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Diversification of styles and the advent of electronic music. Composers including Igor Stravinsky, Arnold Schoenberg, and John Cage were pivotal.

A composition in several movements for one to eight instruments. Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven were masters of the sonata form.

A method of composition using series, often a tone row, as the basis. Arnold Schoenberg and his students, Anton Webern and Alban Berg, are well-known serialists.

Birth of tonality, development in opera and the concerto. Key composers include Johann Sebastian Bach, George Frideric Handel, and Antonio Vivaldi.

Monophonic and unaccompanied sacred song of the Roman Catholic Church. Composers are often anonymous.

The creation of sonata form, the symphony, and string quartet. Noteworthy composers include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Franz Joseph Haydn.

Expansion of the symphony in length, complexity, and emotional content. Composers such as Gustav Mahler and Anton Bruckner are notable.

A collection of dances, typically including movements like the allemande, courante, sarabande, and gigue. Composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach popularized the suite.

A group of Classical composers consisting chiefly of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven, known for shaping the classical music idiom.

Early music that was vocal and often religious. Notable developments include the use of Gregorian Chant.

A form typical of the Baroque period in which the music is passed between a small group of soloists and full orchestra. Corelli and Handel composed notable examples.

Development of musical notation, use of modes, and the emergence of polyphony. Composers include Hildegard von Bingen and Guillaume de Machaut.

Characterized by repetitive structures and simplicity. Notable composers include Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Terry Riley.

An important form developed by composers like Haydn (often called the 'father' of the string quartet), Mozart, and Beethoven.

Music produced using electronic technology and manipulation of recorded sounds. Pierre Schaeffer and Karlheinz Stockhausen contributed to its development.

A form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component. Claudio Monteverdi is often recognized as one of the first great opera composers.

Marked by the rise of the public concert and an emphasis on clarity, proportion, and balance. Composers like Christoph Willibald Gluck and C.P.E. Bach were prominent.

Focus on harmony, development of the printing press aiding music distribution. Composers include Palestrina and Josquin des Prez.

Characterized by liturgical music and the beginning of polyphonic writing. Notable figures include Leonin and Perotin from the Notre Dame school.

Secular vocal music composition, often about love, and typically unaccompanied. Composers such as Thomas Weelkes and Carlo Gesualdo were notable madrigalists.

A movement emphasizing national identity and often incorporating folk melodies. Composers like Antonin Dvorak and Jean Sibelius were significant figures.

20th-century classical music incorporating elements of jazz, as seen in the works of George Gershwin and Maurice Ravel.

Expression of emotion in music, development of the art song and program music. Composers such as Richard Wagner, Johannes Brahms, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky made significant contributions.

Focused on atmosphere and texture, often evoking scenes or images. Key composers include Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel.