h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

western music history draft

Posted Aug 6, 2002

3 Hours Ago

Classical music, or what has more recently been termed "Western Art Music" (as a reaction against the
common term for it in order to clarify it's role in society) differs from folk, or "pop" music principally in the
degree of control the composer has over the work. While this can lead to considerable confusion, particularily
if you consider some post-minimalist graphic scores based on improvisation, there is despite this a clear
boundary between "pop" and "classical" music which many, such as the violinist [find] have tried
unsuccessfully to transcend. While material it seems can travel freely between the two, whether it is a
classical or pop piece is largely dependant on the piece's social status. In a sense then, the very definition
"classical music" is more a state of mind.

The history of Western Art Music can be described as a slow process of completely removing the boundaries
set up in medieval europe. People often describe it in periods. There is only one set boundary though, and it
must be stressed that music, in parrallel with all other art forms, was and is still now in a constant process of
gradual change.

The Origins (before 1600ish)

The earliest records of western music speak of a priest, [find name]. His idea was to direct the inflections of
religious chant. He would bang his staff on the floor to indicate when to say syllables and the fingers on his
hand to indicate which pitch to sing. The five fingers were used as a basis for what is now the common
notational system, Although as a contrast, the notation for the lute used 10 ledger lines to denote 10 strings,
and the notes themselves indicated by a fret mark. Music was typically modal at the time, and was notated
with "inflections" instead of accidentals - simple indications to sing a little flater or sharper than usual.

The Reinaissance

Very few works remain of the Reinaissance composers. The most interesting of those we have are Machaut,
[find names]

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