1 . Music is universal. Take a moment to think about what music you like as you read our beginner’s guide to the history of music.

Middle Ages

The Middle Ages, which ranges from the 6th century to the 16th century, featured medieval (中世纪的) music. During this time, there were two general types of music styles­-the monophonic and the polyphonic. The main forms of music included Gregorian chanting and plainchant.

Classical Period

The music forms and styles of the Classical period, which ranges from 1750 to 1820, are characterized by simpler melodies (旋律) and forms like the sonatas. During this time, the middle class had more access to music. So composers began to create music that was easier to understand. Most especially, Mozart wrote his first symphony and Beethoven was born during this period.

Romantic Period

Historiographers define the Romantic music period to be from 1800 to 1900. Music forms of the Romantic period used music to tell a story or express an idea. Various instruments including wind instruments were used. Instruments that were invented or improved during this time included the flute and the saxophone.

The 20th Century

Music during the 20th century brought about many innovations on how music was performed and appreciated. Artists were more willing to experiment with new music forms and used technology to improve their compositions. The 20th century music has various styles.

1. In which period can Mozart’s composition be found?

A．Middle Ages.	B．Classical period.
C．Romantic period.	D．The 20th century.

2. What can we know about music from the Romantic period?

A．It had a history of 70 years.

B．Musicians only used wind instruments.

C．Music was related to a story or an idea.

D．It was harder to understand the music forms during this period.

3. How did artists improve their music during the 20th century?

A．By inventing new instruments.	B．By practicing new music styles.
C．By writing complex compositions.	D．By studying advanced technology.