The timeline below may be of assistance in focusing on the study of music history. For an excellent and brief essay on the history of music, see Western Music - A Short History by James L. Zychowicz published online at the Classical Music Pages. You might also be interested in this lovely poster showing the history of classical music.

Music of Ancient Times (before 500)

• Iconography documents the existence of music in prehistoric times.
• Monophonic music was a vital part of the cultures of the ancient Chinese, Hebrews, and Greeks.
• Christian chant, based on Jewish cantorial traditions and Greek music theory, developed during the decline of Rome.

MEDIEVAL (500-1450)

• The Monophonic Phase
  • Gregorian Chant was first codified during the reign of Pope Gregory (590-604).
  • Guido d'Arezzo, (c. 0995 - c. 1050), France/Italy
  • Hildegard von Bingen, (1098 - 1179), Germany
• The First Polyphonic Phase (1100-1450)
  • Organum
    • St. Martial Organum (c. 1100)
    • Notre Dame Organum (1150-1250)
    • Leonin, (c. 1135 - c. 1201), France began to use the rhythmic modes in 2-part works
    • Pérotin, (c. 1160 - c. 1205), France modal rhythm well established in 3-part works
  • 13th c. Motet (1200-1300)
    • Franco of Cologne, (c. 1240 - c. 1280), Germany
    • Petrus de Cruce, (c. 1270 - c. 1300), France
  • Sumer is icumen in (1240) - important early example of a round (6 parts)
  • Ars Nova - treatise by Vitry, Philippe de (1291 - 1361), France, Bishop of Meaux
  • Isorhythmic Motet, hocket, musica ficta (1300-1400)
  • Machaut, Guillaume de (c. 1300 - 1377), France
  • Landini, Francesco (c. 1325 - 1397), Italy
  • English Fauxbourdon (1420-1450) - use of 6ths and 3rds as consonances
  • Dunstable, John (c. 1390 - 1453), England
  • The Burgundian School (1420-1470) - the bridge to the Renaissance
    • Binchois, Gilles (c. 1400 - 1460), Belgium
    • Dufay, Guillaume (1397 - 1474), Belgium/France

RENAISSANCE (1450-1600)

• The Second Polyphonic Phase (1450-1600) - equality of voices
  • Netherlands School (1450-1550) - cantus firmus and parody mass
    • Ockeghem, Johannes (c. 1410 - 1497), Netherlands
    • Obrecht, Jacob (1450 - c. 1505), Netherlands
    • Josquin des Prez, (c. 1450 - 1521), Belgium
  • Protestant Reformation (1517)
  • Catholic Counter-Reformation (1550)
  • French Chanson (1500-1550)
    • Janequin, Clément (c. 1485 - 1558), France
    • Sermisy, Claudin de (c. 1490 - 1562), France
  • Italian Madrigal (1500-1620)
    • First period 1500-1540
      • Willaert, Adrian (c. 1490 - 1562), Belgium
      • Arcadelt, Jacob (c. 1505 - 1568), France
    • Second period 1540-1570
      
      • Willaert, Adrian (c. 1490 - 1562), Belgium
      • Lassus, Orlandus (1532 - 1594), Belgium
    • Third period 1570-1610
      
      • Marenzio, Luca (c. 1553 - 1599), Italy
      • Gesualdo, Carlo (c. 1560 - 1613), Italy
      • Monteverdi, Claudio (1567 - 1643), Italy
  • Musica Transalpina (1588) Italian madrigals trans. to English by Yonge
  • Palestrina, Giovanni Pierluigi da (c. 1525 - 1594), Italy (the pinnacle of Renaissance polyphony)
  • Victoria, Tomas Luis de (1548 - 1611), Spain
  • Gabrieli, Giovanni (c. 1554 - 1612), Italy - Antiphonal choral works at St. Mark's in Venice
  • Caccini, Giulio (1551 - 1618), Italy - transitional figure to the Baroque period
  • Byrd, William (1543 - 1623), England
  • Dowland, John (c. 1563 - 1626), England - lute ayres
  • Monteverdi, Claudio (1567 - 1643), Italy - transitional figure to the Baroque period

BAROQUE (1600-1750)

