CLASSICAL MUSIC

WHEN we use the term “classical music”, we’re referring to the unbroken Western musical tradition that has its roots in the ancient civilisations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. This musical tradition stretches back so far that we’re not sure what it sounded like in ancient times.

String, wind and percussion instruments look very different today to what they did back then. It’s important to know that music is an art form that draws from an ancient tradition but is constantly renewing and evolving.

Here’s an overview of centuries of musical development. We start in the 1600s, which followed the Middle Ages (500 to 1400) and the Renaissance (1400-1600).

THE BAROQUE PERIOD

(1600-1750)

The word “baroque” might come from the, which refers to a large uneven freshwater pearl. Baroque refers to a , sometimes of art and decoration.