the classical era

The Classical Era

Vienna Austria 1750 -1820

Vienna’s location in the south of Austria is centrally located in Europe and it’s close proximity to Italy, creates a melting pot of Italian and German musical ideas0

King Ferdinand -the King of Austria is a huge music fan. He decides to make Vienna the most musical city in Europe. One of his court composers jobs was to teach him piano lessons. He invests money to build …

Opera Houses

Music SchoolsMusic Schools

Attract the best musicians, composers and conductors to Vienna

Classicism is..- greatly influenced by Newton’s Laws of Physics. Logic, rules, structure, proportion and balance. Composing music becomes very formulaic.

-An emphasis on grace and beauty of melody and form; proportion and balance, moderation, control; polished and elegant in character with expressiveness and formal structure held in perfect balance.

Popular Styles -The Four

Movement Symphony

1st a fast movement in sonata form,

2nd, a slow movement,

3rd either a minuet and trio or a ternary dance-like (scherzo) movement in "simple triple" metre,

The 4th a fast, in rondo or sonata form.

Very popular with composers

-Operas are very popular with the public

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Child Prodigy

Unbelieveable Body of Work

Over 600 compositionsOver 40 SymphoniesDozens f OperasCountless other piecesSmartest Person Ever?

And so the story goes…

Antonio Salieri

Mozart 1756-1791