Introduction

Western Art Music is the term used to describe classical music, in all its eras, in the western world. The term "classical" is not used since this term can be used to describe anything from furniture to pop music, from clothes to motor cars.

There are many facets to a piece of music. In order to understand the music, and why pieces of the same period have the same style, it is necessary to look at each of these facets. This module will introduce the basics of music analysis through looking more closely at the following areas or facets: [SVG PRODUCED COMPLETE FROM SCRATCH, BUT COULD BE PRODUCED DYNAMICALLY.]

There will then be a brief history of music from pre-1500 to the present day. The periods covered are:

• medieval
• renaissance
• baroque
• classical
• romantic
• modern