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Jean-Philippe Rameau
Rameau was a French composer and theorist. He tried to establish a foundation for harmonic practice. -
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Pietro Metastasio
Metastaio was a court poet in Vienna. He set the standard for opera style around 1750. -
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Giovanni Battista Sammartini
Sammartini is the inventor of the Symphony. This was one of the most important genres in the Classical era. -
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Fredrick the Great
Fredrick II reigned over Prussia from 1740 to 1786. He made quite a few accomplishments during his time. Along with with military victories, he was also a gifted musician. He composed at least 100 sonatas and 4 symphonies. -
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C.P.E. Bach
This is J.S. Bach's son. Bach worked in Berlin for Fredrick the Great. -
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Christoph Willibald Gluck
Gluck brought operatic reform in Italian opera seria. -
Treatise on Harmony
This is a book written by Jean-Philippe Rameau. It was the beginning of the ideas of modern music theory -
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Charles Burney
Burney was an organist, amature composer, writer, and music scholar. He wrote many books about what he saw as he traveles through France, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Provinces -
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The Rococo Style
"Rococo" in short means scroll. In the ornate style that grew in popularity, scrolls were quite common. This "over-the-top" style transfered into music. Pieces were filled with trills, turns, and grace notes. This quickly died out as the classical era continued on -
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Franz Joseph Haydn
Haydn was the primary mover of the classical style, but he didn't invent it. Haydn was hired by the Esterhazys who were very wealthy. Haydn wrote the most symphonies (104). He also composed nearly 25 opera, oratorios, and masses. -
Empfindsamkeit
Empfindsamkeit is a style that was used to feel simple and natural. C.P.E. Bach was the primary composer of this style. This style is a reaction against counterpoint. -
The Symphony
Originally the symphony contained 3 movements. The4th movement was added in the 1740s in Germany. -
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Giovanni Paisiello
Paisiello wrote 91 operas and was a very important teacher during this time. -
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William Billings
Billings was one of the first American composers. He was self taught (which was quite apparent). His first publication was "the New-England Psalm-Singer" (1770) -
String quartet
The string quartet genre was invented by Franz Xavar Richter. String quartets had four movements, following the outline of a symphony. It consists of two violins, a viola, and a cello (NO CONDUCTOR). Haydn was known for his string quartets. -
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Antonio Salieri
Salieri was a court composer in Vienna. He composed operas in Italian, German, and French. He was promoted to Hofkapellmeister and the director of the Imperial Chamber Music. He earned an additional 1,200 gulden. -
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Maria Anna Mozart (Nannerl)
Nannerl was Mozart's older sister. She toured with Mozart when they were children. She was said to be just as skilled as he was. -
Versuch über die wahre Art das Clavier zu spielen
This is an essay about the true art of playing keyboard. It was written by C.P.E. Bach. It states that music's main aims were to touch the heart and move the affections. -
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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Mozart was a child prodigy. As children, him and his sister would go on tours of Europe with their father. He was always tested by older musicians who thought they were better than him. His first job started when he was 16 and lasted 8 years. He worked for Archbishop Colloredo's court in Salzburg without pay. He ended up in Vienna as a freelance teacher and musician. His music is known for having lyrical melodic lines, colorful orchestration, and dramatic content. -
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Maria Theresa von Paradis
Paradis was renowned for her musical memory. She was also blind. Mozart composed his Piano Concerto in B-flat, K. 456 for her and Salieri composed his only organ concerto in her honer. -
Opera Buffa
This is Italian comic opera. It uses more realistic characters and serious topics compared to earlier opera -
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Industrial Revolution
The industrial Revolution had lots of mass production. New machines made work more efficient during this time. -
Sonata Form
Sonata form is one of the most important forms of this time. Mozart was known or using this the most. A sonata form has an exposition, development, and a recapitulation -
Rondo Form
Rondo was a popular form during the classical era. All rondo forms were based off of the notion of a main refrain (A) that's repeated. -
The Piano
The piano was "first" invented by Bartolomeo Cristofori in Florence in 1700, but the first patented version of a piano was in 1777 -
Symphony No. 29 in A Major, K. 201
This symphony was written by Mozart. It has a memorable melody with a descending octave leap at the beginning. It has 4 movements, Allegro moderato (A major, 4/4 or 2/2), Andante (D major, 2/4), Menuetto: Allegretto and Trio (A major, 3/4), and Allegro con spirito (A major, 6/8). -
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The American Revolution
The American revolution transformed the political systems and social order. -
Piano Concerto in G Major K. 453
Mozart wrote many piano concertos for himself, however he wrote this one for his student Babette. He wanted to show Paisiello how good of a player she was and how good of a composer he was. -
Piano Concerto No. 17 in G Major, K. 453
Written by Mozart, this concerto has 3 movements, Allegro, Andante-Allegretto, and Presto. The first movement contained a flute, 2 oboes, 2 bassons, 2 horns, strings, and a piano solo. -
Le nozze di Figaro
This is an opera written by Mozart. It was based on a play that had been been in France, as it made the aristocrats look like idiots. -
Don Giovanni
This opera was considered the best opera to be composed. It was written by Mozart. -
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The French Revolution
The French Revolution changed the political systems and the social order -
Die Zauberflöte
This is a singspiel composed by Mozart. The Queen of the Night was a role specifically written for Aloysia. -
Dies irae
Composed by Mozart, Dies irae was the last piece he was working on before he died. It's believed Franz Xaver Süssmayr finished the piece. -
Symphony No. 100 in G Major (military)
This was one of the London (Salomon) symphonies composed by Haydn. It's known for its use of trumpet fanfares and turkish military percussion instruments. -
String Quartet in C Major, Opus 76, No. 3, Mvt. 2
This string quartet is filled with theme and variations. The theme is first played by the 1st violin, then passed to the 2nd violin, followed by the cello, then the viola, and finally back to the 1st violin. -
Valved Trumpet
The valve trumpet was invented after Anton Weidinger's trumpet did not catch on.