What Is Classical Music?

A lot of people who enjoy listening to or playing music also try to listen to classical music to get a glimpse of what classical music actually is. Even as they enjoy classical music, they often are unable to define what is classical music and find themselves asking what is classical music.

Technically, classical music is defined as the music that was produced in Europe in the period between 1750 and 1820. What is classical music? Os everything produced in Europe in this period categorized as classical music?  Classical music included compositions such as opera, choral pieces, chamber music as well as music that requires a full orchestra.

What is classical music?

Those who want know what is classical music will also want to know the names of some of the great classical musicians of the time. The best known classical musicians of the time were Mozart, Beethoven, and Haydn. One of the best loved, Mozart, wrote symphonies and music for quartets and quintets. Mozart was highly prolific. In his entire career, he composed over 600 pieces. He also wrote choral pieces, piano concertos, and even whole operas. Perhaps, best known for his magnificent opera, The Magic Flute, Mozart is loved and played a great deal today. Anyone who wishes to know what is classical music will do well to take a glance at this great composer’s works.

No discussion of classical music is complete without at least a mention of Beethoven. Anyone who is a music enthusiast and wants to find out what classical music is cannot boast of any understanding of the subject without a glimpse of Beethoven’s symphonies. His sixth Symphony, particularly, is highly acclaimed, especially for its pastorale, a piece of music that was used in the Disney film Fantasia. The pieces of music that Beethoven composed are hauntingly beautiful, especially the Moonlight Sonata. Beethoven wrote only one opera, Fidelio and anyone interested in what classical music is must know that Beethoven is known mostly for the symphonies and piano concertos.

So What is classical music?

Knowing what is classical music will also help you understand Haydn, known as the “father of classical music” and the inspiration of many others who came after him. Sadly, though he defined classical music at its earliest, he is less known among the listeners today than all of the others. Mention must also be made of Bach, who lived and composed in what is known as the Baroque era, Vivaldi, famous for his composition The Four Seasons and also belonging to the Baroque period. In the Romantic period, the musical greats are Mahler and Sibelius and Wagner, famous for his stormy and dramatic pieces in the Romantic period.

So those music enthusiasts who are inspired to find out about what classical music is could do well to listen to a selection of the music of these classical musicians and they will surely realize the wealth of classical music of the western world. A step into this world is bound to transform your life.

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