..

..

In western cultures, the roots of our music reach back to Europe. It is the European scale of notes and tempos that are familiar to us. Over the centuries, European music has become more sophisticated with skilled musicians accompanying well-trained voices in chorales, high masses and operas.

Many distinct countries make up Europe and each is slightly different. Despite similar heritages, European countries have differing religious beliefs, social values and ethnic standards. These differences are most visible by looking at the differences (and similarities) of their languages but to an attentive ear, the differences are also apparent in the music of Europe.

A country's music tells its story and the history behind it. Many European folk songs tell how the country gained its independence. Other traditional European songs tell of stories of war or of love. Many of the common songs have religious meaning and reflect the Christian influence in Europe. And there is a clear distinction between music in the Roman Catholic countries such as Italy, France and Spain, and the Eastern Orthodox countries such as Russia, Bulgaria, Albania and Romania.

During medieval times, much of the written music was owned by the Catholic Church and performed during church services. In the Renaissance, musicians were improving the quality of musical instruments and learning to write music that featured instruments rather than voices. By the 18th Century, European composers were writing music to entertain the wealthy benefactors who supported them. Names such as Beethoven, Schubert and Mozart come to mind, though there were many musicians who made influenced music in that period.

During the last half of this century, many European musicians have added some American styles to their music. Britain's Beatles looked to American rock and roll stars and rhythm and blues singers for inspiration. And jazz, developed in the African-American communities of the United States, has become popular in nightclub throughout Europe.