essay classical music

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Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History Essays

Nineteenth-century classical music.

"Antonius" Violin

Antonio Stradivari

Dubois et Couturier

Niccolò Paganini (1782–1840)

Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres

Cornet à Pistons in B-flat

Courtois frères

Christian Frederick Martin

Grand Pianoforte

Érard , made in London

Square Piano

Robert Nunns

Grand Piano

Steinway & Sons

The Music Lesson

John George Brown

Giosue Esposito

Julian Alden Weir

Lyon & Healy

Two Young Girls at the Piano

Auguste Renoir

Jayson Kerr Dobney Department of Musical Instruments, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

October 2004

The nineteenth century brought great upheaval to Western societies. Democratic ideals and the Industrial Revolution swept through Europe and changed the daily lives of citizens at all levels. Struggles between the old world order and the new were the root causes of conflicts from the Napoleonic Wars to the American Civil War . From New York, to London, to Vienna, the world was changing and the consequences can still be felt to this day.

The lives of musicians, composers, and makers of musical instruments were greatly altered by these social changes. In earlier times, musicians were usually employed by either the church or the court and were merely servants to aristocratic circles. Composers wrote music for performances in these venues, and musical instrument makers produced instruments to be played by wealthy patrons or their servant musicians. With the rise of the middle class, more people wanted access to music performances and music education.

A new artistic aesthetic, Romanticism , replaced the ideals of order, symmetry, and form espoused by the classicists of the late eighteenth century. Romantics valued the natural world, idealized the life of the common man, rebelled against social conventions, and stressed the importance of the emotional in art. In music, Romanticism, along with new opportunities for earning a livelihood as a musician or composer, produced two seemingly opposite venues as the primary places for musical activity—the large theater and the parlor.

Music as Public Spectacle One result of the Industrial Revolution was the creation of a middle class. This new economic strata consisted of a larger number of people with more disposable income and more leisure time than had ever existed before. Musical extravaganzas that triumphed the musician or composer gained popularity with the masses of concertgoers. Beginning with Beethoven, composers began to arrange large concerts in order to introduce their works to the public. As audiences desired more, composers wrote larger musical works and demanded more of performers and their instruments.

The “bigger is better” mentality led to new musical forms such as the tone poem and large-scale symphonic and operatic works . Orchestras grew, including larger string sections with a full complement of woodwinds, brass, and ever more percussion instruments. New types of orchestral winds ( 2003.150a–g ) and brass ( 2002.190a–n ) that allowed for greater facility and more accurate playing were introduced. Composers such as Hector Berlioz, and later Johannes Brahms and Richard Wagner, continually pushed the limits of the available musical forms, performers, instruments, and performance spaces throughout the nineteenth century.

Musicians who could dazzle and amaze their audiences by their virtuosity became the first musical superstars. The two most famous nineteenth-century examples were the violinist Nicolò Paganini (1782–1840) and the pianist Franz Liszt (1811–1886). Both dazzled audiences throughout Europe with their performances, elevating the status of the musician from servant to demigod. Their fame grew throughout Europe, and their likenesses would be recorded in a variety of visual arts.

In order to withstand the virtuosic and often bombastic playing of these soloists, as well as to provide the type of volume needed in large concert venues, more powerful instruments were needed. Larger and louder violins like those by Antonio Stradivari (1644–1737) or Guarneri del Gesù (1698–1744)—preferred by Paganini—replaced the quieter and subtler violins of earlier masters like Jacob Stainer (ca. 1617–1683) or the Amati family. The demands of pianists like Franz Liszt pressed the technology and design of pianos to ever-larger instruments, eventually replacing the internal wooden structures of the eighteenth century with cast-iron frames that could withstand thousands of pounds of pressure.

Parlor Music Conversely, music gained popularity in the intimate nineteenth-century parlor. At the time, home life was centered in the salon, or parlor, where children played and learned with adult supervision, and where the family entertained company. Musical performances for small groups of people became popular events, and some composers/performers were able to support themselves financially by performing in these small venues and attracting wealthy patrons. Most famous among these was Frédéric Chopin (1810–1849).

Music in the parlor was of a very different sort than in the concert hall. Solo performances and chamber music were popular, and included everything from operatic and orchestral transcriptions to sentimental love songs and ballads. In the United States, hymns and folk songs by composers like Stephen Foster (1826–1864) supplemented the European repertoire.

