## TL;DR

Western classical music spans ~500 years: Medieval (500-1400, Gregorian chant), Renaissance (1400-1600, polyphony), Baroque (1600-1750, Bach, Vivaldi), Classical (1750-1820, Mozart, Beethoven), Romantic (1820-1900, Chopin, Tchaikovsky), Modern/Contemporary (1900+). Each period has distinct stylistic characteristics.

## Core Explanation

Baroque: ornamentation, harpsichord, fugue (Bach), Four Seasons (Vivaldi). Classical: clarity, symmetry, sonata form — Haydn (father of symphony), Mozart (prodigy, 600+ works), Beethoven (bridged to Romantic). Romantic: emotion, nationalism, program music — Chopin (piano), Wagner (opera, leitmotif), Mahler. 20th century: Stravinsky (Rite of Spring caused riot 1913), Schoenberg (12-tone), minimalism (Glass, Reich).

## Further Reading

- [The Classical Style (Charles Rosen)](https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393317121)