The Classical Period

At the movies, in stores, on the radio, many of the places you go to that have music playing have music that was written from the Classical Period. The Classical Period harbored famous and renowned composers and performers. Two composers who stand out are Mozart himself who composed many pieces including the famous piece Piano Concerto No. 22 and Ludwig van Beethoven who composed his astounding 5th Symphony. Through the centuries the Classical Period has still been honored and commemorated for its style beauty.

The years between the middle of the 1700’s to the early 1800’s was a time of immense value according to many music enthusiasts today. In this era the music was considered controlled and reserved. Many Sonatas, Symphonies, and Quartets could be heard in the homes of Vienna during the Classical Era. This era, like every other, had a unique style that has fascinated throngs of people through the ages. John Cage once said, “I can’t understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I’m frightened of the old ones.” The Classical Period at its beginnings was looked upon as unique from the Baroque Period.

One crucial composer of the Classical Period lived from 1756-1791. Mozart started out as a child prodigy who made his father/teacher, Leopold, very proud. He began composing at the age of four and by age eleven he was writing operas (Pogue and Speck, 30). Leopold took his young son all across Europe and had him perform before many illustrious people. When he was older Mozart got a job working for the Archbishop of Salzburg. He had this job for about twelve years and then was fired. The next several years of his life were spent in Vienna often in search of work. Here Mozart met a lifelong friend, Papa Haydn. Papa Haydn ...

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...d in the history of the world. It harvested amazing musical composers who shared their music with the world. The future is indebted to Beethoven, Mozart, and Handel for their hard work, courage, and eagerness. On tv, in the stores, on the radios, and everywhere you go, music from the Classical Period will always be heard by fresh ears and will always be remembered!

Works Cited

1. Pogue, David, and Scott Speck. Classical Music For Dummies. N.p.: Wiley, 1997. Print.

2. Smith, Jane S., and Betty Carlson. The Gift of Music. Wheaton: Crossway, 1995. Print.

3. "Beethoven's Deafness - Ludwig Van Beethoven's Website." Beethoven's Deafness - Ludwig Van Beethoven's Website. N.p., n.d. Web. 26 Feb. 2014.

4. "22 Inspiring Composer Quotes." Classic FM. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.

5. "Wolfgang Mozart Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 24 Feb. 2014.