Musical eras and representatives We believe that during the long history of mankind, music frequently played a significant role of our dally life. However, there were only a few fragments of those ancient civilizations music surviving today. So we usually consider Middle Ages as our starting point to study the history of music. The decline of the Roman Empire was a symbol of the beginning of the Middle Ages. During that turbulent times, two centers of the power, king and church, had irreconcilable power crash. The power flowed gradually from the king to the church.

This particular historical background implied the music style of this period hedging centered on the sacred, church music. Church music has Its distinct characteristics, which Is easily recognizable and Impressive. The fixed elements, such as Virgo Maria, Hallelujah and so forth, showed up in almost every piece of church music, which directly lead to the pieces of this era sometimes sound like the same. Even if this is the case, I still consider the flourishing Messiah by Handel was a great representative of them. Messiah or we could call it Mass, is the most solemn ritual of the Catholic Church.

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Maybe Individuals are not familiar with Handel, but they should be Impressed by the melody of Hallelujah chorus, which was from the Messiah. We could hear this Joyful piece In many occasions, take public celebration as example. This piece was a typical sacred music with sacred text and church style accompaniment. And owing to the use of the syllabic, intimate and melodramatic styles, which are three categories of the chant melodies, this Messiah largely showed the details of Medieval era music. The Renaissance, which focused on the humanism, has so many similarities with the Medieval era.

I even consider the music of Renaissance was a development and continuation of the Medieval era’s. Even though secular music was existed In these two periods, personally, sacred music was dominant. Pope Marvelous Mass, Gloria by Palestinian, was a representative of Renaissance sacred music. Gloria is a movement of Ordinary part of Mass. This fixed potion is what we would hear in the church during the Mass service. Through this work, we could see a small component of that period, especially the history of Trend of Council. As mentioned above, these two eras were too ancient to

Influence the modern music at all. They did not use the formal scales, standard texture and perfect harmony. But owing to the church service, those two pieces are not completely strange to me. The next vital period of the musical history is the Baroque era. This period stretched across a dark time and lasted about half of the Western history. The name of the era, Baroque, referring to exaggerated, abnormal or even bizarre. During this era, Increasing virtuosos emerged. The most Important new genre oriented in Baroque era Is opera.

But for me and the most of the other lassie music listeners, Johann Sebastian Bach Is the name we could not Ignore when mention about the Baroque era. Bach was a German composer and pianist. He was famous for his Well-Tempered Clavier, a collection of preludes and fugues. Maybe you could not call any of their titles, but you can meet them in many places of daily life. Toccata and fugue in D minor was the piece I want to point out. It was the opening music for Disney Fantasia and has been used in many films. A fugue is a Bach no doubt was an outstanding composer to write the fugues.

His fugue was giggly elaborate organized with the contrapuntal devices. We can identify the augmentation, retrograde, diminution and streets in his work. And another characteristic of the Baroque era that was shown in Toccata was the special instrument. With the use of the organ, Toccata created a mysterious atmosphere Inch brings the listeners back to that era. However, this mysterious era does not empress me at all. I even feel chilling sometimes when I listen to the organ or harpsichord. Between the Baroque era and the Classical era, there is a short period of so called Rococo era.

Rococo era was marked for its elaborate texture and new ideal of beauty. After that, another significant era came. There were numerous famous composers emerged in this era which was characterized by order, objectivity and harmonious proportion, and largely reflected in music styles. Joseph Haydn, Knolling Mozart and Ludwig Van Beethoven were really excellent of the Classical era “hose pieces were showed in sinkable, lyrical melody with diatonic harmony, regular rhythms and meters and so forth Classical music elements; their achievements were even beyond their period. Among their works, I think Nine Klein Machinists by

Mozart were the most widely known pieces for us. I guess there is not anyone of us that never knew Mozart before, even though those who are not attracted by music totally. Many people may consider Mozart as a tragic hero of his period. A talented puns court musician in Salisbury wrote so many wonderful Classical representative pieces, but lost his position and financial support soon. Finally died before forty, left his final work Requiem largely unfinished. But when we view his life at a different angle, he still was the prolific and influential composer of the Classical era even Hough his death came too early.

He spent his life meaningfully more than many centenarians. The reason why I consider this serenade as my most familiar piece of this era is it really showed up frequently in many string concerts. The first section Allegro, which in a typical sonata-allegro form, began with the impressive theme called Anaheim rocket of Nine Klein Machinists, was solo by the violins at first, and then the other strings Joined in. Audience could be inspired easily because of its major tonality and forty dynamics. The quadruple meter and the use of large annuity of vibrato made the first section vividly and infectiously, sounds like a march.

When talked about Mozart, people always think of Beethoven. Another tortuous crossed the Classical era and Romantic era. His Moonlight sonata in sharp C minor was also popular among the music fans. This sorrowful and elegant piece was characterized by memorable melodies, richly expressive harmony and broad, expanded forms which were typical characteristics of the Romantic era. But actually it was in a late Classical era which was influenced a lot by the early Romantic era. Entering the nineteenth century, the real Romantic style established.

For me, the fugue who impressed me best was F. Chopin. This great polish composer added nationalism and politic to his beautiful works, which not only offers me a good sound, but also bring me some sophisticated thoughts. The nocturnes, take Pop. 9, No. 2 as an example, really were the masterpiece of Chopin. Those short and elegant pieces are the best choice for the leisure and romantic environment. A person who has ever been to the tastefully furnished Western restaurant should hear his work at least one absolute music.

Furthermore, I even consider these two eras created a foundation of the modern music which we know well these days. They provided a standard mode of modern music. There were many great eras during the history of music. I can hardly handle even a negligible piece of them. But when I listen to a melody, whenever it Nas composed, I can obviously feel the touch and the thought which the musician once desired to show, throughout those years, through my ears, finally strike my heart. Maybe that is why music is always beyond the word.