In common parlance, “classical music” refers to all the music in this book, from the dawn of music notation to the oxymoronic “contemporary classical music” of today. Confusingly, a small chunk of this long history is referred to as the “Classical Era.” It does not refer to the music of ancient Greece and Rome, but to a period starting around 1730 and phasing out around 1820. It began as a conscious reaction to the lush polyphonic complexities and highly ornamented styles of Papa Bach and his contemporaries. It was kind of a generational rebellion, as some of Bach's sons were involved in a pursuit simpler, clearer forms like the symphony, sonata, concerto, string quartet, etc., these forms carried over into the romanticism of the 19th Century, and even into the fractious 20th Century.
The new forms followed a similar pattern of three or four
sections, or movements, consisting of a lively first movement, a slow second
movement, and one or two more lively movements. The first movement was usually
in the very popular sonata form, a kind of template in which one
or more themes were introduced, subjected to a series of variations in the development,
and then restated at the end of the movement. Franz Joseph Haydn must be
given credit as the chief architect of these new forms, but Mozart and Beethoven, being of somewhat
greater genius, made them more interesting.
Aside from Haydn, Mozart, and the early Beethoven, only four other composers from the short Classical Era made the top-100 list: Gluck, C.P.E. Bach, Boccherini, and Hummel. Another 12 are featured here in the second-100.
Like his brother, C.P.E. Bach, Johann was overshadowed both by his father and by the rising stars of the Classical Era, Haydn and Mozart. While his brother ranks #46 on our Consensus list, J.C. does not make the list at all, perhaps unfairly. Nevertheless, he was a prolific composer who contributed significantly to the development of the sonata form and other conventions of the post-Baroque era. He lived for most of his career in London, where he was quite popular both with audiences and with the Queen. He happened to eet the young Mozart there and the two became close friends.
Though he lived in the shadow, not only of his more famous brother, Franz Joseph, but also of Mozart and Beethoven, Michael Haydn produced a prodigious amount of good music. He served as Concertmaster in Salzburg for 44 years. His 360+ compositions were highly regarded by his contemporaries, including Mozart, and included 43 symphonies, a great amount of chamber music and concertos, a large volume of sacred music, 11 singspiels and 1 opera.
A wealthy Saxon princess and duchess, Anna Amalia was an important patron of the arts as well as a gifted composer. Regrettably, rather little of her music has been recorded. Recent recordings of her opera, Erwin und Elmire, however, reveals her compositional mastery and charm.
Though overshadowed by Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven, Vanhal was respected by these composers as well as a broad public. He was a prolific composer, with about 73 symphonies, some of which are favorably compared to those of Haydn. He wrote also for a range of instrument combinations, and much for the piano, the latter aimed at the growing demand for amateurs to perform at home.
There is much good music here, though largely forgotten until the recent wave of revivals.
A prolific contemporary of Haydn and Mozart, Ditters wrote 120 known symphonies, 13 operas, many concertos, including 8 for oboe, much chamber music, oratorios, cantatas, and sacred music. Scarcely heard of today, he lived and worked in Vienna at the same time as Mozart, and the Mozartean influence is unmistakable. His most successful opera, Doktor & Apotheker, premiered in Vienna in July of 1786, the same year as Mozart’s Marriage of Figaro (May) and Impressario (February), which he certainly must have heard. Though he might be dismissed as an emulator of Mozart, he was noted for his melodic ability. His work, though not particularly original in style, is of excellent quality and well worth listening to.
Of Spanish descent, Martines was born and lived in Vienna, studied with Haydn, and performed at soirees with Mozart. Her music reflects those connections, sounding very much like a young Mozart. She wrote two oratorios; four masses; six motets; psalm cantatas; secular cantatas; three keyboard sonatas, three keyboard concertos; and one symphony. She was well-known and respected by the public and her colleagues, and was the first woman admitted to the Accademia Filarmonica of Bologna.
Like Ditters von Ditterdorf, Stamitz was a respected, worthy composer who worked in the shadows of Haydn and Mozart. He produced some 50 symphonies, a variety of concertos, chamber music, and 2 operas (now lost). Though not considered highly original, he left us with a heap of good Classical Period music - good listening if you have exhausted your supply of Mozart and Haydn.
Cimarosa was a Neopolitan composer of more than 80 operas, mostly comedies, some sacred music, and some other instrumental work. His operas, similar in style to those of Mozart’s, were enormously popular in his time and well into the 19th century, though received mixed critical reviews. Though not particularly innovative, they are delightful and well worth a listen, particularly for fans of Mozart.
Many people who take the time to listen to the music of Antonio Salieri today feel that he got a bad rap in the movie Amadeus. His career bridged that of Mozart and Rossini. Though it is generally agreed that he was not as brilliant as either, his operas were enormously popular during his lifetime, influential and even to the liking of the young Hector Berlioz. He was an influential persona in the music community, and a teacher of prominent composers, including Beethoven,
An Italian by birth Clementi had a long successful career in England as pianist, composer, and teacher. Piano students will recognize his name as he wrote a number of pieces suitable for beginners. He was in fact, among the first composers to write specifically for the unique “forte-piano” capabilities we associate with modern pianos. (If you’ve heard “piano concertos” by Bach on the radio, they were actually written for keyboard instruments in general.) He manufactured and sold pianos, and was a music publisher.
Krommer was a prolific and popular composer, even in Vienna, the sophisticated musical capital of the world at the time, coexisting there with none other than Ludwig van Beethoven. After his death, Beethoven’s music lived on, but his fell into neglect.
He wrote 9 symphonies, some
79 string quartets, and pieces for various other instrumental combinations, but
is best known for his concertos for clarinet and double clarinet.
Clarinet
Concerto in E-flat major, Op. 36
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