Classical (1750-1830)

The Baroque era witnessed the creation of a number of musical genres which would maintain a hold on composition for years to come, yet it was the Classical period which saw the introduction of a form which has dominated instrumental composition to the present day: sonata form. With it came the development of the modern concerto, symphony, sonata, trio and quartet to a new peak of structural and expressive refinement. If Baroque music is notable for its textural intricacy, then the Classical period is characterised by a near-obsession with structural clarity.

The seeds of the Classical age were sown by a number of composers whose names are now largely forgotten such as Schobert and Honnauer (both Germans largely active in Paris), as well as more historically respected names, including Gluck, Boccherini and at least three of Johann Sebastian Bach’s sons: Carl Phillip Emmanuel, Wilhelm Friedmann and Johann Christian (the so-called ‘London’ Bach). They were representative of a period which is variously described as rococo or galante, the former implying a gradual move away from the artifice of the High Baroque, the latter an entirely novel style based on symmetry and sensibility, which came to dominate the music of the latter half of the 18th century through two composers of extraordinary significance: Joseph Haydn and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

Album Title Catalogue No.
(re)creations ACC-30531
[BLUE] 8.226914
100 Anniversary Edition - Salzburg Festival 755608
100 Anniversary Edition - Salzburg Festival 755704
100 Christmas Classics C7331
100 Christmas Meditation C7371
100 Famous Marches 75442201072
100 Masterpieces of Sacred Choral Music C7155
101 Classics: The Best Loved Classical Melodies 8.508004
101 Great Orchestral Classics, Vol. 1 8.551141
101 GREAT ORCHESTRAL CLASSICS, Vol. 10 8.551150
101 Great Orchestral Classics, Vol. 2 8.551142
101 Great Orchestral Classics, Vol. 3 8.551143
101 Great Orchestral Classics, Vol. 4 8.551144
101 Great Orchestral Classics, Vol. 5 8.551145
101 Great Orchestral Classics, Vol. 7 8.551147
101 Great Orchestral Classics, Vol. 8 8.551148
101 Great Orchestral Classics, Vol. 9 8.551149
129th Army Band 75442261232
150 Years Wiener Staatsoper (The Anniversary Edition) C980120
1825 Gramola99186
19th Century Guitar Favourites 8.553007
1st Chopin Festival Hamburg 2018 (Live) 8.574058
20 Klassiska Favoriter 8.570566
20 Years Of Classical Music: Naxos Anniversary Collection (Naxos Denmark) 8.570598