The Library of Classical Music

The Classical period saw a broad reaction against the layered complexities of Baroque music and led to a simpler relationship between melody and harmony. It was a musical style that reflected the mid-18th century's wider enthusiasm for reviving the clean, well-ordered structures of Greek classicism across the arts. The orchestra expanded in size, woodwind became a self-contained section and the harpsichord was increasingly displaced by the recently invented fortepiano. Instrumental music dominated, notably symphony and string quartet, with examples of both strands represented here in piano arrangements. Among the many composers whose work is included are C.P.E. Bach, J.C. Bach, Beethoven, Clementi, Czerny, Gluck, Haydn, Hummel, Mozart and Weber.