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Classical Music Timeline

by Michiko Yurko
Composers, musical scholars and historians began defining periods of music in the late 1800’s. The musical activities
in each era were influenced by religion, aristocracies, political climates, wars, plagues, revolutions and the viewpoint
toward the common man. Composers’ musical scores allow us to recreate and enjoy the wealth of our musical past.

Classical Modern
Elegance, Clarity, Simplicity, Diverse Harmony, Sound,
Aristocratic, Dynamics, Instrumentation Schoenberg,
Sonatas & Symphonies Bartok, Stravinsky, Prokofiev,
Haydn, Clementi, Mozart, Gershwin, Copland, Cage
Beethoven

Late Romantic
Renaissance Chromatic, Dramatic,
Nationalistic, Operas
Harmony, Polyphony, Madrigals,
Golden Age of Choral Music Wagner, Verdi, Brahms,
Palestrina, Byrd, Monteverdi Tchaikovsky, Dvorak

1400-1600 1750-1830 1860-1910 1925-present

500-1400 1600-1760 1820-1860 1890-1975

Baroque Impressionistic
Church and Courts, Descriptive of Moods & Emotions
Ornamented & Contrapuntal, Debussy, Ravel
Major and Minor Harmonies Vivaldi,
Telemann, Bach, Scarlatti, Handel,

Medieval
Gregorian Chant, Motets, Early Romantic
Troubadours, Notation & Freedom, Individualistic, Virtuosos
Simple Harmony, Music Guilds Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn,
Landini, Machaut, Perotin Chopin, Schumann, Liszt

© 2019 Michiko Yurko Note: There are many more classical composers Sources: Harvard Dictionary of Music (Apel), Wikipedia, A History of Western Music (Grout), Naxos Records,
MMG.CMTL.3 (6-2020) of importance with large and small bodies of work. The Golden Encyclopedia of Music (Lloyd), Pocket Dictionary of Music (Feldstein), George Katz, professor of piano
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®

Classical Music Timeline

by Michiko Yurko
Composers, musical scholars and historians began defining periods of music in the late
1800’s. The musical activities in each era were influenced by religion, aristocracies,
political climates, wars, plagues, revolutions and the viewpoint toward the common man.
Composers’ musical scores allow us to recreate and enjoy the wealth of our musical past.

MMG.CMTL.3 © Michiko Yurko 2019

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Classical Music Timeline Period Characteristics Cards

# Gregorian Chant, Motets,

Freedom,
Troubadours, Notation &
Individualistic, Virtuosos
Simple Harmony, Music Guilds

Harmony, Polyphony, Madrigals, Chromatic, Dramatic,

Golden Age of Choral Music Nationalistic, Operas

Church and Courts,

Ornamented & Contrapuntal, Descriptive of
Major and Minor Harmonies Moods & Emotions

Elegance, Clarity, Simplicity,

Aristocratic, Dynamics, Diverse Harmony, Sound,
Sonatas & Symphonies Instrumentation
MMG.CMTL.3 © Michiko Yurko 2019
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Classical Music Timeline Period Cards

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Medieval Modern
500 - 1400 1925 - present

Renaissance Impressionistic
1400 - 1600 1890 - 1975

Baroque Late Romantic

1600 - 1760 1860 - 1910

Classical Early Romantic

1750 - 1830 1820 - 1860
MMG.CMTL.3 © Michiko Yurko 2019
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Classical Music Timeline Composer Cards

# J.S. Bach Dvorak Debussy

Telemann Scarlatti Tchaikovsky Ravel
Vivaldi Handel Brahms Schoenberg
Monteverdi Haydn Verdi Bartok
Byrd Clementi Wagner Stravinsky
Palestrina Mozart Liszt Prokofiev
Perotin Beethoven Schumann Gershwin
Machaut Beethoven Chopin Copland
Landini Schubert Mendelssohn Cage
MMG.CMTL.3 © Michiko Yurko 2019
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# Classical Music Timeline Fashion Cards

MMG.CMTL.3 © Michiko Yurko 2019

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Classical Music Timeline Arrow 1

500-1400

MMG.CMTL.3 © Michiko Yurko 2019

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Classical Music Timeline Arrow 2

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1400-1600

MMG.CMTL.3 © Michiko Yurko 2019

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Classical Music Timeline Arrow 3

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1750-1830

1600-1760

MMG.CMTL.3 © Michiko Yurko 2019

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Classical Music Timeline Arrow 4

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1860-1910

1820-1860 1890-1975

MMG.CMTL.3 © Michiko Yurko 2019

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Classical Music Timeline Arrow 5

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1925-present
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MMG.CMTL.3 © Michiko Yurko 2019