Music Appreciation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Music Appreciation - Essay Example However, when we hear someone talk about â€Å"classical music†, he or she is most likely talking about the kind of musical standards set in the common practice period, when European music became different in notation from the music of other parts of the world. Because the word â€Å"classical music† is unfairly broad, it is best for music scholars and appreciators to compare classical eras, such as the Romantic era and the Baroque era. Even though the times the experts have set as either the â€Å"Baroque† or the â€Å"Romantic† are somewhat arbitrary, they are convenient. Otherwise, it is not fair to lump very different kinds of music together into one. In today’s terms, that would be like lumping pop artists with classic rock artists and bluegrass artists, stretched across a 400-year period. Within this 400-year period in European music, from the 16th to the 20th century, European music developed and perfected a system of staff notation to preser ve and transmit very important information about the musical composition. With staff notation, composers gained the ability to guide performers on their use of meter, rhythm, speed, and pitch, all necessary to perform any given piece of music. As a result, European classical music became unique and different from other forms of classical music like those in the Asian continent. European classical music, with a strict system of notation, left less room for improvisation and invention on the part of performers. The performers became indistinguishable from their instruments.