Periods

Medievalc. 500–1400
Chant, polyphony, and the first notated Western repertory.
Renaissancec. 1400–1600
Masses, motets, and secular song in imitative counterpoint.
Baroquec. 1600–1750
Opera, concerto, and the high art of the figured bass.
Classicalc. 1750–1820
Symphony, sonata, and string quartet in balanced form.
Romanticc. 1800–1920
From the personal and poetic through the expanded orchestra to the late symphony.
Modernc. 1900–
From modernism and new harmonic languages through the avant-garde to living composers.