This is a list of musical genres within the context of classical music, organized according to the corresponding periods in which they arose or became common.
Various terms can be used to classify a classical music composition, mainly including genre, form, compositional technique and style. While distinct, these terms have broad, sometimes overlapping definitions and are occasionally used interchangeably. The genre categorizes a piece based on a shared tradition or an overarching set of conventions, like opera or symphony. Form refers to its structural aspects, the way its individual sections are constructed and how they relate to each other, such as binary form, rondo or sonata form. Compositional techniques involve specific methods of composition, such as canon, fugue or twelve-tone technique. Style indicates the distinctive characteristics of a particular composer or historical period, like Baroque or Romantic, placing the composition within a broader cultural and chronological context and linking it to artistic movements and historical events that influenced its creation.
Some forms and compositional techniques occasionally also give name to the compositions based on them, such as rondo or canon. This does not occur in other cases such as strophic, binary, ternary or arch forms. A notable source of confusion is the term 'sonata': as a genre, it denotes a multi-movement composition for one or more solo instruments, while in structural terms, 'sonata form' refers to a specific three-part structure (exposition, development, recapitulation) frequently used within individual movements of larger works.
Historically, genres emerged from a fusion of social functions and compositional conventions and served as communicative tools that guided listeners' experiences and responses. Because genres are defined not only by their musical elements but also by social contexts, functions, and validation by specific communities, their definitions are subject to change as these validating communities evolve even if the musical notes themselves remain unchanged. Historically rooted in social functions and compositional norms, by the 19th century and especially in the 20th century genres evolved from serving clear functions to highlighting individual features, thus emphasizing individual artist expression.
In summary, genre is a broader term and often refers to the overall style, structure, cultural context, or purpose of the music. For example, a rondo is based on alternation between familiar and novel sections (e.g. ABACA structure); a mazurka is defined by its distinctive meter and rhythm; a nocturne is based on the mood it creates, required to be inspired by or evocative of night.
Medieval
Ambrosian chant – Monophonic liturgical music used in the liturgy of the Ambrosian Rite. Ballade – French poetic-musical form. Ballata – Medieval Italian poetry accompanied by music. Canso – Song of troubadour tradition. Cantiga – Monophonic song of Spanish or Portuguese origin, often about religious themes or courtly love. Conductus – Latin sacred song, monophonic or polyphonic non-liturgical vocal composition. Descant – Form where one singer performed a fixed melody while others improvised harmonious and melodically independent lines. Geisslerlied – Penitential songs sung by the flagellant groups in the mid-14th century. Gregorian chant – Monophonic liturgical music used in the Roman Catholic liturgy. Gymel – Form of English origin where a single voice part splits into two equal ranges, singing different but converging lines. Lai – Lyrical, narrative poem written in octosyllabic couplets that often deals with tales of adventure and romance. Lauda – Devotional song popular in the medieval Italian church. Motet – Polyphonic choral composition based on a sacred text. Mozarabic chant – Monophonic liturgical music used in the liturgy of the Mozarabic Rite. Organum – Early form of polyphonic music involving the addition of one or more voices to a preexisting chant. Planctus – Composition mourning the death of a notable figure, often in a liturgical context, similar in function to a dirge. Rondeau – French poetic-musical form. Trecento Madrigal – Secular polyphonic vocal composition. Virelai – French poetic-musical form.
Dance forms Estampie – Dance and instrumental genre characterized by repeated sections, each played with different endings. Saltarello – Lively, fast-paced Italian dance, often characterized by its jumping or leaping steps.
Renaissance
Canzona – Polyphonic instrumental or vocal composition originating in Italy, characterized by a contrapuntal style. Canzonetta – Short, light, and usually simple song or instrumental piece. Carol – A festive song, generally religious but non-liturgical, often with a dance-like or popular character. Chanson – French song, typically polyphonic and secular. Ensalada – Polyphonic composition, combining several different texts, both sacred and secular, and languages in a single composition. Fantasia – Composition with a free form and often improvisational style. Chromatic fantasia – Type of fantasia known for its use of chromaticism and often complex, highly expressive melody lines. Frottola – Italian secular song.
Glosa – Type of sacred music composition in 16th century Spain that used a variation construction. Intermedio – Theatrical performance with music performed between the acts of a play to celebrate special occasions in Italian courts. Lauda – Devotional song popular in the medieval Italian church. Madrigal – Polyphonic musical setting of poetry, usually sung without instrumental accompaniment. Madrigal comedy – Collection of madrigals arranged to tell a story, often comic or satirical. Madrigale spirituale – Type of Italian madrigal adapted for religious texts. Mass – Sacred musical composition of the Eucharistic liturgy. Cyclic mass – A mass where the various movements are united by a common musical theme. Parody mass – A mass where an existing piece of music, often a secular chanson or motet, is reworked into a liturgical context. Paraphrase mass – A mass that uses as its basis an elaborated version of a cantus firmus, typically from plainsong. Motet – Polyphonic choral composition based on a sacred text. Motet-chanson – Hybrid form combining elements of the motet and the chanson. Opera – Dramatic work in one or more acts, set to music for singers and instrumentalists. Ricercar – Instrumental composition featuring imitative counterpoint. Sequence – Chant or hymn sung or recited during the liturgical celebration, typically following the Alleluia. Tiento – Form of keyboard music similar to the fantasia, known for its intricate counterpoint. Toccata – Piece typically for a keyboard or plucked string instrument, characterized by fast-moving or virtuosic passages. Villancico – Spanish song or lyrical poetry, often associated with rustic and popular themes. Villanella – Rustic, often lively Italian song.
