genre of Western music (c. 1730–1820)

Classical period (music) - Wikipedia
The Classical period was an era of classical music between roughly 1750 and 1820. The classical period falls between the Baroque and Romantic periods. It is mainly homophonic, using a clear melody … Wikipedia
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Classical_period_(music)
Classical period (music) - Wikipedia
4 weeks ago - The Classical period was an era of classical music between roughly 1750 and 1820. The classical period falls between the Baroque and Romantic periods. It is mainly homophonic, using a clear melody line over a subordinate chordal accompaniment, but counterpoint was by no means forgotten, especially ...
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Fort Collins Symphony
fcsymphony.org › home › a brief history of classical music
A Brief History of Classical Music - Fort Collins Symphony
June 29, 2022 - Classical Music is a staple in the concert hall. Any symphony or concerto by Mozart or Haydn (and some by Beethoven) counts. Mozart’s 40th Symphony, performed by the Fulda Symphonic Orchestra · The Romantic period lasts from about 1800 to 1900, and some say that it marks the height of the ...
Discussions

Best of each classical period?
If you are talking favorites then: Medieval- de Mauchaut or Dufay Renaissance- Gesualdo Baroque- J.S. Bach Classical- Mozart Romanticist- Wagner (if you allow me to divide Romanticism into 3 then Schubert for early, Wagner for middle, Strauss for late) Modernist- Honestly a toss up between Berg, Messiaen, and Bartok Post-WWII- Schnittke Those are all essential but add Palestrina, Monteverdi, Corelli, Couperin, Rameau, Vivaldi, Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin, Berlioz, Liszt, Dvorak, Brahms, Bruckner, Tchaikovsky, Mahler, Debussy, Ravel, Scriabin, Rachmaninov, Schoenberg, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Webern, Boulez, Ligeti, and Stockhausen for a much fuller picture More on reddit.com
🌐 r/classicalmusic
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December 5, 2022
What is classical music
In music, the term "classical" is has different meanings depending on context. Classical music refers to the corpus of Western art music. But the classical period is one of the main periods into which classical music history is generally divided (these include Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, and Romantic). Your professor is technically correct, which is the best kind of correct. But this is a silly and pedantic point. EDIT: ironically, I was being pedantic too. The period since the Romantic is divided differently by different authorities. As a commenter points out, Rite of Spring is 110 years old and can hardly be considered contemporary anymore. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/classicalmusic
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September 17, 2023
Why is it all called "Classical Music" when the classical era of music was only about 80 years long?
Funny you mention this. Here's a relevant scene. In answer to your question, it originated as the term in the 19th century to refer to a "golden age" of music - namely, Bach to Beethoven. You'll notice some immediate problems, the biggest of which is that Bach cantatas are nothing like Beethoven symphonies, and certainly nothing like the latter's late works. Of course, there's also the pervading problem of the exclusivity of western music, but that's neither here nor there, apparently. Nowadays, there are essentially three separate, yet interlocking definitions: "Classical music", capital C, which denotes the Classical Period music (not to be confused with the Classical Era, like Ancient Greece, ofc), "classical music" meaning in general "old, orchestral-y music", and "classical music" meaning "orchestral-y music" in general. Note that the latter two, clearly, have a ton of overlap; here, I'm making the distinction because I know some people who clearly differentiate filmic "classical" and concert "classical", and others who kind of lump them all together. I suspect that the problem arises from people taking "classical" to mean "old", or perhaps timbrally equivalent to whatever appears in a Romantic symphony. Since basically all instruments in a Classical symphony more or less appear in a Romantic symphony (i.e. the entire set of Classical instruments is a subset of Romantic instruments), people have just kind of lumped them together in a sort of "this is classical music". It's like a non-metalhead listening to Iron Maiden, A7X, and Black Sabbath and just kind of lumping them all together under "metal". Technically not wrong, but it fails to get at the nuances between different bands and subgenres. That's kind of why I brought up the Star Trek scene. If "classical" is really just "old music that I don't really listen to", then it follows that the definition of classical music is evolving as time progresses. More on reddit.com
🌐 r/musictheory
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644
October 16, 2020
My summary of what r/classicalmusic defines as the classical period of music & it's composers.
Thank you ChatGPT More on reddit.com
🌐 r/classicalmusic
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July 27, 2023
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MasterClass
masterclass.com › articles › classical-era-music-guide
