Music of the Classical Era
(22)Strictly speaking, by classical music we mean: music from the era of classicism, ca. 1730-1820. The most important composers from this period are: - Joseph Haydn - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart - Ludwig van Beethoven One of the most important innovations, originally from the so-called Mannheimer School, is the integral use of signs to notate the dynamics (such as p for soft and f for strong, loud). Furthermore, the music remains mainly tonal, but undergoes a major change, gradually the counterpoint is replaced by the harmony and the pianoforte begins a strong advance, clearing the way for the triumph of the piano. New forms emerged in the period of classicism: the sonata form, the symphony; and new line-ups: the string quartet and the (then still small) symphony orchestra.
