Ancient Greece and Rome
OLDEST NEARLY COMPLETE PIECE
1400 bc - 1250 bc
homers odyssey and illiad
800 bc
EURIPIDES WRITES ORESTES
408 bc
Plato writes Republic
380 bc
aristotle writes politics
330 bc
ARISTOXENUS WRITES HARMONIC ELEMENTS
330 bc
Virgil writes Aenid
29 bc - 19 bc
CLEONIDES WRITES HARMONIC INTRODUCTION
100 ce
PTOLEMY WRITES HARMONICS
127 - 148
ARISTIDES QUINTILLIANUS WRITES ON MUSIC
300 ce
The Early Christian Church
Romans Conquer Jerusalem
63 BCE
Crucifixion of Jesus
33 ce
Emperor Constantine issues Edict of Milan
313 ce
this legalizes christianity
Christianity becomes official roman religion
392 ce
Martianus Capella writes The Marriage of Mercury and Philology
400 ce
BOETHIUS DE INSTITUTIONE MUSICA
500 CE - 510 CE
Rule of St. Benedict guide for monasteries in the west
530 ce
SCHOLA CANTORUM ESTABLISHED
680 - 700
PEPIN ORDERS USE OF ROMAN LITURGY IN CHANT
754 CE
reign of Charlemagne
768 - 814
charlemagne crowned emperor by pope
800
MUSICA ENCHIRADIS AND SCOLICA ENCHIRADIS
850 - 900
GUIDO DE AREZZO WRITES MICROLOGUS
1025 - 1028
final split between roman and byzantine churches
1054
Roman Liturgy and Chant
Rule of St. Benedict
530 ce
European population Triples in size
1000 - 1300
LAST MAJOR ITEM ADDED TO MASS (CREDO)
1014
WIPO "VICTIMAE PASCHALI LAUDES"
1020 - 1050
split between roman and byzantine churches
1054
battle of hastings, england falls to normans
1066
First Crusade
1095 - 1099
European Society: 800-1300
Windmills and water powered mills provide mechanical power
1050
Universities of Bologna, Paris, and Oxford established
1100
BERNART DE VENTADORN "CAN VEI LA LAUZETA MOVER"
1170 - 1180
COMTESSA DE DIA "A CHANTOR"
1200
St. Thomas Aquinas
1225 - 1274
CANTIGAS DE SANTA MARIA
1270 - 1290
ADAM DE LA HALLE "JEU DE ROBIN ET DE MARION"
1284
Early Polyphony
WULFSTAN OF WINCHESTER: POLYPHONY IN WINCHESTER TROPER
992 CE - 996 CE
AD ORGANUM FACIENDUM
1100
AQUITANIAN POLYPHONY
1100 - 1200
death of St. Anselm, founder of scholasticism
1109
first gothic buildings
1140
LEONIN AT CATHEDRAL OF PARIS
1150 - 1201
construction of notre dame in paris begins
1160
EARLY MOTETS COMPOSED
1200 - 1220
PEROTIN AT NOTRE DAME
1200
"SUMER IS ICUMEN IN"
1250
FRANCO COMPILES "ARS CANTUS MENSURABILIS"
1280
FRANCO OF COLOGNE (FRANCONIAN MOTETS)
1280
TREATY KNOWN AS "ANONYMOUS IV"
1285
14th Century France and Italy
Mechanical clocks and magnetic compass introduced
1300
Dante writes divine comedy
1307
Pope Clement IV moves papal seat to Avignon
1309
famine in northwestern europe
1315 - 1322
PHILLIPE DE VITRY "IN ARBORIS"
1315 - 1320
ROMAN DE FAUVEL (MANUSCRIPT WITH MUSIC)
1317
ARS NOVA TREATISE ON NEW RHYTHMIC TECHNIQUES
1320
MACHAUT ENTERS SERVICE OF JOHN OF LUXEMBOURG
