Music Periods and Schools

Most of the innovations of Western Music arose within "Schools"; or groups of musicians and composers associated with a certain city or abbey where musicians learned from each other and experimented with new forms of music. Many famous composers were associated with these schools.

Carolingian Renaissance (9th century) Western Europe
Known for: Spread of Gregorian chant, Latin liturgy, organs, and organum (two voices) throughout the realm of Charlemagne.
Notre Dame School (12th, 13th centuries) Notre Dame of Paris — Perotin
Known for: Three and four voice polyphony.
Franco-Flemish School (14th, 16th centuries) Northern France, Flanders — Josquin de Prez
Known for: Polyphonic vocal music, hymns, motets, masses.
Roman School (16th, 17th centuries) Sistine Chapel, St. Peter's — Palestrina
Known for: Reverent, dignified, polyphony. The Sistine Choir was one of the greatest in Europe. Palestrina worked with the Oratories of Philip Neri.
Venetian School (16th, 17th centuries) St. Mark's Basilica — Giovanni Gabrieli, Claudio Monteverdi, Vivaldi
Known for: St. Mark’s Basilica provided large setting for Polychoral, combined vocal, organ, and orchestra. Influenced later development of Opera and Symphony.
Viennese School (18th, 19th centuries) Vienna Court Opera — Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Schubert
Known for: Classical music, Romantic period, symphonies, concertos, opera, orchestral and instrumental works.

These terms are also used to refer to the Music of particular periods.

Ars Antiqua — Refers to the medieval music of Europe during the middle ages, from about 1170 to 1310. Refers especially to sacred polyphony of the Notre Dame school and the development of the Motet.
Ars Nova —Refers to music al innovations of the 14th century, especially those in the Burgundian or Franco-Flemish school.