Music History
Music History — compact (c. 500 → present)
Compact overview with images, playable videos (YouTube embeds) and clickable famous figures linking to Wikipedia. If a video is blocked you can open it on YouTube via the link below each player.
Medieval (c. 500–1400)
Early Christian chant, monophony and the beginnings of polyphony.
Gregorian chant and early monophony dominated sacred music; towards the later medieval period, polyphony and secular songs (troubadours) emerged.
Renaissance (c. 1400–1600)
Richer polyphony, madrigals and expressive vocal music.
Polyphony matured; sacred masses and secular madrigals became more expressive and text-driven.
Baroque (c. 1600–1750)
Ornamentation, the rise of opera, concerto and sonata forms.
Contrast, basso continuo and dramatic forms dominated the Baroque musical world.
Classical (c. 1750–1820)
Clarity, balance, and formal structures (sonata, symphony).
Symphonic form and sonata principle became central; homophony dominated.
Romantic (c. 1820–1900)
Personal expression, expansion of orchestra and piano literature.
Music became more expressive and often programmatic; orchestras grew larger and harmonies richer.
Modern (1900–present)
Diverse directions: modernism, neo-classicism, serialism, film music, minimalism and more.
The 20th century onward saw many competing styles — from atonality to minimalism and cinematic orchestration.
