Music has evolved over the years, yet there is still one form of music that continues to stick with us even until today. This is none other than classical music. There are 7 eras of classical music: Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Modernist, and Postmodernist. One of the most popular eras was called the “Classical Period” which lasted from 1750 to 1830. What made the Classical period so popular? Let us take a deep dive into its characteristics, common instruments used, and its unique orchestra style.

Compared to the Baroque period music that preceded it, Classical period music places greater emphasis on simplicity, melodies, and enlarged ensembles. Unlike the extravagant melodies and ornamentations of high Baroque music, the new style of music framed somewhat simple melodies and buttressed them with large ensembles. Melodies could be appropriated from folk music and arranged to produce musical development with various modulations in tonality, tempo, and dynamics. 

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Other than its unique characteristics, leaps and bounds were made in the development of musical instruments during the Classical period too. The piano replaced the harpsichord as the most common keyboard instrument as the musical foundation of the orchestra. Instruments prominently featured in the Classical period included: violin, viola, cello, double bass, flute, clarinet, oboe, bassoon, French horn, trumpet, trombone, timpani, etc. These instruments are also still widely seen in the classical music scene today! 

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With these more advanced instruments, players are not only able to take on better solo lines but also place more emphasis on the melody. On top of that, composers became more specific about how their pieces were performed, writing in instructions for dynamics and ornaments.

Another large development from the Baroque to the Classical era was the structure of an orchestra. In the Baroque area, the size and composition of an orchestra were not standardized. This meant that there were large differences in size, instrumentation, and playing styles. However, in the Classical era, the orchestra became more standardized with 4 main sections: strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion. There was also a standard size of about 80-100 players in the orchestra. The layout of the orchestra followed a certain arrangement with the intention of keeping sonic levels in balance. This then became the norm in orchestras later on with first violins on the left, second violins on the left, violas on the center left, and cellos on the center right. Behind the strings are winds and percussion: horns, oboes, bassoons, timpani, trumpets, trombones. 

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With such developments in the evolving world of music, it is not strange for there to be some unforgettable composers who continue to remain well-known even today. Here are some of the famous composers and a few of their masterpieces from the Classical era:

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​1. Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

• London Symphonies

• Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major

2. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

• Serenade No. 13 in G Major, K 525 (‘Eine kleine Nachtmusik’ as it is informally known)

• Symphony No. 40 in G Minor, K. 550

3. Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-182)

• Für Elise

• Moonlight Sonata

4. Rodolfo Luigi Boccherini (1743-1805)

• String Quintet in E, Op. 11, No. 5 (G 275)

• Cello Concerto in B flat major (G 482)

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           Overall, the Classical period has allowed for many developments in the instruments, melodies, and orchestra layouts. Not only were all these improvements extremely impactful to the composing of music at that time, but also are still influential to the classical music field in our world today.