musicrevolution!
The revolution in digital music has solved many of vinyl's problems, but it hasn't matched one advantage: the forced separation of the A side and the B side. Sure, you had to get up every 20 minutes to flip an album, but you also could hear it as two distinct movements. This set is meant to mimic the old split. It's a peppy first half and a mellowed second, and the trippy Age of Rockets to ease the transition.
The history of music predates the written word and is tied
to the development of each unique human culture. The development of music among
humans occurred against the backdrop of natural sounds such as birdsong and
the sounds other animals use to communicate. Prehistoric music, once more commonly
called primitive music, is the name given to all music produced in preliterate
cultures (prehistory), beginning somewhere in very late geological history.
Figurines playing stringed instruments, excavated at Susa, 3rd millennium BC.
Iran National Museum.
Ancient
The earliest records of musical expression are to be found in the Sama Veda
of India and in 4,000 year old cuneiform from Ur. Instruments, such as the
seven holed flute and various types of stringed instruments have been recovered
from the Indus valley civilization archaeological sites.The Indian music
is one of the oldest musical traditions in the world, and Indian classical
music (marga) can be found from the scriptures of the Hindu tradition, the
Vedas. Chinese classical music, the traditional art or court music of China
has a history stretching for more than three thousand years. Music was an
important part of cultural and social life in Ancient Greece. In ancient
Greece, mixed-gender choruses performed for entertainment, celebration and
spiritual ceremonies, and musicians and singers had an important role in
Greek theater. Music was part of children's basic education in ancient Greece.
Al-Farabi (872-950) wrote a notable book on music titled Kitab al-Musiqa (The Book of Music). He played and invented a varied number of musical instruments and his pure Arabian tone system is still used in Arabic music today.
Medieval & Renaissance
While musical life was undoubtedly rich in the early Medieval era, as attested
by artistic depictions of instruments, writings about music, and other records,
the only repertory of music which has survived from before 800 to the present
day is the plainsong liturgical music of the Roman Catholic Church, the largest
part of which was called Gregorian chant. Several schools of polyphony flourished
in the period after 1100. Alongside these schools of sacred music a vibrant
tradition of secular song developed, as exemplified in the music of the troubadours,
trouvères and Minnesänger.
Much of the surviving music of the 14th century in European music history is secular. By the middle of the 15th century, composers and singers used a smooth polyphony for sacred musical compositions such as the mass, the motet, and the laude; and secular forms such as the chanson and the madrigal. The invention of printing had an immense influence on the dissemination of musical styles.
Classical
The music of the Classical period is characterized by homophonic texture, often
featuring prominent melody with accompaniment. These new melodies tended to
be almost voice-like and singable. The now popular instrumental music was dominated
by further evolution of musical forms initially defined in the Baroque period:
the sonata, and the concerto, with the addition of the new form, the symphony.
Franz Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, well known even today, are among
the central figures of the Classical period.
Romantic
Romantic music
Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert were transitional composers, leading
into the Romantic period, with their expansion of existing genres, forms, and
functions of music. In the Romantic period, the emotional and expressive qualities
of music came to take precedence over the orientation towards technique and
tradition. The late 19th century saw a dramatic expansion in the size of the
orchestra, and in the role of concerts as part of urban society. Later Romantic
composers created complex and often much longer musical works, merging and expanding
traditional forms that had previously been used separately. For example, counterpoint,
combined with harmonic structures to create more extended chords with increased
use of dissonance and to create dramatic tension and resolution.
20th Century
20th century music
The 20th Century saw a revolution in music listening as the radio gained popularity
worldwide and new media and technologies were developed to record, capture,
reproduce and distribute music. The focus of art music in the 20th was characterized
by exploration. Claude Debussy has become well-known and respected for his orientation
towards colors and depictions in his compositional style. Igor Stravinsky, Arnold
Schoenberg, and John Cage were all deeply influential composers in 20th century
art music. Jazz evolved and became a genre of music over the course of the 20th
century, and during the second half of that century, rock music did the same.