World History

Italy

Center of the Musical Universe

• Music flourished among the rich of Italy, who had money to be patrons for musicians.
• Certain music styles were developed in different cities.
  • Florence: Musical and Theatrical innovations.
  • Rome: Innovations in sacred music.
    • For example, the addition of instrumental music in sacred music.
  • Venice: Great advances in opera and the center of opera in the 17th century.
    • Naples became the center of opera in the 18th century.
  • Bologna: Innovations in instrumental music.

France

• Developed and maintained its own distinctive national idiom, but could not escape the influence of Italy.

Germany

• The 30 Years' War weakened the musical culture.
• Generally, Germans used the Italian style of composition and performance.

England

• English musical glory declined throughout the Civil War.
• Adopted the Italian style.

Overall Politics

• Politics were varied from democracy on one side to autocracy on the other.
• This led to conflicts, and debates about politics between countries.
• Some religious conflicts were resolved in France; the English-Spanish resolved; the Netherlands gained independence.
• The autocratic power grew, which encouraged the monarchs to compete amongst themselves to have the best music.
• Capitalism encouraged people to gain more money, which, in turn, allowed them to spend more on music lessons, performances, and compositions.

Innovations in Science and the Arts

• Writers and artists flourished
• Scientists grew to think for themselves, rather than accept the age-old theories
  • The world came to be seen through math, logic, and reasoning
  • Kepler discovered that the planets revolve around the sun, elliptically.
  • Galileo: laws of motion and telescopes
  • Newton, laws of gravity