overview of classical music
Time period: 1750 - 1820
The Classical period in music was a period of time that lasted seventy years starting in the year 1750 and ending in the year 1820. The name Classical is derived from the return of cultural and philosophical values of antiquity. The music of the era was heavily influenced by the classical approach to life. The composers of the classical era developed recognizable forms of music of which any audience could identify and appreciate.
The composers of the classical era desired to created music with a balanced, elegant and clean sound. For this reason, the music of the classical era is largely homophonic (a simple definition of homophonic music is a melody with chord accompanying it), unlike the largely polyphonic (which is multiple melody’s playing in contrast to one another) sound of the baroque period. Composers also continued to develop and increased the use of musical phrases that are punctuated by cadences such as a V7 to I (perfect authentic cadence). This change gave the music a diverse emotional expression. During the classical period we begin to see the formalization of musical forms such as the sonata, concerto and symphony.
The classical period in music was developed during a time called the Age of Enlightenment which shared some characteristics with the renaissance, the most obvious characteristic of this age is the return to the cultural inspiration the Greeks and Romans. The values of universality, cosmopolitism, and rationalism were a hallmark of classical music. These ideas manifested in music in the form homophonic melodies that are clean and simple that an audience can connect with. In the form of harmonized based on formal rules that function and work with the melody in a balanced and controlled manor. Slower and more controlled dynamics such as the use of sforzando, diminuendo and crescendo. These expressional tools provided a restrained and graceful transition between phrases. Patterned thematic development provided a discussion between contrasting themes through theme and variations, and finally the ability to change key, dynamic and melody within a piece of music.
The classical period was distinct from the baroque period and is characterized by its simplistic and more natural style. Baroque music was far more ornate and was primarily polyphonic with a more complex texture. Classical Era composers moved away from using basso continuo which was a standard in baroque composition and brought the use of specific accompanying bass-lines and harmonies that complement the melody.