Print this page A Short History of Western Music: From Chant to Today

Discover the rich evolution of Western music, from the early sounds of Gregorian chant to the diversity of modern composition. This course traces how musical forms, instruments and styles developed across centuries. 

We explore major periods including the Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras, examining how notation, harmony and performance evolved. Visual art and historical context reveal how music was created, performed and experienced. 

Through listening and discussion, you’ll gain a deeper appreciation of how music reflects cultural change and artistic innovation.

DELIVERY MODE

Face to face

COURSE OUTLINE

Week 1: Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages  - the development of notation
Week 2: The Renaissance - from complexity to a more purely classical style
Week 3: The Baroque - the development of opera and and emphasis on the dramatic in music and the visual arts 
Week 4: The Classical Period - vocal and instrumental music at last of equal importance
Week 5: The Romantic Era - emotion, colour, high drama, intimacy
Week 6: The Modern Era - complexity, diversity, constant change and renewal 

LEARNING OUTCOMES

1. Appreciate the way music has developed from the Middle Ages onward the way that musical performance has been recorded in the visual arts
2. Understand the changes in music notation and the way it relates to performance
3. Distinguish between visual artists' desire to record music performance accurately and the various aesthetic traditions that informed their work
4. Discuss the way that developments and changes in musical style related to developments and changes in the visual arts