In this publication, we will explore Western music from the Middle Ages to the twentieth century, including jazz and film music. We will revisit Western history through the eyes of the composers and artists of the day. Every chapter is loaded with videos featuring concerts, opera scenes, art documentaries, and more! I hope you will enjoy reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it, even though there is a short quiz at the end of each chapter.
By the end of class, you should be able to recognize the music and the art of a specific time period and appreciate the historical context in which such music was created. I also hope that you will want to be more involved in the many artistic events happening every day in your community. There is so much to explore and experience! Find your voice and come support your peers in the School of Music, the School of Dance, the School of Musical Theatre, the School of Drama, and the School of Visual Arts. As the National Endowment for the Arts once proclaimed, “A great nation deserves great art.”
Dr. A.-V. Brittan is a Lecturer at the University of Oklahoma with a M.M. and D.M.A. in Music Composition. In addition to other classes, she has been teaching Music Understanding at OU for over 12 years now. Ultimately, her goal is to instill in all readers a genuine appreciation for music and art, past and present.
Chapter 1: Musical Parameters
Chapter 2: The Instruments of The Orchestra
Chapter 3: The Middle Ages (476–1453)
Chapter 4: The Renaissance (1453–1600)
Chapter 5: The Baroque Era (1600–1750), Part 1 (1600–1700)
Chapter 6: The Baroque Era, Part 2 (1700–1750)
Chapter 7: The Classical Era (1750–1800)
Chapter 8: Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770–1827)
Chapter 9: The Romantic Era, Part 1
Chapter 10: The Romantic Era, Part 2
Chapter 11: The Twentieth Century, Part 1: Music before World War I
Chapter 12: The Twentieth Century, Part 2: Music in between the two World Wars
Chapter 13: The Twentieth Century, Part 3: Music After World War II
Chapter 14: Film Music