With the rise of the parlor as the center of family life, music education became increasingly important. Children were often taught to play musical instruments as part of a well-rounded education; for girls, playing an instrument was more important than learning to read. When guests and potential suitors visited, the children and teenagers would entertain with performances of the latest popular works.

All sorts of musical instruments were used in the home, and at various times the guitar , harp ( 2001.171 ), concertina, and banjo were extremely popular. However, the most important musical instrument in the home was the piano, because it was useful as both a solo instrument and as accompaniment to a group of singers or instrumentalists. To accommodate home use, smaller pianos were created, first square pianos and later uprights. Small pianos took up less space and, although they were not as powerful as larger types, they were also less expensive. With the technological advances of the Industrial Revolution, the mass manufacturing of musical instruments—especially pianos—provided a seemingly endless supply for the huge markets of both the United States and Europe. The piano would remain a central component of domestic life until it was replaced by the phonograph, radio, and television in the twentieth century.

Dobney, Jayson Kerr. “Nineteenth-Century Classical Music.” In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History . New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/amcm/hd_amcm.htm (October 2004)

Additional Essays by Jayson Kerr Dobney

Dobney, Jayson Kerr. “ Archtop Guitars and Mandolins .” (September 2016)
Dobney, Jayson Kerr. “ The Guitar .” (September 2007)
Dobney, Jayson Kerr. “ The Piano: Viennese Instruments .” (March 2009)
Dobney, Jayson Kerr. “ Military Music in American and European Traditions .” (October 2004)

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The 6 Different Eras Of Classical Music: A Complete Guide

The European classical music tradition stretches all the way back from the Middle Ages – and as early as 500AD – up to the 20th and 21st Centuries. A number of things link all this music together, but one of the defining features of Western art music, as it is sometimes called, is the use of formal musical notation. This distinguishes it from other genres such as folk music, which tend not to be written down.

As you’d expect with such a massive time frame, classical music changed and developed massively over the years, decades and centuries. As a result, we split classical music into periods, or eras. Each one has its own distinctive sounds, features and key composers. A Gregorian chant from the Medieval period sounds very different to a Romantic-era opera and, ideally, you should be able to listen to a piece and know roughly when it was written and who the composer might be.

This post will act as a guide to the different periods of classical music, with an overview of the six main eras: Medieval music, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th Century classical. That’s a time span of more than one and a half millennia!

Table of Contents

The Medieval Period (500-1400AD)

By far the longest era of classical music, the Medieval music period stretches from 500AD to 1400, a time span of 900 years!

One of the most significant developments during this time was that music was notated for the first time ever, allowing musical information to spread much more easily.

The era can be split into three mini-periods:

Early Medieval music (500-1150AD)
High Medieval music (1150-1300AD)
Late Medieval music (1300-1400AD)

Art at this time was tied closely with religion, and the main form of music was Gregorian chant, or plainsong, which was sung by monks during Mass in the Catholic Church.

The music was monophonic , meaning that it contained just a single melodic line, sung in unison, with no accompanying harmony parts or instrumental accompaniment.

Here is an example, sung by the Gregorian Choir of Paris:

Polyphonic music (which has two or more simultaneous independent melodic parts) began to develop in the second half of the Medieval period.

This paved the way towards the grander Renaissance style that was to follow.

The Renaissance Period (1400-1600AD)

From 1400-1600 The Renaissance Era saw music become more expressive and complex.

Religious music was still ubiquitous, but secular music increased in popularity, as composers were allowed to write creative music for its own sake, and the invention of the printing press allowed for more widespread distribution.

Technological developments in instrument making gave ensembles access to larger ranges and increased textural variety, and harmony became richer, as it started to sound a little closer to the kind functional tonality that we use today.

Important Renaissance composers, many of whom focused upon choral music, include Josquin des Prez, a Frenchman who wrote both secular and sacred works, Italian composer of religious works Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, and the Englishman Thomas Tallis.

Here is a vocal piece by des Prez:

The Baroque Period (1600-1750AD)

The Baroque Era was the dominant style during the years 1600-1750.

Perhaps its most distinctive feature is the use of dense polyphony, where multiple complex melodies weave in and out of each other to impressive effect.

Many of the forms and structures established during this period, including opera and concertos (one or more soloists featured with an ensemble), would become mainstays of classical music over the following centuries.

“Common practice harmony”, the functional tonal system that would remain prevalent through the Classical and Romantic periods, was also established.

The Brandenburg Concertos are by Johann Sebastian Bach, one of the greatest composers of all time:

Composers such as Antonio Vivaldi, Geroge Friedrich Handel, Henry Purcell and Arcangelo Corelli began to experiment with larger ensembles, thus essentially birthing the orchestra .

