Music of the Classical Period  At the age of six, he was already touring Europe to play for
 started from 1750-1827
 referred to as the “Age of Reason” or “The Enlightenment”
and also referred to as the “Viennese Classical Period”
 looks after the betterment of humanity through good
education
 In music, the Classical period reflected the changes in
society where music is written
 It served highly sophisticated and wealthy society.
 Classical period was inspired by – Rococo Ideals- the artistic
expression dedicated to elegance, gracefulness, and at the
same time, frivolous.
 Church music was no longer a major patron for composing
sacred music since secular music is more popular during this
period.
COMPOSERS OF THE CLASSICAL PERIOD
1. FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN
 born on March 31, 1732, Rohrau, Austria
 an Austrian composer who was considered to be the key
figure in the evolution of the Classical style in music during
the 18th century.
 He helped establish the forms and styles for the
string quartet and the symphony.
 He was a self-taught musician.
 His great influence on the innovations of instrumental music
made him known as “The Father of Symphony.”
 He wrote 108 symphonies during his career.
 After leaving school, Haydn earned a living as a freelance
musician, music teacher, and composer.
 His first steady job came in 1757 when he was hired as music
director for Count Morzin. Over time, his name and
compositions became more recognizable. During his time
with Count Morzin, Haydn wrote 15 symphonies, concertos,
piano sonatas, and possibly his first two string quartets. He
married Maria Anna Keller on November 26, 1760.
 In 1761, he was hired by rich patrons nad eventually became
the musical director of the Ezterhazy family, one of the most
influential family in Hungary for 30 years.
 Haydn spent the last years of his life in Vienna composing
only vocal pieces such as masses and oratorios.
 He passed away in the middle of the night on May 31, 1809,
at the age of 77 and was deeply mourned by friends and rival
in the music scene because he was such a noble man.
 Mozart’s Requiem was performed at his funeral.
FAMOUS WORKS
1. Haydn: The Creation (1801)
2. Symphony No. 94
3. Trumpet Concerto
4. Cello Concerto No. 1
5. The Seasons (1798)
6. Missa in Angustiis
7. The Seven Last Words of Christ
2. WOLFGANG AMADEUS MOZART
 was born in Salzburg, Austria on January 27, 1756
 He was considered as the greatest musical genius of all time.
 He was a brilliant composer who was sought out by kings
and emperors.
 He created large number of operas, symphonies, concertos,
and sonatas that profoundly shaped the Classical music.
 His father Leopold was an excellent musician, a violinist in
the court orchestra of the Archbishop of Salzburg.
 At the age of five, he was already composing respectable
compositions.
royalties. He could listen to music once and write it down
without any mistake.
 His sister Maria Anna also known Nannerl was also a fine
musician.
 He finished more than 100 works of sonatas and symphonies
at the age of 15.
 His music style has natural flow that can express various
emotions with both conviction and mastery.
 He worked with the archbishop of Salzburg and had the
opportunity to work with many genres.
 He left Salzburg and went to the City of Dreams as a
freelance musician
 He married Constanze Weber at the age of 25 and had two
children.
 Mozart died on Dec. 5, 1791 at the age of 35.
FAMOUS WORKS
1. Idomeneo
2. The Marriage of Figaro
3. Don Diovanni
4. The Magic Flute
-unfinished works
- Missa Solemnis
- Requiem
3. LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN
 baptised on December 17, 1770 at Bonn, Rhine, Germany
 He was a man of iron determination, a proud one with an
enormous courage to triumph over his deafness.
 He calls himself as “Tondichter” because his music showed
individualism and his personal ideas were not conforming to
the traditional way which led to the next era of
Romanticism.
 Recognized as the “The Prince of All Composers,”
Beethoven represents the highest level of a musical genius.
 He is the second son of a court musician and a tenor singer
who harshly and intensively taught him, Johan van
Beethoven.
 He continued to learn music and composition under
Christian Gottlob Neefe, a court organist who became his
agent.
 At the age of 17, he left Germany and went to Vienna for
further studies.
 Haydn became his teacher for just a short period of time.
 Beethoven gained a reputation as a virtuoso pianist, and he
was soon courted by Karl Alois, Prince Lichnowsky for
compositions which resulted in Opus 1 in 1795.
 His fame grew in 1796 but is beginning to experience heavy
disorder with no cure,
 In 1801, he gained fame for his six string quartets and for the
ballet “The Creatures of Promentheus.”
 During this period his hearing began to deteriorate, but he
continued to conduct, premiering his third and fifth
symphonies in 1804 and 1808.
 His condition worsened at almost complete deafness by
1811, and he then gave up performing and appearing in
public.
 Beethoven died at the age of 56 in Austria on March 26,
1827. Vienna indeed mourned his passing.
FAMOUS WORKS
1. Bagatelle No. 25 in A minor commonly known as “Fur Elise”
2. Fidelio (1805)
3. Moonlight Sonata
“Neither a lofty degree of intelligence nor imagination nor both
together go to the making of genius. Love, love, love, that is the soul of
genius.”
-Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart