Prelude
"Classical music" describes orchestral music, chamber music, choral music, and solo performance pieces. Yet, several distinct periods exist within this broad genre. As Northview High School celebrates its 20-year anniversary, Christie Peng, Eileen Chen, and their amigurumis Bisky and Misty (to the right!) explore how fine arts and music have evolved throughout five musical periods (Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and modern). We also interviewed three brilliant Northview musicians about their favorite musical periods.
|
|
Renaissance, 1400-1600
Homophony - the bass and treble clefs play the same melody but in different notes.
Art by Christie Peng |
|
Interview with Srinidhi Kaarthigeyen Meet Srinidhi Kaarthigeyen, our representative for the Renaissance and Modern periods and junior at Northview. Srinidhi has been in Chorus since 6th grade and speaks highly of her experience. Before Srinidhi joined Chorus, she sang Indian classical songs, which use a chromatic scale. She chose chorus because she believed that singing as a group would help her overall singing development, and choral music would help her with singing Indian classical music. “One type of music helps the other, chromatic music helps me with chorus and choral music helps me with chromatic.” Srinidhi explains the styles of music chorus performs. "Chorus performs a wide range of music, alternating between Renaissance and modern-day music," Srinidhi says. At the last concert, the chorus performed a combination of gospels, Christian and sacred hymns, and lullabies, many of which originated from the Renaissance. These pieces feature polyphony, harmonies formed by weaving multiple melodies, and tonality, developed through refined scales. Acapella singing is also common due to the era's limited use of instruments. As the Renaissance era matured, the late Renaissance gave way to a style known as mannerism, wherein music was enhanced with various forms of suspension, ornamentation, and chromaticism. This would set the stage for the bold, dynamic, heavily embellished music of the Baroque era. |
Srinidhi (middle right) at Northview's Fall concert, 2021
Video by Srinidhi Kaarthigeyen |
Baroque, 1600-1750
- Origin: The early Baroque era of music originated in Italy and expanded upon the harmonic and ornamental boundaries of the Renaissance. As musicians traveled throughout Europe, the Baroque style caught on and was heavily influenced by German composers.
- Characteristics
- Emphasis on dynamics: The introduction of the pianoforte (an early version of the piano) opened new dynamic possibilities with soft and loud variations.
- Embrace of instrumental music: Composers embraced instrumental music using instruments such as the violin and piano.
- Ornamentation: Baroque music emphasized flair, embellishing compositions with ornementations like trills and turns.
- Composers: Bach, Handel, Telemann, and Vivaldi.
Art by Christie Peng
|
Interview with Jeremiah Jung Meet Jeremiah Jung, our representative for the Baroque and Classical music periods and a senior at Northview High School. Jeremiah is part of many orchestras, including the Atlanta Youth Symphony Orchestra, Emory Youth Symphony Orchestra, and our school’s chamber orchestra. He believes that style separates musical periods from each other. The romantic period is very expressional and features composers like Paganini, Schubert, and Tchaikovsky. Compared to the romantic period, baroque focuses on chord progression, a series of chords played in a sequence. Baroque is Jeremiah’s favorite musical period because the pieces are open to interpretation. Jeremiah’s favorite composer is currently Bach, a famous Baroque musician known for composing the "Brandenburg Concertos" and "The Well-Tempered Clavier." |
Classical, 1730-1810
|
Photo by Unsplash
|
Interview with Jeremiah Jung
In addition, Jeremiah believes that physical appearance also distinguishes musical periods from each other. Throughout history, the size and appearance of violins have evolved. For instance, a fingerboard became smaller and the bow size became curved inward. The Baroque period even had its own violins, with metal strings and higher bridges. On contemporary music, Jeremiah believes it “sounds very different because the melody is hard to tell.”
The Classical period is unique because it overlaps with the Baroque period, yet symbolizes a shift towards a different way of thinking: classicism. This thought emulated the ideals of Greece and Rome, pursuing ancient art, architecture, and literature. Classical music was geared towards an aristocrat audience, who preferred lighter, simplistic music.
In addition, Jeremiah believes that physical appearance also distinguishes musical periods from each other. Throughout history, the size and appearance of violins have evolved. For instance, a fingerboard became smaller and the bow size became curved inward. The Baroque period even had its own violins, with metal strings and higher bridges. On contemporary music, Jeremiah believes it “sounds very different because the melody is hard to tell.”
The Classical period is unique because it overlaps with the Baroque period, yet symbolizes a shift towards a different way of thinking: classicism. This thought emulated the ideals of Greece and Rome, pursuing ancient art, architecture, and literature. Classical music was geared towards an aristocrat audience, who preferred lighter, simplistic music.
Romantic, 1820-1900
|
Grace Peng performing Gaspard de la Nuit, Bowdoin International Music Festival 2021
Video by Grace Peng |
Interview with Grace Peng
Meet Grace Peng, a Northview senior, who has played the piano since she was five. Grace has won numerous piano competitions, such as the Georgia Music Teachers Association Competition and the Franklin Pond Chamber Music Competition.
Out of the classical music eras, the Romantic era comes most naturally to Grace. Following the Classical era, Romantic music added overwhelming amounts of intensity and expression to musical compositions. As the period developed, composers gravitated towards drama and emotion, gradually letting go of heavily structured pieces. Grace enjoys the emphasis on expression and finds the style less restrictive. One of her favorite composers is Ravel, a Romantic musician known for his impressionist compositions such as “Gaspard de la Nuit,” which Grace played just this year. Emphasizing suggestion and atmosphere rather than melody, impressionism reflects the emergence of “sub-Romantic-era” movements as the Romantic era matured. In addition to early Romantic compositions like the moody piano nocturnes of Frederic Chopin, Romantic music eventually led to expressive programmes and rhapsodies by the likes of Pytor Tchaikovsky and Claude Debussy.
While Grace enjoys playing Romantic pieces the most, she finds music from other eras incredibly important. “Slowly I’ve begun to understand that other eras such as Baroque, Classical, and Modern help my musical development immensely.”
Meet Grace Peng, a Northview senior, who has played the piano since she was five. Grace has won numerous piano competitions, such as the Georgia Music Teachers Association Competition and the Franklin Pond Chamber Music Competition.
Out of the classical music eras, the Romantic era comes most naturally to Grace. Following the Classical era, Romantic music added overwhelming amounts of intensity and expression to musical compositions. As the period developed, composers gravitated towards drama and emotion, gradually letting go of heavily structured pieces. Grace enjoys the emphasis on expression and finds the style less restrictive. One of her favorite composers is Ravel, a Romantic musician known for his impressionist compositions such as “Gaspard de la Nuit,” which Grace played just this year. Emphasizing suggestion and atmosphere rather than melody, impressionism reflects the emergence of “sub-Romantic-era” movements as the Romantic era matured. In addition to early Romantic compositions like the moody piano nocturnes of Frederic Chopin, Romantic music eventually led to expressive programmes and rhapsodies by the likes of Pytor Tchaikovsky and Claude Debussy.
While Grace enjoys playing Romantic pieces the most, she finds music from other eras incredibly important. “Slowly I’ve begun to understand that other eras such as Baroque, Classical, and Modern help my musical development immensely.”
Modern, 1900-1930
Overview
|
The drawing's colors and mood reflects impressionism
Art by Christie Peng |
Interview with Srinidhi Kaarathigeyen
In spring concerts, Chorus takes on a more modern approach, singing Broadway and pop songs. At the last concert, the chorus performed Elijah Rock, Old Love, and Awake the Trumpet. Elijah Rock is an African American spiritual that was sung by slaves to communicate to escape the Underground Railroad. Old Love is an open-ended Christian song that conveys love and spiritual meanings. Similarly, Awake the Trumpet is an energetic chorus composed in the 18th century. These pieces feature vague metrical pulse (e.g. through syncopation, which places rhythmic stresses on offbeats) and imprecise forms, along with obscured tonality.
Shrinidhi’s most memorable experience to date is her ninth-grade LGPE (Large Group Performance Evaluation). “After we finished our performance, the judges told Copeland that the chorus sang like adults and sounded professional.” A close second is the fall concert; Mr. Downey attended and reportedly cried because “the music touched his soul.”
In spring concerts, Chorus takes on a more modern approach, singing Broadway and pop songs. At the last concert, the chorus performed Elijah Rock, Old Love, and Awake the Trumpet. Elijah Rock is an African American spiritual that was sung by slaves to communicate to escape the Underground Railroad. Old Love is an open-ended Christian song that conveys love and spiritual meanings. Similarly, Awake the Trumpet is an energetic chorus composed in the 18th century. These pieces feature vague metrical pulse (e.g. through syncopation, which places rhythmic stresses on offbeats) and imprecise forms, along with obscured tonality.
Shrinidhi’s most memorable experience to date is her ninth-grade LGPE (Large Group Performance Evaluation). “After we finished our performance, the judges told Copeland that the chorus sang like adults and sounded professional.” A close second is the fall concert; Mr. Downey attended and reportedly cried because “the music touched his soul.”