Baroque and Classical
Early opera
- When
- c. 1598–1607
- Where
- Europe
In Florence, Jacopo Peri set whole dramas to music in Dafne (about 1598, mostly lost) and Euridice (1600). Monteverdi's Orfeo followed in Mantua in 1607.
Monteverdi
- When
- 1567–1643
- Where
- Europe
Claudio Monteverdi bridged Renaissance polyphony and early Baroque dramatic expression.
Basso continuo
- When
- c. 1600–1750
- Where
- Europe
A bass line and figures supported improvised harmonic realization.
Instrumental concerto
- When
- 17th–18th centuries
- Where
- Europe
Soloist–ensemble contrast became an important large-scale principle.
Vivaldi
- When
- 1678–1741
- Where
- Europe
Antonio Vivaldi helped shape the solo concerto through vivid ritornello designs.
J. S. Bach
- When
- 1685–1750
- Where
- Europe
His compositions unite contrapuntal rigor with remarkable stylistic range.
Handel
- When
- 1685–1759
- Where
- Europe
George Frideric Handel contributed to opera, orchestral music and English oratorio.
Fortepiano
- When
- c. 1700 onward
- Where
- Europe
Bartolomeo Cristofori's hammer-action keyboard let players shape loud and soft by touch.
Haydn
- When
- 1732–1809
- Where
- Europe
Joseph Haydn's works advanced symphonic and string-quartet design.
Mozart
- When
- 1756–1791
- Where
- Europe
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart worked across opera, concerto, chamber music and symphony.
Beethoven
- When
- 1770–1827
- Where
- Europe
His music expanded formal scale and expressive expectations across Classical and Romantic eras.
Other chapters: Early Musical Cultures · Medieval and Renaissance Worlds · The Nineteenth Century · Traditions Around the World · The Twentieth Century · Recording and Technology
Dates mark documented developments or approximate periods, not the beginnings of traditions. Many histories run side by side. Dates are given as the timeline records them. Where a date is approximate, the entry says so.
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