Feature

Baroque

Classical

Romantic

20^th Century

Rhythm

/speed

In fast music strong and relentless

Clear time signatures associated with forms e.g. minuetto 3/4

Rubato and accelerando for effect

Changing time signature/ speeds and unexpected accenting

Instruments

Harpsichord

recorder

Piano and clarinet introduced

Beginnings of the modern orchestra

Trumpets and trombones added to the orchestra mean many more violins added for balance.

Unusual combinations.

More solos for individual orchestra members

Voices

Soprano, alto tenor bass

Melismas

ornaments

Light balanced style

Powerful and dramatic trained voices

Unusual us of vocal techniques including singspiel

Texture

Often stepped textures thin then thicker

 Mainly clear roles with tune and accompaniment

Often thicker and a wider ranging register with more sophisticated instruments

Unusual mixtures. Can be wide or narrow ranging unusual combinations of instruments or use of individual instruments.

Dynamics

Stepped dynamics

Tune foreground and accompaniment background

Crescendo and diminuendo

Used for dramatic emotional effect

Louder possibilities in the orchestra as well as sudden silences.

Very wide variety used.

Melody

Usually long

Motivic and full of slurs. Well balanced question and answer phrases

Often simple emotional and memorable performed with some rubato

Less important in much music and often no melody at all.

Key

Clear key centre

Key used to provide structure in sections such as in Sonata form

Move to unrelated keys more frequent

Often no clear key centre but also more varied ideas of using key centres

Harmony

Contrapuntal with few discords.

Primary chords used

often homophonic

Fuller chords e.g.9ths and 13ths. Chromatic chords

Chords clashing often used for percussive effects.

Mood

Usually consistent

Balanced moods

Dramatic, often directly linked with human feeling

Complex and more individual