The Classical Era (1730s-1810s)

By javier2301
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    Pietro Metastasio

    Court poet in Vienna who was the most important author of librettos for the 18th century
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    Giovanni Battista Sammartini

    Galant Italian composer and innovator of the symphony in Milan
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    Farinelli

    One of the most famous castrati in the 18th century
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    Franz Xaver Richter

    German composer, teacher, and singer; the innovator of the string quartet
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    Frederick the Great

    King who sponsored Prussian arts and a gifted musician
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    Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

    Eldest son of J.S. Bach; wrote in both Baroque and classic styles
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    Cristoph Willibald Gluck

    German opera-form composer; created a new balance between music and drama
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    Johan Stamitz

    Galant, synphonic innovator in Mannheim
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    The Galant Style

    Beginning of the Classical style, drive in music shifted to the melody and there was a simplification of musical elements
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    Franz Joseph Haydn

    A primary Austrian composer who served as innovator and mover within the new classic style

  • Carl Linnaeus publishes ‘Systema Naturae’

    Introduced the binomial nomenclature for different species.
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    Johann Christian Bach

    Son of J.S. Bach; friend and influence to Mozart

  • The Irish Famine

    Also known as the ‘Year of Slaughter’, killed about 2.4 million people in the Kingdom of Ireland
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    Luigi Buccherini

    Prolific Italian composer and cellist
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    William Billings

    Most prominent composer in the New America, not a strong composer
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    Domenico Cimarosa

    Successful Italian composer; a central figure in opera in the late 18th century
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    Lorenzo Da Ponte

    Italian librettist and poet; collaborated with Mozart
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    Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

    German poet and writer; composer continue to set his works to music

  • Clarinet appears in the Orchestra

    In Mannheim in the 1750s
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    Antonio Salieri

    Successful Italian composer and teacher; functioned in transitional periods from Galant to classic to romantic

  • Benjamin Franklin performs the kite experiment

    Proves that lightning is electrical in nature
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    Muzio Clementi

    English composer of Italian birth' keyboardist and piano manufacturer
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    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Austrian composer; represents the epitome of the classical style; one of the best composers of all time

  • Opera Buffa developed

    Comic operas used more realistic characters and serious topics
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    Sturm und Drang

    An opposite to the classical style with more emotional expression and use of more minor keys; leads to Romanticism

  • The U.S. Declaration of Independence is signed

    The thirteen American colonies unanimously sign this document declaring independence from Britain and justify war

  • First patent for a piano is submitted

    Stoddard introduced the first “Grand Pianoforte”

  • The "Marriage of Figaro" is Premiered

  • Mozart composes "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik"

    One of Mozart's most famous compositions

  • The French Revolution

    A major turning point in Europe's socio-political sphere

  • Eli Whitney invents the cotton gin

  • The first battery is developed

    By Count Alessandro Volta

  • Steam-powered locomotive is invented

    English mining engineer Richard Trevithick develops a steam-powered locomotive but is unable to produce a viable prototype.