Development of music in pre-1900 POD timetines

This is one thing no-one ever discusses. There is more to historical development than just poltics, geography and technology, after all, culture is important too. So here's what I'd suggest: pick a timeline alrady suggested, and discuss how musical development is affected.

Some ideas:

1. How is music culturally important? e.g. does it perform a particular function or is it 'art for art's sake'/pure enjoyment/etc.?

2. How are styles affected?

3. Types of instruments and their evolution?

4. How does music affect the culture? (e.g. the rock movement in the counterculture of the '60s?) What events affect changes of this sort to make them different or non-existant?

This is an interesting one! Unfortunately not on I can comment on in detail because I don't know enough about music. In my ATLs I tend to just say (for example) that different influences (e.g. in a timeline with a stronger India, Indian ones) have affected music and so on.

And of course similar questions apply to the other arts too - painting, sculpture, architecture etc. etc.

Your signiture mentions your website- that's partially what got my inspiration from this thread...maybe because your details on music are so sketchy! (Nothing against you!)

I think with timelines that deal primarily with Europe between 1500-1900 it is more difficult to change the fate of music due to the cosmopolitan nature of the orchestral period (let's call it that for ease, rather than baroque, classical, etc.) The nations of Europe all contributed to a more-or-less international style of music at the time. So while changing one player or another on the game board will undoubtedly have its effects, a greater social upheaval is required to alter music at a deeply noticeable level.
World domination scenarios would do the trick, but it would have to be on a truly magnificent scale. For example one of my favorite timelines here is 'God is a Frenchman' where France is in rather top form, dominating most parts of Europe to various degrees. However, other than operas being written in French rather than Italian or possibly German, I don't see much change.
My example of course only touches on 'High Culture' and not folk culture, low culture or pop culture (the existence of which is debatable before the 20th century.) Undoubtedly IMHO the other three types of culture have a much greater impact on society and history than High Culture, but unfortunately outside of the modern era, the records of the other three might as well be written on cheesecloth for all the holes in our knowledge.

I can see rag time and Jazz being considered "Nigger" Music in TL-191.
Not sure whiether This leads to earier "Country/Western" , or eariler "Big Bands".
It does knock out the whole Rockabilly/Rock & Roll, music.