Figure 1.--

Modern Western Music began to develop in the 17th century. The first style to emerge from the Renaissance was Baroque music (1600-1750). Baroque music shared with Renaissance music the use of polyphony and counterpoint, but employed the techniques differently. Germany before the 18th century was not the center of Western music. Italy and France were more important. There was one important early Baroque German composer, Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672). Like other German composers, he was a church organist. He was, however, a lone German among a multitude of Italian, French, and other composers. Something happened in Germany during the 16th and 17th centuries that led to an unprecedented explosion of music. We are not sure just what occurred, but several developments seem to have been important. We suspect it was the Reformation, but we are not entirely sure just how it affected music. One factor was it freed Germans musicians from the constraints of church music. A second factor was probably education. Germany was the first region on earth that began educating the entire population. This was necessary because at the heart of the Protestant Reformation was the personal study of the Bible rather than reliance on priest directed worship. But to study the Bible one needed to be able to read. Thus the Protestant states of northern Europe began educating their entire population. Individual Bible study, however, mean that there would be many branches to the Protestant tree. One of the most important was the Calvinists and their attitude toward the arts meant that Calvinist centers would not be centers of musical creativity. These were countries largely outside of Germany (Switzerland, France, Scotland, England (the Puritans), and America (New England). While the explosion of education in some Protestant areas was fueling creativity, in Catholic southern Europe the Counter Reformation was attacking and limiting creativity. The Inquisition's persecution of Galileo affected the development of science. And the Spanish Inquisition was largely unrestrained. This had a widespread impact on sciences and the arts. Another interesting dynamic in Germany was the division of the country into a large number of competing principalities competing with each other. One part of that competition was scholarly and artistic prestige. This many supported artists, scholars, and musicians. This was unlike the situation elsewhere in Europe where royal families supported learning and the arts in capitals (France, London, Madrid, Moscow, and Paris), but not all over the country.

Baroque Music

Modern Western Music began to develop in the 17th century. The first style to emerge from the Renaissance was Baroque music (1600-1750). Baroque music shared with Renaissance music the use of polyphony and counterpoint, but employed the techniques differently. Germany before the 18th century was not the center of Western music. Italy and France were more important. There was one important early Baroque German composer, Heinrich Schütz (1585-1672). Like other German composers, he was a church organist. He was, however, a lone German among a multitude of Italian, French, and other composers. Something happened in Germany during the 16th and 17th centuries that led to an unprecedented explosion of music. We are not sure just what occurred, but several developments seem to have been important.

Reformation

We suspect a central development of the German music tradition was the Reformation, but we are not entirely sure just how it affected music. One factor was it freed Germans musicians from the constraints of Catholic church music in which relatively few people participated. A second factor was probably education. Germany was the first region on earth that began educating the entire population. This was necessary because at the heart of the Protestant Reformation was the personal study of the Bible rather than reliance on priest directed worship. But to study the Bible one needed to be able to read. Thus the Protestant states of northern Europe began educating their entire population. Illiterates can not write music. But there were other factors. sLutherans (the Germans say the Refrrmed Church) had to learn to read to be able to sing the hymns/chorals in church services. In contrast, the priests sang in Catholics services. Attending a school, even a basic rural school, children not only learned to read, but to sing church hymns and other songs. Some children learned to play simple instruments. Individual Bible study, however, meant that there would be many branches to the Protestant tree. Individuals reading the Bible were not just drawn to Lutherism, but other interpretations emerged from a very early stage of the Reformation. Bach was Lutheran and Henry Purcell (1659-95) in England was Anglican. Those Churches had the same ritual and music as in Catholic Church, but England under the Anglicans did not launch a major effort to educate children on a large scale. One of the most important was the Calvinists and their attitude toward the arts meant that Calvinist centers would not be centers of musical creativity. These were countries largely outside of Germany (Switzerland, France, Scotland, England (the Puritans), and America (Pilgrim New England). It is no accident that the great English Baroque master German-born George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) emerged from the German, not English music tradition. The Calvanist philosophy of life and death treated the pleasures of life with deep suspicion. A Canadian reader writes, "It is known that French Catholic Quebec always liked dances and songs in shap contrast to English Puritanist Ontario. All this has changed but even today, the arts are sometimes perceived as tantamount to sin."

Counter Reformation

While the explosion of education in some Protestant areas was fueling creativity, in Catholic southern Europe the Counter Reformation which resisted change began attacking and limiting creativity. A major element of the Counter Reformation was the Holy Office of the Inquisition. The Roman (Papal) Inquisition's persecution of Galileo affected the development of science. And the Spanish Inquisition was largely unrestrained. This had a widespread impact on sciences and the arts. The impact was starteling. In Spain where the Inquisition was strongest there was almost no science or creative music. Where the Inquisition was not so strong (Austria and France) there was some science and a stronger musucal tradition. Ihe Inquisition was not the only factor. The Catholic countries also failed to support public education. Most Catholic countries did not begin founding public eduvation systems until the 19th century mostly the late-19th century. Anglican England was also in that category.

Holy Roman Empire

Germany did not exist in the 17th century. Rather Germany was essentially the Holy Roman Empire that the Austrian Hapsburgs were attempting to unite into a nation state under their rule. It was essentially a confederation of increasingly independent principalitotes with an elected emperor. Another interesting dynamic in Germany music was this division of the country into a large number of competing principalities competing with each other. One part of that competition was scholarly and artistic prestige. This many supported artists, scholars, and musicians. This was unlike the situation elsewhere in Europe where royal families supported learning and the arts in capitals (France, London, Madrid, Moscow, and Paris), but not all over the country. Thus within the Empire, not only the larger states (Austria, Bavaria, Brandenberg-Prussia, Saxony etc,) supported artists. mussicians, and scholars. But on a smaller school so did the Grafs (counts), Freiherr (Barons), Church bishops, and other rulers maintained an orchestras, an opera, and other musical groups for amusement and entertaiment as well as prestige. This is the mileau from which some of the great masters emerged. This included Mozart in Salzburg with the bishop and Haydn with Esterhazy. Important music centers formed such as the Vienna school and the Mannheim school among others. The music they made was for the court, but was in many ways made available to the common people. A reader from Stuttgart writes, "Speaking about Darmstadt, it was the Landgraf Hessen-Darmstadt" in former days. Famous composers were working for the Landgraf Graupner. He called Bach to come to Weimar and rejected it by a statement of the Landgraf before Bach received the call). Flotow and others were active in Darmstadt. Darmstadt had an opera house (17th centur). Citizens also went to the operas, many operas had the premier performance there. The population was about 15,000 (18th century)." Such a music life was experiences in many places throughout the Homan Roman Empire. This was not the case in the rest of Europe where sophiticated music performances were often only available in the capitals where it was supported by royal courts.

Created: 1:20 AM 8/18/2010
Last updated: 1:20 AM 8/18/2010