early music

noun

1. music of the medieval, Renaissance, and early Baroque periods, especially revived and played on period instruments; European music after ancient music and before the classical music era, from the beginning of the Middle Ages to about 1750.

early music

noun

1. music of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, sometimes also including music of the baroque and early classical periods

adjective

1. of or denoting an approach to musical performance emphasizing the use of period instruments and historically researched scores and playing techniques

   the early-music movement

Other Words From

• early-music adjective
• early musician noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of early music¹

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

Her brother, who was a tour director for the pop star and danced in her early music videos including Lucky Star, died from cancer on Friday in Michigan.

From BBC

Indeed, Amsterdam’s transformative new music and early music scenes developed in part as a rebellion to the stodgy Concertgebouw and all it stood for.

From Los Angeles Times

After all, while Doja Cat’s idiosyncratic art-pop fusion of rap and R&B defies easy categorization, her roots can be traced back to L.A.’s storied underground hip-hop scene in Leimert Park like Kaos Network’s Bananas where she freestyled and performed her early music.

From Los Angeles Times

His probing interpretations bring a fresh perspective to the vast early music harpsichord repertoire.

From Seattle Times

Staier, 68, has shaped the European early music movement for 40 years.

From New York Times