The Baroque Era dates from c. 1600 - 1730. The primary concern was moving the 'Affections' or emotions through music and other art forms. This gave rise to a more dramatic style of music and most significantly, the emergence of opera as the prominent musical form of the era.

The Classical Era dates from c. 1730 - 1815. The humanist philosophies of the Enlightenment impacted significantly on the arts. Music became more accessible as a result with public concerts, simpler musical forms, and amateur music-making featuring strongly during this period.

The Romantic Era dates from c. 1815 - 1889. The Industrial Revolution impacted on the arts during this period. Rapid changes in society led by scientific and technological discoveries, saw artists looking to the past for comfort. Mythology, dreams, the supernatural, and nature, were the main themes. The quality and availability of musical instruments improved significantly leading to more complex compositional forms.

Early to Mid 20th Century (1889 - 1950). Further advances in technology resulted in a more cosmopolitan society but also in the rise of vernacular music to a much greater extent than ever before. This is particularly evident in the emergence of early jazz. New recording technology had a profound impact on music as it could be disseminated much further but it also stimulated the birth of new genres such as film music.