Classical and Early Music

Classical and early music are two related yet distinct musical categories.

Classical Music

Classical music refers to a broad spectrum of art music that developed primarily within the Western tradition from the Middle Ages onward. It can be divided into several periods:

• Medieval Music (500–1400) – Gregorian chant, early polyphonic music.
• Renaissance Music (1400–1600) – More complex vocal and instrumental compositions, Palestrina, Josquin des Prez.
• Baroque Music (1600–1750) – Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, choral and instrumental masterpieces.
• Classical Period (1750–1820) – Mozart, Haydn, early Beethoven, symphonies, and sonatas.
• Romantic Period (1820–1900) – Chopin, Liszt, Brahms, Wagner, greater expressiveness and emotional depth.
• Modern Classical Music (20th century onward) – Stravinsky, Debussy, minimalism, and avant-garde.

Early Music

"Early music" generally refers to music composed before the Classical period, including:

• Medieval music (monophony, early polyphony).
• Renaissance music (madrigals, sacred music, early instrumental ensembles).
• Baroque music, although it already borders on the Classical period.

Early music is often performed on historical instruments and with techniques based on historical sources (the so-called "historically informed performance")