Eras of Music

Rococo Period: In music the Rococo period (1725-1775) was the 18th century reaction against the Baroque style.  Less formal and grandiose in structure, it was a graceful rather than profound style.  The word “Rococo” derives from the French rocaille, “a shell.”  The goal of all artists was to charm, delight and entertain.  There were great painters such as Jean Antoine Watteau (1684-1721), and composers like Francois Couperin (1668-1733).  Couperin has been referred to as the greatest composer of the French keyboard school and came from a family of distinguished musicians. This coming era was characterized by the desire to systematize all knowledge, and was very presents in the music scene.  This coming era was characterized by the desire to systematize all knowledge, and was very presents in the music scene.  Jean-Philippe Rameau (1683-1722), the foremost French composer of this era, tried to establish a rational foundation for the harmonic practice of this time.  His Treatise on Harmony (1722) set forth concepts that became the point of departure for modern music theory.  The composer of the this time noted for his pre-Classical style of music was Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788), son of Johann Sebastian.  His theoretical treatise Essay on the True Art of Playing Keyboard Instruments (1753-62) explained the musical practices of the mid-eighteenth century. With this period came an enormous change in the usually styles before Rococo.  Instead of the fancy or polished style of music from periods before the composers of this time adopted a less elaborate type of music and hoped that it would be simple, expressive and natural feeling.  During this era there was expansion of the sonata and the concerto and the enrichment of the symphonic styles.  Traces of Rococo are present in the early works of Haydn and Mozart.