1323
JACQUES DE LIEGE "SPECULUM MUSICAE"
1330
hundred years war btw france and italy
1337 - 1453
JEHAN DE MURS WRITES HIS TREATY DESCRIBING MENSURATION SIGNS
1340
MACHAUT BECOMES CANON AT REIMS CATHEDRAL
1340
black death (the plague) kills one third of europe
1347 - 1350
Bocaccio writes "the decameron"
1348 - 1353
FIRST TRANSCRIPTION OF MACHAUT'S WORKS
1350
JACOPO DE BOLOGNA "NON AL SUO AMANTE"
1350 - 1360
MACHAUT "MESSE DE NOSTRE DAME"
1360 - 1370
FRANCESCO LANDINI AT SAN LORENZO IN FLORENCE
1365 - 1397
PHILLIPUS DE CASERTA "EN REMIRANT VO DOUCE PORTRAITURE"
1370 - 1380
great schism in the papacy
1378 - 1417
Geoffrey Chaucer writes "Canterbury tales"
1387 - 1400
SQUARCIALUPI CODEX
1410 - 1415
Music and The Renaissance
European Economy begins to grow
1400
Joan of Arc burned at the stake
1431
Gutenberg invents movable type
1450
turks conquer Constantinople, ending the byzantine empire
1453
Isabella and Ferdinand form modern spain
1469
JOHANNES TINCTORES "LIBER DE ARTE CONTRAPUNCTI"
1477
columbus reaches the west indies
1492
jews and muslims exiled from spain
1492
DaVinci paints "the last supper"
1495
PETRUCCI PUBLISHES "ODHECATON"
1501
Michelangelo sculpts "David"
1504
Martin Luther posts his "95 Thesis" starting the protestant reformation
1517
council of trent
1545 - 1563
HEINRICH GLAREANUS "DODEKACHORDON"
1547
GIOSEFFO ZARLINO "LE ISTITUTIONI ARMONICHE"
1558
Shakespeare writes "Romeo and Juliet"
1594
England and Burgundy in the 15th Century
Burgundy allied with England in war against France
1419 - 1435
reign of philip the good, duke of burgundy
1419 - 1467
GUILLAME DU FAY AT RIMINI WRITES "RESVELLIES VOUS"
1420 - 1424
JOHN DUNSTABLE POSSIBLY WITH ENGLISH IN FRANCE
1420 - 1430
BINCHOIS AT BURGUNDIAN COURT
1427 - 1453
DU FAY ALTERNATIVELY WITH PAPAL CHAPEL OR SAVOY COURT
1428 - 1439
DU FAY'S "NUPER ROSARUM FLORES" IN FLORENCE
1436
DU FAY AT CAMBRAI IN BURGUNDY
1439 - 1452
DU FAY IN SAVOY WRITES "MISSA SE LA FACE AY PALE"
1452 - 1458
DU FAY AT CAMBRAI AGAIN
1458 - 1474
Francis the Bold dies in Battle, France absorbs the Duchy of Burgundy
1477
Franco-Flemish Composers, 1450-1520
JEAN DE OCKEGHEM AT FRENCH ROYAL CHAPEL
1451 - 1497
England defeated in 100 years war
1453
ANTOINE BUSNOYS ENTERS SERVICE OF CHARLES, FUTURE DUKE OF BURGUNDY
1466
Mary of Burgundy marries Maximillian of Hapsburg
1478
joining low countries to austria and alsace
HENRICUS ISAAC IN FLORENCE
1484 - 1492
JOSQUIN DES PREZ IN MILAN AND ROME
1484 - 1495
columbus encounters new world
1492
reign of Maximillian I as holy roman emperor
1493 - 1519
French invade Italy, beginning the italian wars
1494
ISAAC APPOINTED COURT COMPOSER FOR MAXIMILLIAN I
1496
PETRUCCI PUBLISHES JOSQUIN MASSES
1502
