Dates of classical music eras

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Music historians divide the European classical music into various eras based on what style was most popular as taste changed. These eras and styles include Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th century. Approximate dates can be assigned to the beginning and ending of each of these eras, which can be useful in describing changes in taste and to estimate the style of a work composed in a particular year. However, these dates are approximate and even good approximations are hard to make.

Picking particular years for the beginning and end points of eras in European classical music is difficult for several reasons. First, these eras began and ended at different times in different locations. Second, works of particular styles can be found that were composed after the style was no longer popular or important. Third, the styles themselves overlap and absolute categorization is not possible in all cases. For example, a "late Renaissance" piece would likely be very similar to an "early Baroque" piece.

Date ranges of classical music eras are therefore somewhat arbitrary, and are only intended as approximate guides. Scholars of music history do not agree on the start and end dates, and in many cases disagree whether particular years should be chosen at all.

The following graph depicts commonly accepted dates for major movements in classical music.

<timeline> Preset = TimeHorizontal_AutoPlaceBars_UnitYear ImageSize = width:550

Colors =

 id:offWhite     value:rgb(0.97,0.97,0.97)
 id:paleGray     value:rgb(0.86,0.86,0.86)
 id:darkGray     value:gray(0.6)
 id:baroqueBlue  value:rgb(0.6,1,0.6)

BackgroundColors = canvas:offWhite

Period = from:400 till:2000 ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:200 start:400 gridcolor:paleGray

Define $bold = fontsize:M shift:(10,-7)

BarData=

 barset:Composers

PlotData=

  1. set defaults
 width:15 fontsize:S textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4) color:baroqueBlue
 barset:Composers
 from:476 till:1400 text:"Medieval"
 from:1400 till:1600 text:"Renaissance"
 from:1600 till:1750 text:"Baroque" 
 from:1730 till:1820 text:"Classical"
 from:1815 till:1910 text:"Romantic"
 from:1900 till:1999 text:"20th century"


</timeline>

Not shown on the chart:

  • History of Classical Musicru:Временные рамки периодов развития классической музыки
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