It's Christmas time, so we thought that we'd do a quick jump into the history of the Christmas carol. Until next year, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from us at In Time: A Music History Podcast.

When does music become modern? What is the difference between modern and contemporary music? What trends exist in the landscape of 20th century art? All that and more in the final episode of In Time: A Music History Podcast's exploration of the various musical and artistic eras in history. 

What happens when the Western Tonal System that stood for four hundred years collapses? Well, Jazz takes over. This week, the end of one art form gives way to the rise of another. 

The late Romantic era sees an explosion of technological progress, but with that shift comes a change in what it means to not only be an artist, but what it means to be human as well. With each new revolution, comes a fundamental psychological and spiritual shift in the mind of composers, artists, authors, and musicians.

The start of the 19th Century is the age of giants. In politics, art, literature, and music this age is defined by its large number of creative forces, who shape not just their age but our own as well. 

The Enlightenment provides some of the most unified artistic visions in our shared history. The irony of this is that while unified, the art, music, and philosophy of the age is not a reflection of the world that birthed it, but rather a product of its ideals. 

The modern world begins here. Science, reason, political liberalism, and modern sounding music all add together to turn this era into the first one in which we can truly call our world.

Beneath the veneer of the Renaissance, a movement of reform and destruction was occurring. Martin Luther’s Reformation, while intended to merely change church practices and reinvigorate the doctrine itself turned into a movement of destruction for the art lover of the day. To fill the void, music stepped into the forefront of the newly formed Lutheran church and culture would never be the same. Still elsewhere, King Henry VII staged his own reform movement of sorts and through the drive of his ego, he would set England on course for literary greatness.

The Renaissance is the first period of time in which we can truly see ourselves in history. This week, Zach explores the major artistic, philosophical, and musical developments that helped turn this period into the first of the modern world.