JOSQUIN AT FERRARA
1503 - 1504
JACOB OBRECHT AT FERRARA
1504 - 1505
JOSQUIN AT CONDE-SUR-L'ESCAUT
1504 - 1521
Charles V becomes HRE
1519
JOSQUIN "MILLE REGRETZ"
1520
Sacred Music in the Reformation
Reign of HRE Charles V
1519 - 1556
LUTHER AND JOHANN WALTER WRITE FIRST CHORALES
1523 - 1524
LUTHER'S "DEUDSCHE MESSE" PUBLISHED
1526
Church of England separates from Rome
1534
Society of jesuits founded
1534
FIRST FRENCH PSALTER PUBLISHED
1539
GEORG RHAU PUBLISHES "NEWE DEUDSCHE GIESTLICH GESANGE"
1544
book of common prayer published
1549
PALESTRINA IN ROME
1551 - 1594
Reign of Mary the first of England restores Catholicism
1553 - 1558
ORLANDE DE LASSUS IN SERVICE OF DUKE OF BAVARIA
1556 - 1594
GIOSEFFO ZARLINO "LE ISTITUTIONI ARMONICHE"
1558
Reign of Elizabeth I of England, restores Church of England
1558 - 1603
FIRST COMPLETE FRENCH PSALTER PUBLISHED
1562
PALESTRINA'S POPE MARCELLUS MASS PUBLISHED
1567
WILLIAM BYRD APPOINTED TO CHAPEL ROYAL
1572
LASSUS "CUM ESSEM PARVULUS"
1579
Madrigal and Secular Song in the 16th Century
PETRUCCI PUBLISHES 13 FROTOLLA COLLECTION
1504 - 1514
Reign of Francis the first of France
1515 - 1547
NICOLA VINCENZO "L'ANTICA MUSICA RIDOTTA ALLA MODERNA PRATTICA"
1555
CIPRIANO DE RORE, FIRST BOOK OF MADRIGALS
1566
JACQUES ARCADELT, FIRST BOOK OF MADRIGALS
1566
MADDALENA CASULANA, FIRST BOOK OF MADRIGALS
1568
EXPERIMENTS WITH MUSICA MESUREE
1570 - 1580
CONCERTO DELLE DONNE ESTABLISHED AT FERRARA
1580
JOHN DOWLAND, FIRST BOOK OF SONGS OR AYERS
1597
CARLO GESUALDO'S LAST BOOK OF MADRIGALS
1611
The Rise of Instrumental Music
FIRST LUTE TABLATURE ISSUED BY PETRUCCI
1507
Protestant Reformation begins
1517
PIERRE ATTAIGNANT'S FIRST INSTRUMENTAL PUBLICATION, FOR LUTE
1529
TIELMAN SUSATO, DANSERYE
1551
GIOVANNI GABRIELLI AT ST. MARK'S CATHEDRAL
1585 - 1612
GABRIELLI COMPOSES "SYMPHONIAE SACRAE"
1597
Shakespeare writes "Hamlet"
1601
CLAUDIO MERULO WRITES "TOCCATAS, BOOK 2"
1604
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI, FIFTH BOOK OF MADRIGALS WITH CRUDA AMARILLI
1605
First English settlement in North America in Jamestown, Virginia
1607
PARTHENIA, COLLECTION WORKS FOR VIRGINAL, PUBLISHED
1613
MICHAEL PRAETORIUS WRITES "SYNTAGMA MUSICUM"
1618
The Invention of Opera
MEETINGS OF GIOVANNI DE BARDI'S CAMERATA
1573 - 1587
VINCENZO GALLILEI WRITES "DIALOGUE OF ANCIENT AND MODERN MUSIC"
1581
INTERMEDI FOR THE PLAY "LA PELLEGRINA" IN FLORENCE
1589
FIRST OPERA PERFORMED: JACOPO PERI'S "DAFNE"
1598
henry IV issues the edict of nantes
1598
FIRST SURVIVING OPERA "L'ARTUSI" PERFORMED IN FLORENCE
1600
GIULIO CACCINI "LE NUOVE MUSICHE"
1602
CLAUDIO MONTEVERDI WRITES "L'ORFEO"
1607
FRANCESCO CACCINI WRITES "THE LIBERATION OF RUGGIERO"
1625