• The First Age of Monody (1600-1700) - firm bass, florid treble, figured bass.
  • Florentine Camerata (1590) - Peri, Jacopo (1561 - 1633), Italy and Monteverdi, Claudio (1567 - 1643), Italy
  • Le Nuove Musiche (1602) - Caccini's book of songs; ex. of early monody
  • Early Opera (1597-1650)
    • Eurydice (1600) - two settings one by Peri, Jacopo (1561 - 1633), Italy, the other by Caccini, Giulio (1551 - 1618), Italy
    • Orpheus (Mantua, 1607) - Monteverdi, Claudio (1567 - 1643), Italy
    • Coronation of Poppea (Venice, 1642) - Monteverdi, Claudio (1567 - 1643), Italy
• The Age of Instrumental music (1650-1750) Suite, Sonata, Concerto Grosso
• The Third Polyphonic Phase (1700-1750) - High Baroque, canons, fugues etc.
• Essential Composers of the Baroque
  • Frescobaldi, Girolamo (1583 - 1643), Italy - keyboard works, variation form
  • Schütz, Heinrich (1585 - 1672), Germany - choral works
  • Lully, Jean-Baptiste (1632 - 1687), Italy/France - operas, early standardization of the orchestra
  • Torelli, Giuseppe (1658 - 1709), Italy - violin works, concerto grosso form
  • Corelli, Arcangelo (1653 - 1713), Italy - violin works, concerto grosso form
  • Couperin, François (le grand) (1668 - 1733), France - L'Art de toucher le clavecin (1716)
  • Vivaldi, Antonio (1678 - 1741), Italy - violin works, concerto grosso form
  • Bach, Johann Sebastian (1685 - 1750), Germany - all major forms except opera, summative figure of the Baroque
  • Handel, George Frideric (1685 - 1759), Germany/England - summative figure of the Baroque
  • Rameau, Jean-Philippe (1683 - 1764), France - composer and theoretician

CLASSIC (1750-1820)

• Pre-Classic music (1720-1770)
  • Sammartini, Giovanni Battista (1701 - 1775), Italy - early symphonic form
  • Stamitz, Johann (1717 - 1757), Bohemia - Mannheim school founder, early symphony, dynamic range in orchestral music
  • Bach, Johann Christian (1735 - 1782), Germany/England - early symphonic form, early sonata form
  • Gluck, Christoph Willibald von (1714 - 1787), Austria
  • Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel (1714 - 1788), Germany - "Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments" (1753-1762)
• Classic Music 1750-1820
  • Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus (1756 - 1791), Austria
    • Idomeneo (1781)
    • Le Nozze di Figaro (1786)
    • Don Giovanni (1787)
    • Cosi fan Tutti (1790)
  • Haydn, Franz Joseph (1732 - 1809), Austria
    • London Symphonies (1791-1795)
    • The Creation (1798)
  • Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770 - 1827), Germany/Austria - bridge to the Romantic period
    • Symphony No. 1 in C Major, Opus 21 (1799)
    • Heiligenstadt Testament (1802) - Beethoven's letter of grief
    • Fidelio (1803) - Beethoven's only opera

ROMANTIC (1820-1910)

