Classic Classical Music from the Classical Period

Blog post only

A few months ago, my continuous musical exploration brought me to classical music from the classical period (roughly 1750-1800). This was the time where the greats like Mozart and Beethoven were composing. It is probably the most central and most foundational part in the history of classical music (hence, why it’s called the classical music). All other parts of the classical music somehow define themselves in relation to this period.

But at the same time, that’s why I always felt a bit less connection to the music. It was standard setting, it created a middle of the road for classical music, an aesthetic that sounded light, effortless but was within tight confines and rules. Music needs to be a story and the story of the Classical Period was the attempt to create a timeless aesthetic that – though routed in the time and place (particularly Vienna) – was eternal. But for me, that made it a necessary pitstop between the Baroque (October 2023: the Baroque moved north – Leonard’s Tax Posts (wordpress.com)) and the more exciting changes that were brought about by Romanticism.

Still, I too can’t deny the beauty of some the music created. So even though I don’t intuitively connect to the era, here are some of my favourite discoveries from that time.