Classical Era Music Guide: What Was the Classical Era in Music? - 2025 - MasterClass
It was followed by the Romantic period. Important forms of the Classical period include the string quartet, opera (including opera buffa and opera seria), trio sonata, symphony (traditionally written in sonata form), string quartet, and solo concertos for a variety of instruments.
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Liberty Park Music
libertyparkmusic.com › the-classical-period
The Classical Period – Liberty Park Music
Generally, what people actually mean when they say classical music is “music of the Western Art Tradition.” “Western Art Music” includes music made from the Middle Ages through the 21st century in Western Europe, North America, and other continents with a history of European colonization.
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Naxos
naxos.com › classicalmusichistory
Classical Music History | What's the history of classical music? Learn more at Naxos
The second half of the 16th century witnessed the beginnings of the tradition which many music lovers readily associate with the normal feel of ‘classical’ music. Gradually, composers moved away from the modal system of harmony which had predominated for over 300 years (and still sounds somewhat archaic to some modern ears), towards the organisation of their work into major and minor scales, thereby imparting the strong sensation of each piece having a definite tonal centre or ‘key’. This was also something of a golden period for choral composition as a seemingly endless flow of a capella (unaccompanied) masses, motets, anthems, psalms and madrigals flowed from the pens of the masters of the age.
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Classic FM
classicfm.com › discover-music › four-eras-classical-music
The 4 eras of classical music: a quick guide - Classic FM
January 10, 2022 - With centuries of history to consider, it can be easy to get in a bit of a twist when it comes to the various eras of Western classical music. Here’s a quick guide to the four key periods we usually learn about in music theory: Baroque, Classical, Romantic, 20th Century and beyond.
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Akronsymphony
akronsymphony.org › home › musical periods
Musical Periods - Akron Symphony Orchestra
August 26, 2024 - Classical music is generally broken down into six periods or genres, starting with Early Music, primarily featuring the human voice, and continuing through today with a diverse range of musical styles.
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Spotify
open.spotify.com › album › 5kMukjz6bov6Gfz3onjkIi
The Best of the Classical Period - Compilation by Various ...
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Musical U
musical-u.com › musical u › ear training › genres › exploring classical music: the classical era, part 1
Exploring Classical Music: The Classical Era, Part 1 - Musical U
February 14, 2017 - The Classical Era in music is generally book-ended to the decades spanning from 1750-1820: some volatile socio-political times as well as intense developments in intellectual and cultural ideology.
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SlideShare
slideshare.net › home › education › music of the classical period
Music of the classical period | PPTX
The major composers of the Classical period - Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven - are profiled, outlining their lives and most famous works. Important instrumental forms from this time like sonata, concerto, and symphony are also summarized. The document concludes with group activities for students to reinforce their understanding of Classical music.
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Amorim Fine Violins
amorimfineviolins.com › our-blog › history-lesson-classical-period-music
A Brief History Lesson: Classical Period Music | Amorim Fine Violins Cremona
October 19, 2023 - In contrast to the elaborate melodies and ornaments of high Baroque music, the new style of music featured simple melodies backed by larger ensembles. Classical period music was the time when composers were writing music to fit in with the rules and standards they had been given.
Address   Piazza Marconi, 7b, 26100, Cremona
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Quora
quora.com › How-would-you-describe-the-music-during-the-classical-period
How would you describe the music during the classical period? - Quora
Answer: Orchestral. Because of the industrial revolution and the proliferation of musical instruments, it gave rise to orchestras. The discovery of how to apply equal temperament, this too gave rise to orchestras for now instruments could play together without temperament issues. This was also t...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/musictheory › why is it all called "classical music" when the classical era of music was only about 80 years long?
r/musictheory on Reddit: Why is it all called "Classical Music" when the classical era of music was only about 80 years long?
October 16, 2020 -

Pretty much all types of orchestral music are referred to commonly as "classical music" regardless of the era they're from or what ensemble they use. Everything from ~1100 to ~1900 often gets this name, as does any modern orchestral music that isn't strictly cinematic it seems. It's pretty universally referred to this way.

