Classical music is hard to define in specific terms, but it is generally
understood to be music rooted in Western European traditions performed
by trained musicians in formal settings like concert halls, opera
houses, and churches. Its key emphasis is the faithful interpretation of
composers' written scores. Classical music's roots lie in the chant
melodies of Medieval religious rites. Its contemporary incarnation
encompasses everything from opera and the symphony orchestra to chamber
ensembles, solo works, choral music, songs, film music, and the
avant-garde. Works from the intervening centuries make up the bulk of
the recorded repertory, and they mirror the artistic and architectural
trends of the Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern eras
in their sound worlds and conception. The dichotomy between classical
and popular music is a fairly recent cultural development. In fact, much
of what is considered classical music today grew out of, was influenced
by, or was popular music of its time.
