How Did Music Change From Baroque To The Classical Period?

Music is not unlike a metronome. It frequently swings back and forth between the emotional and the reserved, each stroke propelled by the one before. The weight of the last affects the momentum of the next. In the mid-eighteenth century, the music shift was in full swing, transitioning from Baroque to Classical. One may observe this change through the music’s purpose, style and via the composers of the time.

One of the main reasons this tidal shift occurred was because people began to see music more and more as an art form rather than as purely functional. While certainly enjoyable, Baroque composers regularly purposed their music to set the tone for formal affairs such as religious ceremonies or social events. There was a specific objective intention in mind. In contrast, Classical composers often created their work simply for the sake of enjoyment alone. This view of music being largely for delight and entertainment was reflected in

The first contender was J. S. Bach. He died in 1750, the very same year the Classical period is said to have begun. He was a remarkably talented composer, his work being famous for its lively tempo found often among the hundreds of cantatas he created. Many musical historians refer to Beethoven as “the man who changed everything.” (Pogue 34.) Though he was a renowned writer, Beethoven possessed a great temper. At age thirty-one his hearing began to fail, eventually resulting in his reliance on vibrations alone. This great misfortune resulted in a transition to a more Classical style. Joseph Haydn, known also as “Papa Hayden,” is another composer who had a role in the start of the Classical era. He was a pleasant, charming man, who mentored many other great composers, including Beethoven. It may be impossible to identify any one person responsible for initiating the swing in the Classical direction. But all of these men played an important role in the