Isn't there a better term for music using orchestra instruments as a whole?

Top answer
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Funny you mention this. Here's a relevant scene. In answer to your question, it originated as the term in the 19th century to refer to a "golden age" of music - namely, Bach to Beethoven. You'll notice some immediate problems, the biggest of which is that Bach cantatas are nothing like Beethoven symphonies, and certainly nothing like the latter's late works. Of course, there's also the pervading problem of the exclusivity of western music, but that's neither here nor there, apparently. Nowadays, there are essentially three separate, yet interlocking definitions: "Classical music", capital C, which denotes the Classical Period music (not to be confused with the Classical Era, like Ancient Greece, ofc), "classical music" meaning in general "old, orchestral-y music", and "classical music" meaning "orchestral-y music" in general. Note that the latter two, clearly, have a ton of overlap; here, I'm making the distinction because I know some people who clearly differentiate filmic "classical" and concert "classical", and others who kind of lump them all together. I suspect that the problem arises from people taking "classical" to mean "old", or perhaps timbrally equivalent to whatever appears in a Romantic symphony. Since basically all instruments in a Classical symphony more or less appear in a Romantic symphony (i.e. the entire set of Classical instruments is a subset of Romantic instruments), people have just kind of lumped them together in a sort of "this is classical music". It's like a non-metalhead listening to Iron Maiden, A7X, and Black Sabbath and just kind of lumping them all together under "metal". Technically not wrong, but it fails to get at the nuances between different bands and subgenres. That's kind of why I brought up the Star Trek scene. If "classical" is really just "old music that I don't really listen to", then it follows that the definition of classical music is evolving as time progresses.
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“classical music” is music that is classical, or based on western 12 tone structure that has been developed over 1000s of years. “Classical music” with a capital C is Classical Era music like Mozart and Haydn.
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Stringovation
blogs.stringovation.com › the-classical-period-of-music
The Classical Period of Music
September 4, 2025 - This is why Classical music is predominantly homophonic, featuring singable melodies supported by harmonically subordinate accompaniment. Composers also made greater use of varied phrase lengths and clearly defined cadences, allowing for more dynamic contrasts and expressive shifts within a single piece. Haydn's Symphony No. 14 in A major, a representative work of early Classical Era composition. The Classical Period also marked the formalization of many enduring musical forms, most notably the symphony and concerto, which continue to shape what we now refer to as classical music.
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Classical_music
Classical music - Wikipedia
November 9, 2025 - Though the term "classical music" includes all Western art music from the medieval era to the 21st century, the Classical era was the period of Western art music from the 1750s to the early 1820s—the era of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph ...
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GTMS
greatertorontomusic.ca › post › 7-eras-of-classical-music
7 Eras of Classical Music
He spent many years in Venice where he composed many of his works and served as the musical director to an orphanage for girls. He influenced any of his peers, including the prolific J.S. Bach, who we discussed earlier in this post. Bach was said to have transcribed many of Vivaldi's pieces and certainly gained many valuable ideas. Vivaldi died a poor man in Venice, despite his immense influence and success. Whereas the baroque era was a period of the development of the sound, expression and colour of classical music composition, the classical era saw the development of form and clarity in structure and order.
Published   November 1, 2024
Views   199
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Lumen Learning
courses.lumenlearning.com › suny-musicapp-medieval-modern › chapter › the-classical-era
The Classical Era | Music 101
This preference for simplicity and homophonic texture over the complex counterpoint of Bach and Handel paved the way for a new musical era that we label as classical. The dates of the Classical period in Western music are generally accepted as being between about 1750 and 1820.