Many people are under a false notion of classical music. More often than not, people think about older forms of classical music. Specifically, the Baroque and Classical era of classical music.
While some people may find those styles of music to be appealing, there are a plethora of different styles of classical music that many are not aware of. This article will cover the general ideas of the eras of Classical music.
Baroque Era
Circa 1600-1750
Notable composers of this time include Bach, Vivaldi, and Handel. The most notable aspect of Baroque music is polyphony. This means that there are multiple melodies playing at the same time, unlike the usually single melody and accompaniment.
As was usually tradition, many composers often created works for the church. Bach was known to be a very religious person, creating many works dedicated to the church.
Classical Era
Circa 1750-1830
Some notable composers of the time include Mozart, Beethoven, and Schubert. Now, the invention of the piano made its way to be the primary keyboard instrument.
It was during this time that the use of many more known instruments such as the oboe, clarinets, flutes, and brass instruments made its way into orchestras.
These innovations contributed to a change in the style, which gave composers more freedom to create music.
Romantic Era
Circa 1830-1900
Its name is derived not from the time being romantic, but from composers creating works that were much more emotional and inspired by literature and poetry.
Notably composers include Chopin, Liszt, and Tchaikovsky. This new era brought more experimentation with unique uses of instruments such as chromaticism and different harmonies. Forms such as nocturnes and arabesques were introduced during this time.
There was a bigger emphasis on virtuosic music, essentially faster and more complex playing.
Ending thoughts
So, more often than not, people confuse or conflate classical music with its older forms, when there is a much larger and expansive world. Classical music should not be viewed as the hegemony as it so often is. Finding out what type of classical music one likes requires exploration which will be highly rewarded.
