The Classical Era

The period from when Bach died, in 1750, to approximately Beethoven’s death in 1827, is called the Classical era.

Music began to be written for larger groups of musicians – symphony orchestras.
The Austrian composer Joseph Haydn wrote over 100 symphonies. Here is a clip from number 93, in D Major.

Possibly the most famous composer of all time lived in the classical period – Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He was Austrian like Haydn, and the two men were good friends. Haydn told Mozart’s father that Mozart was “the greatest composer known to me”.

Visit our Mozart page.