• Weber, Carl Maria von (1786 - 1826), Germany
• Beethoven, Ludwig van (1770 - 1827), Germany/Austria
  • Symphony No. 6, Op. 68, in F Major, 1808 (Pastoral)
  • Symphony No. 9 in D Minor, Opus 125 (1824) (Chorale)
• Schubert, Franz (1797 - 1828), Austria - German Lieder
  • Die Schöne Müllerin (The Miller's Daughter, 1823)
  • Winterreisse (Winter Journey, 1827)
  • Schwanengesang (Swan Songs, 1828)
• Bellini, Vincenzo (1801 - 1835), Italy - bel canto arias in opera
• Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix (1809 - 1847), Germany - revived interest in the music of J.S. Bach
• Chopin, Frederic (1810 - 1849), Poland/France - influential piano music
• Schumann, Robert (1810 - 1856), Germany - German Lieder
  • Dichterliebe (Poet's Love, poems by Heine, Op. 48, 1840)
  • Frauenliebe und Lieben (Woman's Life and Love, Chamisso, Op. 42, 1840)
  • Liederkreis (Song Circle, Eichendorff, Op. 24, 1840)
• Glinka, Mikhail Ivanovich (1804 - 1857), Russia
• Meyerbeer, Giacomo (1791 - 1864), Germany/France
• Rossini, Gioacchino (1792 - 1868), Italy - opera
• Berlioz, Hector (1803 - 1869), France - advanced use of the orchestra
  • Symphony Fantastique (1830)
  • The Damnation of Faust (1846)
• Mussorgsky, Modest Petrovich (1839 - 1881), Russia
• Wagner, Richard (1813 - 1883), Germany - music dramas, influential harmonic language
• Liszt, Franz (1811 - 1886), Hungary - virtuosic piano music, Hungarian influence
  • Faust Symphony (1854)
• Borodin, Alexander Porfirievich (1833 - 1887), Russia
• Dr. Franz Xavier Witt (1834-88) - Cecilian Movement in Catholic church music, restoration of Gregorian chant and 16th century a cappella singing.
• Brahms, Johannes (1833 - 1897), Germany
• Franck, César (1822 - 1890), Belgium/France - organ works
• Bruckner, Anton (1824 - 1896), Austria
  • Symphony No. 7 in E Major (1883)
• Verismo (1880 - 1900) - strong realism in opera of the late 19th c.
  • Cavalleria Rusticana (1891) by Mascagni, Pietro (1863 - 1945), Italy
  • I Pagliacci (1892) by Leoncavallo, Ruggero (1857 - 1919), Italy
• Verdi, Giuseppe (1813 - 1901), Italy
  • Rigoletto (1851) is from Verdi's early period.
  • Otello (Othello, 1887) is from Verdi's last period.
• Wolf, Hugo (1860 - 1903), Austria
  • Mörike Songs (53 in all, 1897)
  • Eichendorff (20, 1889)
  • Goethe (51, 1890)
  • Spanisches Liederbuch (44, 1891)
  • Italienisches Lied (in 2 parts)
• Dvorák, Antonin (1841 - 1904), Bohemia
• Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolay Andreyevich (1844 - 1908), Russia
• Macdowell, Edward (1860 - 1908), United States
• Mahler, Gustav (1860 - 1911), Bohemia/Austria
  • Das Lied von der Erde (The Song of the Earth, 1909)
• Scriabin, Alexander (1872 - 1915), Russia
• Elgar, Edward (1857 - 1934), England
• Sibelius, Jean (1865 - 1957), Finland - Modern in time, Romantic in style.
• Debussy, Claude (1862 - 1918), France - impressionism in music
  • Prelude to 'The Afternoon of a Faun' (1894)
  • Nocturnes (1899)
  • La Mer (1905)
• Fauré, Gabriel (1845 - 1924), France
  • Pelléas et Mélisande
  • Pénélope
  • Requiem
• Satie, Erik (1866 - 1925), France - neoclassicism, pandiatonicism
  • 3 Gymnopodies - for piano
  • Parade - ballet
  • Relache - ballet
  • Socrate - symphonic drama

Early 20th CENTURY (1910-1950)

• Schoenberg, Arnold (1874 - 1951), Austria
  • TRANSFIGURED NIGHT Op. 4 (1899)
  • DIE GURRELIEDER (1901-1911)
  • PIERROT LUNAIRE, (1912)
  • TWELVE NOTE SYSTEM OF COMPOSITION (1921)
  • FIVE PIANO PIECES Op. 23 (1923) - first tone rows
  • STRING QUARTET NO. 3, (1926)
  • VARIATIONS FOR ORCHESTRA, (1928)
  • MOSES AND AARON (1931-1932)
  • VIOLIN CONCERTO, (1934)
  • STRING QUARTET NO. 4, (1937)
• Ives, Charles (1874 - 1954), United States
  • The Concord Sonata
  • Watchman
  • Are you washed by the Blood of the Lamb
• Ravel, Maurice (1875 - 1937), France
  • Daphnis et Chloë
  • La Valse
  • Bolero
• Bartók, Béla (1881 - 1945), Hungary
  • Allegro Barbaro for piano 1911
  • Music for Strings, Percussion, and Celesta (1936)
  • Concerto for Orchestra (1943) - tonal opulence and warmth
  • Third Piano Concerto (1945)
• Stravinsky, Igor (1882 - 1971), Russia
  • Early period 1882-1923
    • THE FIREBIRD (1910)
    • PETROUCHKA (1911)
    • LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS (1913)
    • L'HISTOIRE DU SOLDAT (1918)
    • PULCINELLA (1919)
    • LES NOCES (1917-1923)
  • Neo-Classicism 1923-1951
    • OCTET FOR WIND INSTRUMENTS (1923)
    • OEDIPUS REX (1927)
    • SYMPHONY OF PSALMS (1930)
    • THE RAKES PROGRESS (1951)
  • Serialism and other influences 1951-1971
    • SEPTET
    • AGON
    • THRENI
• Webern, Anton von (1883 - 1945), Austria
  • Period 1
    • 2 tonal works,14 atonal works - pointillism
    • Five Orchestral Piece
  • Period 2 - serial period
    • String Trio (Op. 20, 1927)
    • Symphony (Op. 21, 1930)
    • Concerto for 9 Instruments (Op. 24, 1934)
    • Variations (Op. 30, 1940)
• Berg, Alban (1885 - 1935), Austria
  • Lyric Suite for String Quartet (1926)
  • Violin Concerto (1935)
  • Wozzeck (1925)
  • Lulu (1935) - some ideas taken from the Lyric Suite
• Varèse, Edgar (1883 - 1965), France/United States
  • Ionization (1931)
• Hindemith, Paul (1895 - 1963), Germany
  • Mathis der Maler (Matthias the Painter, 1938)
• Cowell, Henry (1897 - 1965), United States
• Poulenc, Francis (1899 - 1963), France
  • Mass in G
  • Stabat Mater
  • Gloria
  • Les Mamelles de Tiresias
  • Dialogues des Carmélites
• Sessions, Roger (1896 - 1985), United States
• Copland, Aaron (1900 - 1990), United States
• Carter, Elliot (1908 - 2012), United States
• Messiaen, Olivier (1908 - 1992), France
  • Quartet for the End of Time for violin, clarinet, cello, and piano.
  • Three Short Liturgies of the Divine Presence
  • Tarangalila (a symphony)
  • Technique de mon language musical (1944)
• Schuman, William (1910 - 1992), United States
• Barber, Samuel (1910 - 1981), United States
• Cage, John (1912 - 1992), United States
  • IMAGINARY LANDSCAPES #4 (for 12 radios and 24 players)
  • HPSCHD
  • CONSTRUCTION IN METAL (for percussion ensemble)
  • SILENCE (a book explaining some of his ideas)
• Babbitt, Milton (1916 - 2011), United States - Essay: Who cares if you listen?
• Foss, Lukas (1922 - 2009), Germany
• Schuller, Gunther (1925 - Living), United States
• Stockhausen, Karlheinz (1928 - 2007), Germany
  • Kontra-Punkte (1953) for chamber orchestra, 1st try at total serialism
  • Zeitmas (1956) for 5 woodwinds, a very succesful work
  • Songs of the Youths (1956) combines traditional and electronic elements.