Dance forms Branle – Lively French dance. Galliard – Lively dance in triple meter. Pavane – Slow processional dance. Tourdion – Fast-paced French dance, typically performed after a slower dance.
Baroque
Air – Song-like instrumental piece. Air à boire – Drinking song, typically French. Anthem – Composition of celebration, typically a choral work with religious or patriotic connotations. Coronation anthem – Choral composition written to accompany the coronation of a monarch. Aria – Self-contained piece for one voice, usually with orchestral accompaniment. Arioso – Vocal piece, more melodic than recitative but less than an aria. Concert aria – Aria written specifically for performance in concert rather than as part of an opera. Da capo aria – Aria structured in an ABA format, where the opening section is repeated after an intervening contrasting section. Badinerie – Form with light, playful character, often quite brief and usually included at the end of a Baroque suite. Canon – Contrapuntal composition in which a single melody is imitated by successively entering voices. Crab canon – Canon where one line is the retrograde of another, reading the same backwards and forwards. Mirror canon – Canon with one voice inversely mirroring the intervals of another. Perpetual canon – Canon where the voices sing the same melody in unison, starting at different times, creating a harmonious overlap that can be repeated indefinitely. A catch is a subtype of this canon. Prolation canon – Canon where the same melody is performed at different speeds or note values by different voices. Table canon – Retrograde and inverse canon, combination of Crab and Mirror canons. Cantata – Vocal composition with instrumental accompaniment often based on a religious text. Chaconne – Musical form based on a repeating harmonic progression, often featuring variations over a bass ostinato. Chorale or Chorale setting – Form originating or related to the Lutheran chorale. Lutheran chorale – Musical setting of a Lutheran hymn. Chorale cantata – Church cantata based on a chorale. Chorale concerto – Short sacred composition for one or more voices and instruments. Chorale fantasia – Composition that elaborates on a chorale melody, often with intricate counterpoint. Chorale monody – Chorale for solo voice and accompanying instruments, usually basso continuo. Chorale motet – Composition with chorale and motet characteristics. Chorale partita – Large-scale variation of the chorale prelude. Chorale prelude – Short liturgical composition for organ using a chorale tune as its basis, common in Lutheran services. Cibell – Gavotte-like piece in duple metre.
Concerto – Musical work where one or more solo instruments are contrasted with an orchestra. Concerto grosso – Form in which the musical material is passed between a small group of soloists and full orchestra. Concerto da camera – Concerto with the character of a dance suite, introduced by a prelude. Concerto da chiesa – Concerto with formal character and alternating slow and fast movements. Solo concerto – Concerto for a single soloist. Double concerto – Concerto for two soloists. Triple concerto – Concerto for three soloists. Fugue – Complex contrapuntal composition in which a single theme or subject is introduced by one part and successively taken up by others. Hymn – A religious song of praise. Invention – Short composition in two-part counterpoint, usually for a keyboard instrument. Lament – Song expressing grief or sorrow. Mass – Sacred musical composition of the Eucharistic liturgy. Motet – Polyphonic choral composition based on a sacred text. Opera – Dramatic work in one or more acts, set to music for singers and instrumentalists. Opera buffa – Genre of opera characterized by light, humorous, and often satirical themes. Opera seria – Genre of opera with serious, often tragic themes. Semi-opera – Genre that blends spoken drama with musical interludes and elaborate staging. Oratorio – Large composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists, typically based on a religious theme. Part song – Secular choral work, typically a cappella. Glee – English part song of respectable and artistic character and often composed for male voices only. Partita – Suite of instrumental or vocal pieces, often consisting of dance movements. Passacaglia – Musical form similar to a chaconne, consisting of variations over a ground bass. Passion – Musical setting of the Passion of Christ. Pastorale – Musical form depicting pastoral scenes, often characterized by a gentle, lyrical melody. Prelude – Short, improvisatory-style piece, often serving as an introduction to a longer piece. Prelude and fugue – Pairing of two compositions, a prelude and a fugue. Unmeasured prelude – Free-form, non-metric instrumental composition, often for keyboard. Quodlibet – Composition combining several different melodies, often popular tunes, in counterpoint.