The development of Western music from ancient times to the Romantic music period can be divided into the following six stages: 1. Music in the ancient Greek and Roman periods

The time is about 3200 BC to 400 AD Year. This part of the music data can only come from archaeology. It can be understood from the excavated paintings, sculptures and a small number of poetry, literature and philosophical works that have been handed down, but it is almost impossible to listen and appreciate. According to statistics, less than 10 pieces of music scores have survived from this stage. However, many cultural heritages such as surviving sculptures can show the glory and achievements that once existed. The great philosophers of ancient Greece have discussed music. and research, which is regarded by later generations as the source of Western music.

The two epic poems of the Homeric period from the 12th century BC to the 8th century BC reflect the musical culture of ancient Greece. The epic itself is both a literary work and a musical work. It is sung by a professional singing and playing artist "Aed" with the accompaniment of an instrument called kisara.

In 776 BC, the ancient Olympic Games began to be held. The games were often accompanied by music, and later music competitions emerged.

From the 7th century BC to the 6th century BC, Sparta regarded music as an important means of state activities and education, which led to further development of music.

After ancient Rome conquered Greece after 146 BC, its culture mainly benefited from Greece, and at the same time absorbed the civilizational achievements of Syria, Babylon, Egypt and other countries.

2. Music in the Middle Ages

After the collapse of the Roman Empire in 476 AD, the Greek and Roman civilizations declined. The Germanic people dominated the western half of Europe, which is historically known as the "Dark Ages", also known as the "Medieval Period".

The church was the focus of people's lives at that time, playing an important role in politics, economy, and culture. Artists lived in religion, so art and religion were closely related at that time.

Music activities during this period were greatly influenced by Christianity. The music was mostly based on religious rituals or singing hymns, with emphasis on function, such as Gregorian chants. Most of the lyrics are taken from the Bible.

The characteristic is that the melody has little ups and downs, lacks a harmonious foundation, and is simple in performance.

The greatest contributors to medieval music were Bishop Ambrose of Milan and Pope Gregory I.

Around 390 AD, Ambrose promoted the double chorus of hymns, introduced harmony, and allowed lay people who were not monks or priests to participate in singing. It was church music that developed and became popular.

Pope Gregory I, who reigned from 590 to 604 AD, compiled a set of repertoire for solemn worship, and legally stipulated that there must be music in the prayer ceremony, forming a complete set of Gregorian Psalms became a model of religious creation, and later notation was developed. Although there were no bar lines and staff notation yet, the method of using high and low positions notation provided the basis for the invention of staff notation. This notation only had four lines. , there are three diamond clefs in front of each line, and a diamond clef at the end to indicate the pitch of the next line. It is basically the prototype of the staff, but it cannot express the rhythm. Schools were also established to train singers, and music was vigorously promoted within the church's sphere of influence, making church music the main music form in Europe before the 10th century.

3. Music of the Renaissance

The Renaissance period was about 1450-1600 AD. Based on the "new art" of the Middle Ages, it pursued the liberation of human nature and the understanding of human nature. The expression and expression of inner emotions. At this time, musicians, driven by the humanistic trend of thought, developed and reformed polyphonic music, and vocal music and instrumental music gradually separated and developed independently. During this period, the staff had been perfected, and printing was also applied to music scores, which made the dissemination of music more convenient and widespread. During this period, there were the following more influential music schools:

Netherlands School

A group of musicians whose main musical activities were in the Netherlands. The creative content is mostly religious music such as masses and motets, as well as secular music. Representative figures include Di Fei, Ruoskan, Bian Shua, Okegemu, etc.

The Venetian School

An instrumental music school between 1530 and 1620, it is characterized by broad and grand sound and sharp contrasting effects. His compositions include ensembles for brass and strings, organ preludes, fantasies and toccatas. Representative figures include Virat, A. Gabrielli, etc.

Roman Music School

A music school of this period that specialized in creating religious works, mainly in the form of a cappella singing. Representative figures include Palestrina, G.M. Nanino, F. Soriano, etc.

4. Baroque music

Baroque music refers to the type of music that began to rise in Europe after the Renaissance and was popular before the formation of classical music. It lasted from about 1600 to 1750. 150 years between.

The word Baroque comes from the Portuguese "Barocco", which means pearls that are not round or perfect in shape. It was originally a term in the field of architecture and was later gradually used in the fields of art and music. In the field of art, the Baroque style is characterized by exquisite decoration and gorgeous style. The main reason for this phenomenon is that the Baroque period was an era when aristocrats were in power. The luxurious scenes in the magnificent palace were the new culture and It is the development center of art, and changes in this environment have directly affected the creation of musicians. Most of the musical works written by court musicians in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were for the social needs of the upper class. In order to show off the power and wealth of the nobles, the court music at that time must present showy music and extraordinary demeanor. , to create a pleasant atmosphere.

Baroque music is characterized by extreme luxury and a large number of decorative notes. The rhythm is strong, short and rhythmic, and the melody is exquisite. Polyphony (polyphonic music) remained dominant, with major and minor replacing ecclesiastical modes, while tonic music also flourished. As a result, the harmonic nature of polyphony became more and more obvious. Polyphony reached its peak in the time of J.S. Bach.

Digital bass and improvisation are important parts of the Baroque, and orchestral arrangements have not yet been standardized.

5. Classical music

Classical music refers to the European mainstream music from 1730 to 1820, also known as the Vienna Classical School. The three most famous composers of this school are Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven.

Classical music inherits the development of Baroque music and is a music style or era in the history of European music. This era saw the emergence of multi-movement symphonies, solo concertos, string quartets, multi-movement sonatas and other genres. The sonata form and rondo form became the most common musical forms in the classical and romantic periods, and their influence was profound until the twentieth century. The size of the orchestra has increased compared to the Baroque period, and it has gradually become a norm for the orchestra to be led by a conductor. The modern piano appeared in the classical period and gradually replaced the harpsichord.

With the impact of the French Revolution on society, the composer's livelihood was also affected, and he changed from initially relying on the palace and church for support to becoming an independent operator.

6. Romantic Music

Romanticism is mainly used to describe literary creation between 1830 and 1850, and music creation between 1830 and 1900.

Romantic music is the continuation and development of classical music (Viennese Classical School). It is a music style or an era in the history of Western music.

Compared with the previous music of the Viennese Classical School, Romantic music pays more attention to the expression of emotions and images, and relatively underestimates the considerations of form and structure. Romantic music is often full of imagination, and a lot of romantic music is influenced by unrealistic literary works, and has a considerable composition of title music. The elements of romanticism are included in music creation from ancient times to the present, and are not limited to a certain era, because music creation itself is an expression of imagination, and romanticism is the best embodiment of imagination.

Beethoven is the master and terminator of classical music and the forerunner of romantic music. Romantic music abandons the melody-based unity of classical music and emphasizes diversity, development and harmony. The role of voice is used to depict the special qualities of the character's character, and more use of modulation techniques and semitones is used. The representative of romantic opera is Weber, and the representative of music is Schubert.

Romantic music reflects the tendency of widespread influence and national differentiation. In France, Berlioz, Italian Rossini, Hungarian Liszt, Polish Chopin and Russian Tchaikovsky appeared. . Romantic music gradually went into history during the era of Wagner and Brahms.