becoming more ambitious and inventive.

…. Romantic era (c. 1830–1900)

Despite its name, the Romantic era isn’t known for its romance. Composers during this era wrote
increasingly emotive and intense music inspired by nature, literature, and poetry.Alongside Beethoven,
a host of other German composers were at… frontline of the genre including Brahms, Felix and Fanny
Mendelssohn, Carl Maria von Weber, and Robert and Clara Schumann.While still rooted firmly in
tonality, for the most part, composers began to experiment with more chromatic writing, borrowing
notes from other keys to create more interesting and adventurous harmonies.Further instrument
developments allowed for increasing virtuosity and longer, more complex phrases. And composers
began to write more new musical forms, such as symphonic poems, song cycles, nocturnes and
arabesques.Orchestras flourished during this era, expanding dramatically in size with as many as 120
players called for by Wagner. …sound produced by symphony orchestras was richer than ever before,
with virtuosic writing and extended ranges for instruments at both ends of … scale thanks to …addition
of piccolos and E flat clarinets in the higher register, and low brass instruments such as trombones and
tubas at the lower end.Romantic composers took inspiration from wherever they could find it, and many
began to write ‘programmatic music’ – musical descriptions of a story or setting, such as Beethoven’s
‘Pastoral’ Symphony No. 6 describing countryside scenes. Many were also inspired to write music about
their homelands, such as Sibelius’s Finlandia or Smetana’s set of six programmatic symphonic poems,
Má vlast, meaning ‘My Homeland’. Towards … end of … era, composers continued to experiment and
push boundaries. Their music became increasingly genre-defying until around the turn of … century,
when classical music was set for one of its biggest changes to date.
20th Century and beyond (1900s onwards)

Around the turn of the century, musical styles under the ‘classical’ umbrella began to diversify and
splinter off into sub-genres more than they ever had before. Divisive political climates across the world
and huge technological advancements motivated composers to create…new musical styles in reaction to
their circumstances. … 20th Century era of classical music saw the birth of modernism, impressionism,
serialism and minimalism, further influence from non-classical styles such as jazz, and even experiments
with recorded sound. … global politics of the 20th century, particularly those in Europe, had a large
impact on the musical output of Western classical composers. … Soviet and Nazi regimes placed strict
expectations on their nation’s composers, blacklisting those who did not conform. Composers such as
Hindemith and Shostakovich wrote music that is rife with political subtext, having been forced to write
in styles deemed ‘acceptable’ by their governments in order to avoid persecution. … 20th Century also
saw … complete diversion from tonality in the works of some composers, with Schoenberg developing
his 12-tone system for composition rather than sticking to traditional keys. This system was continued
by two of his students, Berg and Webern.Music composed by introducing mathematical elements of
chance to decide on notes and rhythms, otherwise known as ‘process music’, became popular with John
Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Philip Glass and Steve Reich.

https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/four-eras-classical-music