Late 20th to 21st CENTURY

• Wuorinen, Charles (1938 - Living), United States - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for Time's Encomium in 1970.
• Martino, Donald (1931 - 2005), United States - 1974 Pulitzer Prize in music for his chamber work Notturno.
• Wernick, Richard (1934 - Living), United States - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for Visions of Terror and Wonder in 1977.
• Colgrass, Michael (1932 - Living), Ireland - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for Deja Vu for Percussion and Orchestra in 1978.
• Schwantner, Joseph (1943 - Living), United States - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for Aftertones of Infinity in 1979.
• Del Tredici, David (1937 - Living), United States - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for In Memory of a Summer Day in 1980.
• Zwilich, Ellen Taafe (1939 - Living), United States - Zwilich's Symphony No. 1 won the Pulitzer Prize for music composition in 1983.
• Rands, Bernard (1934 - Living), England - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for Canti del Sole in 1984.
• Albert, Stephen (1941 - 1992), United States - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Symphony, RiverRun, in 1985.
• Harbison, John (1938 - Living), United States - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for The Flight Into Egypt in 1987.
• Bolcom, William (1938 - Living), United States - Bolcom won the 1988 Pulitzer Prize for music composition for 12 New Etudes for Piano.
• Reynolds, Roger (1934 - Living), United States - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for Whispers Out of Time in 1989.
• Shulamit, Ran (1949 - Living), Israel - Shulamit Ran won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for Symphony in 1991.
• Rouse, Christopher (1949 - Living), United States - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for Trombone Concerto in 1993.
• Marsalis, Wynton (1961 - Living), United States - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his oratorio on slavery, Blood on the Fields, in 1997. As a trumpet performer he is the winner of eight grammy awards for jazz and classical performances.
• Kernis, Aaron Jay (1960 - Living), United States - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for String Quartet No. 2, "musica instrumentalis" in 1998.
• Wagner, Melinda (c. 1965 - Living), United States - She won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for Concerto for Flute, Strings and Percussion in 1999.
• Spratlan, Lewis (1940 - Living), United States - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his opera Life is a Dream in 2000.
• Corigliano, John (1938 - Living), United States - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Symphony No. 2 for String Orchestra in 2001.
• Brant, Henry (1913 - 2008), Canada/United States - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his Ice Field in 2002.
• Adams, John (1947 - Alive), United States - He won the Pulitzer Prize in Music for his On the Transmigration of Souls in 2003.

21st Century

It is an impossible task to try to predict which composers of today are most likely to leave a lasting mark. The links below will take you to pages listing winners of some of the major composition awards given in recent decades.

• The Pulitzer Prize for Music
• The Royal Philharmonic Society Composition Prize

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