# A history of music 1020–2020



## sqorda (Aug 9, 2013)

This is a work in (probably perpetual) progress.

I like watching the developments. How things fit in (or not) and what effect they had. I like to get an overview. I like putting things in context. (And I like making lists; gives me a nice cosy feeling of being in control of SOMETHING.)

So, obviously, therapy. How not to go insane and so on.

(Also, if you’re into procrastination, it is an absolutely brilliant tool to have at your disposal.)

Anyway, I’m fascinated with music history. And the way it connects with everything else (art in general, history in general, literature, philosophy, science, religion, politics, even economics).

And yes, I think it’s interesting (and disturbed) enough to share.

The list: 
A history of music 1020–2020

And in segments:
1020–1598 (A history of music pt 1)
1603–1750 (A history of music pt 2)
1750–1828 (A history of music pt 3)
1830–1894 (A history of music pt 4)
1894–1945 (A history of music pt 5)
1945–2020 (A history of music pt 6)


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## Prodromides (Mar 18, 2012)

Playlists in Spotify? Do you consider such 'history' as comprehensive?


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## sqorda (Aug 9, 2013)

Prodromides said:


> Playlists in Spotify? Do you consider such 'history' as comprehensive?


Not sure I follow.

(And it's _a_ history. Not history.)

(And what's wrong with Spotify? Or playlists?)


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## Philidor (11 mo ago)

Just playlists are far too few in order to be a "history of music". You need to know social contextes, ways of musical education, the accepted standard and the deviations ... what makes Mozart's Figaro special, given the background of some 100 operas composed in the same decade? Just listening to the Figaro won't answer that and will be no help in appreciating the Figaro ...


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## eljr (Aug 8, 2015)

sqorda said:


> This is a work in (probably perpetual) progress.
> 
> I like watching the developments. How things fit in (or not) and what effect they had. I like to get an overview. I like putting things in context. (And I like making lists; gives me a nice cosy feeling of being in control of SOMETHING.)
> 
> ...


Might I suggest an abridged version might garner more interest.


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## sqorda (Aug 9, 2013)

eljr said:


> Might I suggest an abridged version might garner more interest.


Hehe... this is the abridged version


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## sqorda (Aug 9, 2013)

Philidor said:


> Just playlists are far too few in order to be a "history of music". You need to know social contextes, ways of musical education, the accepted standard and the deviations ... what makes Mozart's Figaro special, given the background of some 100 operas composed in the same decade? Just listening to the Figaro won't answer that and will be no help in appreciating the Figaro ...


Well, it is just a playlist.


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## Philidor (11 mo ago)

sqorda said:


> Well, it is just a playlist.


That's excatly my point.  

A playlist called "a history of music" is self-contradictory.


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## sqorda (Aug 9, 2013)

Philidor said:


> That's excatly my point.
> 
> A playlist called "a history of music" is self-contradictory.


Well, it is just a playlist.


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## pianozach (May 21, 2018)

LOL . . . "just a playlist."

Useful as "a playlist", but not so much as a tool for learning the History of Music. Spotify Playlists have no context, no descriptions (other than the title), or any other explanatory notes.


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## Kjetil Heggelund (Jan 4, 2016)

I think you've done a good job at making some playlists, which of course is only one part of the history of music. Another part being texts to go with the music...I will give you some homework! Please make it interesting for 17-year olds by omitting A LOT of music! To feed your obsession, you can make a playlist for "beginners" and also one for "smart-asses" (like me). I only looked at the medieval/renaissance one. I think you can do more work on how different genres evolve, f.ex. motets and madrigals, and not throw in whole lengthy works...


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## SuperTonic (Jun 3, 2010)

I'm sure you learned a lot from doing this and had some fun with it too, and I'm sure that there will be some people who learn from your efforts as well. 
Don't take the criticism you've gotten here too seriously. It is so much easier to be a critic than it is to be a creator. You should be proud of what you've done.


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## Tchaikov6 (Mar 30, 2016)

tbf its pretty obvious its not supposed to be a "scholarly history of music" its a timeline of famous classical pieces. literally nothing wrong with that lol how are you supposed to put context in a spotify playlist.


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## sqorda (Aug 9, 2013)

Oh Lord.


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## Roger Knox (Jul 19, 2017)

sqorda said:


> Oh Lord.


Back in the 1970's we used to call this "music literature," not as in writing but as anthologies of scores and recordings that would help music students become familiar with music in historical groupings. No one talks about "music literature" anymore and music students on the whole don't have as thorough a knowledge of it as they used to. So the playlist is like a historical anthology except that you customize it, choose the recordings and so on -- and it's for anyone with a taste for classical music. Makes perfect sense to me.


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