We move from the Baroque to the Classical Period (1730-1820). Haydn and Mozart rule the musical world, and Germany and Austria are the period's artistic hotbeds. From the ornate Baroque era, Classical composers moved away from polyphony and toward homophony, writing music that was plain, elegant, and measured on the surface.
The emergence of the virtuoso performer was evident in this era of music, as evidenced by the numerous concertos and sonatas written during this time. During these decades, opera blossomed into a full-fledged musical genre of entertainment that went far beyond the Baroque composers' wildest dreams.
Mozart, Haydn, Gluck, Beethoven, and Boccherini are some of the most well-known composers.
EXAMPLE OF MUSIC
Beethoven's 5th Symphony
The Symphony No. 5 in C minor from 1808 has gone down in music history as the Symphony of Fate. When he asked Beethoven about the opening motif of the Fifth Symphony, the composer is said to have replied: "This is the sound of fate knocking at the door."
Hoffmann described the symphony as "one of the most important works of the time". As is typical of symphonies during the transition between the Classical and Romantic eras, Beethoven's Fifth Symphony is in four movements.
Mozart - Rondo Alla Turca
The last movement, marked Alla turca, popularly known as the "Turkish Rondo" or "Turkish March", is often heard on its own and is one of Mozart's best-known piano pieces. Mozart himself titled the rondo "Alla turca". It imitates the sound of Turkish Janissary bands, the music of which was much in vogue at that time.
SOUL SOUND