FIRST PUBLIC OPERA HOUSE OPENS IN VENICE
1637
english civil war
1642 - 1649
MONTEVERDI WRITES "THE CORONATION OF POPPEA"
1643
Music for Chamber and Church in the Early 17th Century
LODOVICO VIADANA WRITES "CENTO CONCERTI ECCLESIASTICI"
1602
King James translation of the bible
1611
GIROLAMO FRSCOBALDI WRITES HIS FIRST BOOK OF TOCATTAS
1615
Thirty years war
1618 - 1648
HEINRICH SCHUTZ WRITES "PSALMEN DAVIDS"
1619
Mayflower arrives in new england
1620
LUCREZIA VIZZANA WRITES "COMPONIMENTI MUSICALI"
1623
SAMUEL SCHEIDT WRITES "TABLATURA NOVA"
1624
BIAGAIO MARINI WRITES "SONATE, SYMPHONIE, OP. 8"
1629
FRESCOBALDI WRITES "FIORI MUSICALI"
1635
MONTEVERDI WRITES "MADRIGALI GUERRIERI ET AMAROSI"
1638
BARBRA STROZZI WRITES "DIPORTI DI EUTERPE"
1659
France, England, Spain, and The New World
reign of philip IV of spain
1621 - 1665
reign of Charles IV in England
1625 - 1649
TRIUMPH OF PEACE, MASQUE AT ENGLISH COURT
1634
Reign of Louis XIV in France
1643 - 1715
BALLET DE LA NUIT AT FRENCH COURT
1653
JUAN HIDALGO COMPOSES FIRST ZARZUELA
1657
Restoration of monarchy in England
1660
FIRST PUBLIC CONCERT SERIES BEGINS, IN LONDON
1672
JEAN BAPTISTE LULLY BEGINS PRODUCING OPERAS
1672
Versailles becomes Royal residence of Louis XIV
1682
JOHN BLOW WRITES "VENUS AND ADONIS"
1683
LULLY COMPOSES "ARMIDE"
1686
ELIZABETH-CLAUDE JACQUET DE LA GUERRE WRITES "PIECES DE LA CLAVECIN"
1687
Isaac Newton, Principia Mathematica
1687
Glorious Revolution in England
1688 - 1689
HENRY PURCELL WRITES "DIDO AND AENEAS"
1689
JACQUET DE LA GUERRE'S "CEPHALE ET PROCRIS" IS FIRST OPERA BY A FRENCH WOMAN
1694
THOMAS DE TORREJON Y VELASCO WRITES "LA PURPURA DE LA ROSA"
1701
FIRST OPERA IN THE NEW WORLD
Italy and Germany in the late 17th century
JOHANN KRUGER WRITES "PRAXIS PIATATIS MELIKA"
1647
First regular newspaper in Berlin
1655
ANTONIO CESTI WRITES "ORONTEA"
1656
leopold I reigns as HRE
1658 - 1705
DIETRICH BUXTEHUDE APPOINTED ORGANIST AT LUBEK
1668
BUXTEHUDE BEGINS "ABENDMUSIKEN"
1673
HAMBURG OPERA HOUSE OPENS
1678
ALESSANDRO SCARLATTI'S FIRST OPERA IN ROME
1679
ARCANGELO CORELLI WRITES "OP.1 TRIO SONATAS"
1681
First coffee House opens in Vienna
1683
Louis XIV invades the Holy Roman Empire
1688
CORELLI WRITES "OP.5 VIOLIN SONATAS"
1700
J.S. BACH HEARS BUXTEHUDE'S "ABENDMUSIKEN"
1705
ALESSANDRO SCARLATTI WRITES "LA GRISELDA"
1721
Italy, France and Early 18th-Century Europe
Prussia becomes kingdom under Frederick I
1701
ANTONIO VIVALDI APPOINTED TO THE PIETA
1703
England and Scotland officially unite as Great Britain
1707
Charles VI crowned HRE
1711
VIVALDI WRITES "LA ESTRO ARMONICO"
1711
Reign of Louis XV
1715 - 1774
JEAN PHILLIPE RAMEAU WRITES "TREATISE ON HARMONY"
1722
FRANÇOIS COUPERIN WRITES "APOTHEOSIS OF CORELLI"
