123 Classical

Classical (1750-1830)

The classical period of music was dominated by the spirit of the Enlightenment, which was characterized by a quest of return to the more humanistic ideals of the ancient Greece and Rome for cultural inspiration, as opposed to previous periods when the church played a dominant role in society. The Enlightenment ideals provided space for individuality by advocating individual rights (not previously granted by the Church or monarch) and defined the framework for scientific advances by advocating objective truths and reasoning. In the arts, these ideals presented themselves through a more well-ordered aesthetic of balance and elegance, also given the name "neoclassical" since the same ideals were used in ancient Greece and Rome. The increased power of the individual and reason, started undermining the role of the church and the monarch in controlling the arts, including music.

Music in the classical period became simpler, but also more expressive and louder. But how is this explained? On the one hand, music no longer had the church or the state as the primary patron. People could now make their own cultural choices, and given the increasing wealth of the middle class, aristocratic houses became the new patrons. This social change, combined with the "neoclassical" philosophy in the arts (as explained above), gave rise to the production of a greater quantity of simpler and more accessible music. Music also became clearer, mainly homophonic, with short and well-balanced melodies and clear-cut question and answer phrases. Overall, compared with baroque music, classical period music sounded lighter, less serious and more elegant, while variety and contrast within a piece became more important than before. On the other hand, technical advances in instruments allowed for music to become richer, more sonorous and more powerful, especially for keyboard instruments. The harpsichord of the baroque era was replaced by the piano, enabling the performer to play louder or softer and thus with more expression. This trend was further enhanced by the extension of the orchestras, which allowed for a richer and more powerful sound. Important composers, such as Beethoven, Mozart, Schubert, Haydn and Rossini, now had the opportunity to create melodical, expressive and more powerful masterpieces. However, although some composers, such as Mozart looked for order, balance, serenity and rationality in their music, other composers such as Beethoven or Schubert (at the end of his life) looked for ecstasy and bewilderment, therefore stretching the principles of that period to the maximum and laying the foundations for the romantic period of music, by becoming an inspiration for future composers.

"Salzburg symphony"
(Divertimento in D Major / Movement 1)