MSC232styles

Elements	Baroque 1600-1750	Classical 1750-1820	Romantic 1800-1900	Twentieth Century
Melody	Ornamentation. Sequence. Long and Irregular phrases.	Motivic and short phrases. Regular phrase length.	Lyrical Long Phrases Irregular phrase lengths	Wide variety.
Rhythm	Free in recitative. Steady, driving, and clear meters.	Clear meters except during recitative. More rhythmic variety within a movement.	Meters sometimes changes within movements. Great variety of meters and rhythmic patterns. Cross-rhythms.	Meters often change. Great variety. Rhythm prominent and complicated.
Harmony	Major-minor system. Modulation to closely related keys.	Major-minor. Modulation as structural basis.	Major-minor system greatly expanded. Chromaticism.	Major-minor used. Experimentation. Atonality.
Texture	Polyphony, imitative. Homophony frequently used, also.	Homophony with polyphony used within a work.	Homophony and counterpoint both used. Dense scoring in large groups.	Homophony. Counter-point. Pointillism. Sparse to Dense.
Timbre	Instrumental and vocal both important. Small orchestra with continuo.	Instrumental music predominates. Standardized orchestra without continuo.	Large orchestras, choirs and bands. Small ensembles. Piano. Timbre as expression.	Earlier groups used. Bands. Percussion and electronic sounds increase.
Forms	Binary, ternary, ritornello, and fugue. Beginning of multi-movement works.	Sonata, rondo, theme and variations, ternary, and binary. Multi-movement works.	Classical forms expanded.	All previous forms used. Freer forms developed.
Genres	Older: Masses and Motets. New: opera, cantata, oratorio, sonata, concerto, fugue, suite.	Older: Mass, oratorio, opera, solo concerto, and sonata. New: symphony, concerto, sonata, string quartet.	Older: Classical genres expanded. New: Symphonic poem, solo song cycle.	Older: All expanded. New types evolving.