At the other end of the ensemble spectrum, solo keyboard works were also popular.

The pieces composed for the harpsichord, the predecessor to the piano, were ornate contrapuntal (another word for polyphonic), an archetypal sound of the Baroque period.

The Classical Period (1730-1820AD)

Confusingly, the word “ Classical era ” (capitalised) refers to this specific era (1730-1820), while “classical” (non-capitalised) refers to the whole western art music tradition that we are covering in this post.

Melody was now the order of the day: simple, elegant tunes and highly elegant tunes organised in neat, balanced phrases, in contrast to the complexity of the Baroque era.

The more expressive pianoforte now replaced the harpsichord as the dominant keyboard instrument of the age.

It also saw the orchestras become bigger with the addition of proper woodwind sections.

The symphony – an extended orchestral piece with four contrasting movements – was born, as was the string quartet.

Pioneered by Austrian composer Joseph Haydn, this was a chamber music format that most major composers would write for over the following centuries.

Supreme melodicist Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart is the archetypal Classical composer, and perhaps the most famous composer and prodigy of all time.

He was followed by Ludwig van Beethoven, who bridged the gap between the Classical and Romantic eras.

Beethoven wrote grand scale works, expanding upon previously strict symphonic rules and introducing programmatic content (meaning pieces with extra-musical narratives, music that is about something).

The Romantic Period (1800-1910AD)

Following on from Beethoven’s developments, The Romantic Period (1800-1910) saw composers free themselves from the restrictive conventions of the Classical era, working on a grander scale with much more expressive and emotive content.

The trend for programmatic works continued, with music inspired by nature, literature, legends, national identity and other non-musical stimuli.

We now see the emergence of stunning virtuoso performers, who were widely lauded for their instrumental skills.

Franz Liszt and Frédéric François Chopin were both composers and brilliant pianists.

German composer Richard Wagner was particularly influential in the development of opera, using much more adventurous harmony and increasing chromaticism, and pioneering the use of leitmotifs – musical phrases that represent specific characters.

His ideas influenced the likes of Richard Strauss, Verdi and Puccini.

Here is Wagner’s famous Ride of the Valkyries:

The 20th Century (1900-Present)

A vast range of totally new and radical music came out of the 20th Century, as composers reacted in different ways to the conventions and traditions of previous decades.

One example of this was Impressionism, a movement in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries, in which French composers like Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel used ambiguous tonality and unusual scales like the whole tone scale to suggest colour, mood and atmosphere.

Elsewhere, the modernist movement was about rejecting tradition and embracing individuality.

Arnold Shoenberg pioneered atonalism – dissonant sounding music that dispenses with traditional harmonic function.

Meanwhile Russian composer Igor Stravinksy’s use of rhythm was highly innovative, utilising frequently shifting time signatures, and this is particularly evident in his revolutionary ballet The Rite of Spring :

A number of American composers, including Leonard Bernstein, George Gerswhin, looked towards jazz – then an exciting new artform – for inspiration.

Later on, minimalists like Phillip Glass and Steve Reich used minimal musical material, extensive repetition and electronic techniques, reflecting technological advances of the day.

So, that concludes our guide to the eras of classical music: we hope it will prove interesting and useful for you.

Of course, one of the best ways to help familiarise yourself with the sound of each era is lots of listening to the relevant major composers.

Dan Farrant

Dan Farrant, the founder of Hello Music Theory, has been teaching music for over 15 years, helping hundreds of thousands of students unlock the joy of music. He graduated from The Royal Academy of Music in 2012 and then launched Hello Music Theory in 2014. He plays the guitar, piano, bass guitar and double bass and loves teaching music theory.

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Guide on How to Write a Music Essay: Topics and Examples

Let's Understand What is Music Essay

You know how some school assignments are fun to write by default, right? When students see them on the course syllabus, they feel less like a burden and more like a guaranteed pleasure. They are about our interests and hobbies and therefore feel innate and intuitive to write. They are easy to navigate, and interesting topic ideas just pop into your head without much trouble.

Music essays belong to the category of fun essay writing. What is music essay? Anything from in-depth analysis to personal thoughts put into words and then to paper can fall into a music essay category. An essay about music can cover a wide range of topics, including music history, theory, social impact, significance, and musical review. It can be an analytical essay about any music genre, musical instruments, or today's music industry.

