An introduction to the Western Classical tradition
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Lesson details
Learning outcome
I can describe key musical features of the three key periods within the Western Classical Tradition.
Key learning points
- The Western Classical Tradition refers to European art music since the Medieval period.
- The three key eras are the Baroque (1600-1750), Classical (1750-1820) and Romantic (1820-1910) periods.
- The Baroque period used a small orchestra with harpsichord and ornamented melodies. Bach was a key composer.
- Classical composers (e.g. Mozart) began to use the piano and most music had a clear melody and accompaniment.
- In the Romantic period music became much more complex, dramatic and emotive. Tchaikovsky was a famous composer.
Keywords
Western Classical Tradition - formal, notated European art music from the Medieval period to the 21st century
Baroque - a period of music history between 1600 and 1750
Classical - a period of music history between 1750 and 1820
Romantic - a period of music history between 1820 and 1910
Common misconception
Music from the Romantic period is all about love and romance.
The word Romantic in the musical sense has nothing to do with love or romance, this was just the name given to the period. The music was often intense, emotive and dramatic, and might sometimes link to ideas of love, but it was very varied.
Teacher tip
At this point, having a general idea of the three periods is most important for pupils - the specifics of each era will be covered in more depth later. To embed learning, play short clips of representative music from each period and ask pupils to identify the period based on key features.
Licence
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