Music in Classical Era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Music in Classical Era - Essay Example Of the various eras in music history, the classical era stands out as a unique period regarded as the age of enlightenment. In light of this, the paper seeks to explore the classical era in the history of music, paying attention to the cultural characteristics, musical development, and the role of musicals in the society. Classical Era The classical era was preceded by the Baroque period, which provided a unique basis of evolution in terms of form, style, and medium. The period between 1750 and 1820 experienced the height of classical compositions and performances across Europe. This follows the shift towards new styles in architecture, literature, and arts in the continent that sought to emulate classical antiquity from ancient Greece. The works of great philosophers such as Isaac Newton would soon be incorporated in music, as composers and performers sought structural clarity. This catalyzed the evolution of the Baroque period into the classical period of layered instrumental melod ies to create a combination dubbed homophony. The pre-classical music presented a change in form, style, and production eventually replacing old forms of music with new sectional structures. This indicates a sharp contrast with previous styles where music was mostly written for human voices and instruments were regarded as dull compared to the human voice. Notably, a symphony orchestra is a widely acknowledged medium of classical music, which involves a group of instruments from various classes. This comprises a string section that includes harps, violins, and string bass; brass section with French horn, trumpet, and tuba; a percussion section with drums, cymbals, xylophones, and chimes; and a woodwind section incorporating flutes, clarinet, and bassoon. As such, orchestra bands consist of large numbers of players, each with his or her own music piece that is performed concurrently. However, the size and composition of the orchestra are largely dependent on the music piece being per formed. At the height of classical music, about 10 performers for serenades, which spurred the rapid development of opera, performed compositions. This development was characterized by regional styles across Europe that would identify the origin and inspiration behind the piece. Notable Composers The classical era provided recognition to renowned composers for their work that sought striking melodies and dramatic effects. Their unique compositional styles refined previous works to produce clearer textures and dramatic shifts in the performance of music. Among these composers known for their role in the classical period are Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Muzio Clementi, and Luigi Boccherini, to mention but a few. Haydn is regarded as the father of symphony owing to his role in the development and expansion of the presentation and is credited for numerous symphonies. Another classical composer worth noting is Beethoven whose work is considered as a bridge between classical and romantic eras. Mozart is well known for his compositions, especially the wedding of Figaro, which is quite popular and has had a significant impact in society, generally. His compositions took an educational turn with the influence of J. S. Bach who only served to inspire him further into applying mathematics and ethics into his compositions. Through this, the society saw change in music becoming a form of communication, where he applied social