1724
CONCERT SPIRITUEL CONCERT SERIES BEGINS IN PARIS
1725
VIVALDI WRITES "THE FOUR SEASONS"
1725
JS BACH WRITES "ST. MATTHEW PASSION"
1727
Reign of George II of England
1727 - 1760
RAMEAU WRITES "HIPPOLYTE ET ARICIE"
1733
Frederick the great crowned King of Prussia
1740
GEORGE FREDERIC HANDEL WRITES "MESSIAH"
1742
Francis Stephen of Lorraine elected HRE
1745
RAMEAU WRITES "ZOROASTRE"
1749
German Composers in the Late Baroque
JS BACH STUDIES IN LUNEBURG
1700
GEORGE FREDERICK HANDEL MOVES TO HAMBURG
1703
JS BACH BECOMES COURT ORGANIST FOR DUKE OF WIEMAR
1708
HANDEL'S "RINALDO" PREMIERED IN LONDON
1711
BACH APPOINTED KAPELLMEISTER IN COTHEN
1717
BACH WRITES "THE WELL TEMPERED CLAVIER" BOOK ONE
1722
BACH BECOMES CIVIC MUSIC DIRECTOR IN LEIPZIG
1723
HANDEL WRITES "GIULIO CESARE"
1724
FUX WRITES "GRADUS AND PARNASSUM"
1725
JOHN GAY WRITES "THE BEGGARS OPERA"
1728
GEORG PHILLIP TELEMANN WRITES HIS FIRST 6 PARIS QUARTETS
1730
BACH WRITES "MUSICAL OFFERING"
1747
Musical Taste and Style in the Enlightenment
Maria Theresa Crowned holy Roman Empress
1740
reign of Frederick the great of Prussia
1740 - 1786
Francis Stephen of Lorraine elected HRE
1745
BACH-ABLE CONCERTS IN LONDON
1765 - 1781
Joseph II becomes HRE and co-ruler with Maria Teresa
1765
Reign of Louis XVI in France
1774 - 1792
American Revolution
1775 - 1783
CHARLES BURNEY WRITES "A GENERAL HISTORY OF MUSIC"
1776 - 1789
JOHN HAWKINS WRITES, "A GENERAL HISTORY OF THE SCIENCE AND PRACTICE OF MUSIC"
1776
CARL PHILIP EMANUEL BACH WRITES "CLAVIER SONATAS FOR CONNOISSEURS AND AMATEURS"
1779
HEINRICH CHRISTOPH KOCH WRITES "INTRODUCTORY ESSAY ON COMPOSITION"
1782 - 1793
French Revolution
1789 - 1794
Opera and Vocal Music in the Early Classic Period
JOHANN ADOLF HASSE WRITES "CLEOFIDE"
1731
GIOVANNI BATISTA PERGOLESI WRITES "LA SERVA PADRONA"
1733
JOHANN SEBASTIAN BACH WRITES "THE ART OF FUGUE"
1749
Dennis Diderot and collaborators publish the "encyclopedie"
1751 - 1772
JOHN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU WRITES "LE DEVIN DU VILLAGE"
1752
PERGOLESI'S "LA SERVA PADRONA" IN PARIS
1752
CHRISTOPH WILLIBALD GLUCK WRITES "ORFEO ED EURIDICE"
1762
LA SCALA OPERA HOUSE OPENS IN MILAN
1778
WILLIAM BILLINGS WRITES "THE CONTINENTAL HARMONY"
1794
Instrumental Music at Midcentury
BARTOLOMEO CRISTOFORI INVENTS THE PIANO FORTE
1700
FIRST SYMPHONIES COMPOSED
1730
DOMENICO SCARLATTI WRITES "ESSERCIZI"
1738
CPE BACH WRITES "ESSAY ON THE TRUE ART OF PLAYING KEYBOARD INSTRUMENTS"
1753 - 1762
JOHANN CHRISTIAN BACH WRITES "PIANO CONCERTO'S OP. 7"
1770
VOGUE FOR SYMPHONIE CONCERTANTE BEGINS IN PARIS
1770
American colonies declare independence from Britain
1776
Classic music in the late 18th century