An Online Guide to
Classical Music and Composers
Early Music
Early music is generally distinguished from ancient music by being polyphonic, a development in Western music that took place roughly in the 1100's. (Anything prior to that period may be termed "ancient music.") If that is the beginning point of early music, what is the end point? That is a question more difficult to answer. Early music is usually said to encompass music composed during the medieval, renaissance, and baroque periods, and ending before the classical - or first classical - period. Using this definition, Bach is considered to be an early music composer, while Mozart is not.
There are a number of problems with this division, not the least of which being that Bach's music is much closer to Mozart's than it is to medieval song. We should remember, too, that previous generations have given different names to musical eras; as late as the early 20th century, the baroque period was referred to as music's Golden Age, and there are many, including this author, who believe such an appellation to still be entirely appropriate.
Given the above explanation, no easy divisions are possible. For those who nevertheless require them, one might say that a very blunt and imperfect definition of early music is music composed at some point between the 1100's and the year 1750.
Composers
- Adam de la Hale
- Agostino, Paolo
- Alberti, Leone Battista
- Allegri, Gregorio
- Animuccia, Giovanni
- Ballard, Robert (c.1575-1650)
- Besard, Jean-Baptiste (c.1567-after 1617)
- Boesset, Anthoine (1586-1643)
- Boesset, Jean-Baptiste (c.1613-1685)
- Guédron, Pierre (c.1565-1620)
- Moulinié, Etienne (c.1600-after 1669)
Musical Institutions
See also: Classical Composer Biographies
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