Classical Symphony Essay

Music is everywhere in the world today. There are many different kinds of music or genres, but not every type of music is played every day or heard of often. One type of music that is not heard of often is classical symphony. Classical symphony is a “musical work for an orchestra that usually consists of three to four movements that follows form and structure very meticulously” (Green, par.1). When talking about the era of classical symphony there are many different topics to talk about. One topic is the history of classical symphony. Symphony is a Greek word that means agreement or concord of sound. This word was used to describe a bagpipe or an instrument that closely resembles a bagpipe. Later in Greek history it was used for consonance,

During the Baroque period, most symphonies were used in operas, sonatas, and concertos because they were usually involved with a larger piece of music to make the music longer or to have a piece of music that can be smoothly integrated in the larger piece of music. This type of music was originated in the 18th century from opera sinfonia. This kind of music was made up of a fast, slow, and dance-like movement that everyone would see when they went to see an opera, cantata, and a suite. Unlike sinfonias which can be “played in less than ten minutes, a classical symphony can take thirty or more minutes to play an entire work of music” (Green, par.2). Throughout the 18th century, the symphony changed forms from a three-movement form to a four-movement form. The three-movement form was a fast, slow, and then fast movement. The four-movement form was an opening sonata or allegro, slow movement, a

During this period, there were hundreds of composers, but the three main composers of the time were Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Josef Haydn, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Haydn was born on March 31, 1732 in Rohrau, Austria. As a child, he was in a choir, but as he grew up his voice changed and he was later dismissed from the school when he turned 18 years old. In his early adult hood, he was a freelance musician so he could earn a living, but by his middle years he grew close with a very wealthy family and became a very popular musician. His last years were spent composing music in London where he made most of his money and he died of old age in 1809. He composed around 100 symphonies and he had a very good friendship with Mozart. Mozart was born on January 27, 1756 in Salzburg. When he was a child he became a very good musician and he toured all around the world in countries like France, England and Germany. As he became a teen he started writing plays for an opera house. During his adulthood, he left home so he could find a better job, but his efforts failed and he finally returned to his home and he became an organist. After that he was a freelancer until he died in 1791. Mozart composed around 40 symphonies. Beethoven was born on December 16, 1770 in Bonn. During his childhood, Beethoven studied various instruments like the violin, piano, and keyboard. When he was in his teens, he went away and studied under