T of M: Chapter 1

For music to have started off as something people were not allowed to change and create new things with is strange to think about, especially in today's day and age. After that phase seemed to die out, churches decided that music could corrupt the heart. Congregations were limited to praising God by singing psalms unaccompanied. Thankfully Martin Luther thought differently on the subject of music. He wrote the music and lyrics for "A Might Fortress is Our God" so the whole congregation could sing a joyous sound to be a weapon against the Devil. It is a powerful sounding song which can be listened to here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkHOzoXeLKk

As the idea of what music could be used for changed, so did its status amongst the composers. At first musicians were confined to performing and composing only for their employers and whomever they told the musicians to play for. Starting with Haydn, the fan base for musicians began to grow. Hearing the differences between composers like Haydn and Beethoven really show how much music changed and how the musicians were given more freedoms. Listen to these two pieces, the first one by Haydn and the second by Beethoven.

Haydn: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vkse1g9ibnM
Beethoven: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elaN51gRBdA