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Period: to
Pietro Metatasio
poet and composer of 27 3-act operas -
Period: to
Giovanni Battista Sammartini
Italian composer and innovator of the symphony in Milan -
Period: to
Farinelli
One of the most famous castradi -
Period: to
Franz Xaver Richter
German composer (Mannheim) -
Period: to
Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach
Eldest son of J.S. Bach. Baroque and classical composer -
Period: to
Christoph Willibald Gluck
German Opera-reform composer -
Period: to
Johann Stamitz
Helped establish the symphonic genre -
Period: to
Dr. Charles Burney
Music historian and organist who traveled Europe -
Melody
Singable and had symmetrical phrasing. Examples include fanfares and hunting calls. -
Rhythm
Rhythm is still simple and complementary to the melody. -
Harmony
Harmonies are still simple and predictable, but in sonatas, the harmony uses faster rhythms. -
Texture
Homophony was the texture of choice unless the composer wanted to portray a specific topic. -
Form
Sonatas are still the leading form of music, but rondos are becoming more popular. -
Dynamics
Dynamics are used more often, but they are written mostly as forte and piano. Fortissimo and Pianissimo are used sparingly. -
Timbre
The clarinet is added to ensembles. -
Period: to
Classical Era
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Period: to
Franz Joseph Haydn
Austrian composer who was an innovator in the classical era -
Period: to
Luigi Boccerini
Italian composer and cellist -
Period: to
William Billings
Most prominent composer in New America -
Period: to
Domenico Cimarosa
Very successful Italian composer -
Period: to
Lorenzo Da Ponte
Poet who collaborated with Mozart -
Period: to
Antonio Salieri
Extremely successful Italian composer who helped transition from galant music to classical music, and again from classical music to romantic music -
Period: to
Muzio Clementi
English composer of Italian birth -
Period: to
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
One of the best musicians and composers of all time and the epitome of classical music -
Instruments
The piano emerged and clarinets were being used more frequently.