The Classical Period
The years from the late Baroque to the early 19th century are referred to as the Classical, or Viennese period, as Vienna was at that time the musical capital and political center of Europe. After the transitional period we call the Rococo, during which time the sons of Johann Sebastian Bach were active, composers from Germany, Hungary, Bohemia, and Italy flocked to Vienna, benefiting from the patronage of Emperor Joseph II, one of the enlightened rulers during this “Age of Reason.” As the visual arts of the period were influenced by classic Greek and Roman styles, so the music emphasized a “natural” form of expression, fluid melody combined with a “pleasing variety” of rhythm, dynamics, and instrumental color. This was the period that saw the creation of the standard genres later composers would continue to employ: the multi-movement symphony, sonata, and string quartet. Music for the simple purpose of entertainment thrived as well, including the serenade, divertimento, and cassation. In opera, the reforms of Gluck paved the way for a new emphasis on comic opera and the ensemble, as opposed to the virtuoso solo aria of the Baroque. While Haydn worked for much of his life at the Esterházy Palace, producing a staggering amount of music before moving to Vienna, the younger Mozart eventually left Salzburg to make his career in Vienna. These two composers brought the Classical style to its pinnacle, through their symphonies, string quartets, concertos, and piano sonatas. The young Beethoven, who had also settled in Vienna after spending his youth in Bonn, then took up the Classical style, infusing it with a new energy, power, and personal form of expression that all but broke the bounds of the established Classical forms.

Major Composers
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach (1714-1788) Symphonies, concertos, keyboard sonatas

Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714-1787) Italian and French operas

Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809) Symphonies, string quartets, piano trios, sonatas, choral music

Johann Christian Bach (1735-1782) Overtures, concertos, chamber music

Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805) Symphonies, cello concertos, chamber music for strings

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791) Symphonies, concertos, chamber music, operas

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) Symphonies, concertos, string quartets, piano sonatas