Don't get us wrong, you will still need to do extensive research to connect your opinions to a broader context, and you can't step out of academic writing standards, but the essay writing process will be fun.

In this article, our custom essay writing service is going to guide you through every step of writing an excellent music essay. You can draw inspiration from the list of music essay topics that our team prepared, and later on, you will learn what an outstanding essay on music is by an example of a music review essay.

What are Some Music Topics to Write About

There are so many exciting music topics to write about. We would have trouble choosing one. You can write about various music genres, be it country music or classical music; you can research music therapy or how music production happens.

Okay, forgive us for getting carried away; music makes us enthusiastic. Below you will find a list of various music essay topics prepared from our thesis writing service . Choose one and write a memorable essay about everyone's favorite art form.

Music Argumentative Essay Topics

Music essays can be written about an infinite number of themes. You can even write about performance or media comparison.

Here is a list of music argumentative essay topics. These edge-cutting topics will challenge your readers and get you an easy A+.

Exploring the evolution of modern music styles of the 21st century
Is it ethical to own and play rare musical instruments?
Is music therapy an effective mental health treatment?
Exploring the Intersection of Technology and Creativity in electronic music
The Relevance of traditional music theory in modern music production
The Role of musical pieces in the Transmission of cultural identity
The value of historical analysis in understanding the significance of music in society
How does exposing listeners to different genres of music break down barriers
Exploring the cognitive effects of music on human brain development
The therapeutic potential of music in treating mental disorders

Why is Music Important Essay Topics

Do you know which essay thrills our team the most? The importance of music in life essay. We put our minds together and came up with a list of topics about why music is so central to human life. Start writing why is music important essay, and we guarantee you that you will be surprised by how much fun you had crafting it.

Popular Music and its Role in shaping cultural trends
Music as a metaphorical language for expressing emotions and thoughts
How music changes and influences social and political movements
How the music of different countries translates their history to outsiders
The innate connection between music and human beings
How music helps us understand feelings we have never experienced
Does music affect our everyday life and the way we think?
Examining the cross-cultural significance of music in society
How rock music influenced 70's political ideologies
How rap music closes gaps between different racial groups in the US

Consider delegating your ' write my essay ' request to our expert writers for crafting a perfect paper on any music topic!

Why I Love Music Essay Topics

We want to know what is music to you, and the best way to tell us is to write a why I love music essay. Below you will find a list of music essay topics that will help you express your love for music.

I love how certain songs and artists evoke Memories and Emotions
I love the diversity of music genres and how different styles enrich my love for music
I love how music connects me with people of different backgrounds
How the music of Linkin Park helped me through life's toughest challenges
What does my love for popular music say about me?
How the unique sounds of string instruments fuel my love for music
How music provides a temporary Release from the stresses of daily life
How music motivates me to chase my dreams
How the raw energy of rock music gets me through my daily life
Why my favorite song is more than just music to me

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Music Therapy Essay Topics

One of the most interesting topics about music for an essay is music therapy. We are sure you have heard all the stories of how music cures not only mental but also physical pains. Below you can find a list of topics that will help you craft a compelling music therapy essay. And don't forget that you can always rely on our assistance for fulfilling your ' write my paper ' requests!

The effectiveness of music therapy in reducing stress and pain for cancer patients
Does pop music have the same effects on music therapy as classical music?
Exploring the benefits of music therapy with other genres beyond classical music
The potential of music therapy in aiding substance abuse treatment and recovery
The Role of music therapy in Addressing PTSD and Trauma in military veterans
The impact of music therapy on enhancing social interaction and emotional expression in individuals with developmental disabilities
The use of music therapy in managing chronic pain
Does musical therapy help depression?
Does music reduce anxiety levels?
Is music therapy better than traditional medicine?

History of Music Essay Topics

If you love analytical essays and prefer to see the bigger picture, you can always write a music description essay. Below you can find some of the most interesting topics for the history of music essay.

The Significance of natural instruments in music production and performance
Tracing the historical development of Western music theory
How electronic music traces its roots back to classical music
How the music industry evolved from sheet music to streaming services
How modern producers relate to classical composers
The Origins and Influence of Jazz Music
How folk music saved the Stories of unnamed heroes
Do we know what the music of ancient civilizations sounded like?
Where does your favorite bandstand in the line of music evolve?
The Influence of African American Music on modern pop culture

Benefits of Music Essay Topics

If you are someone who wonders what are some of the values that music brings to our daily life, you should write the benefits of music essay. The music essay titles below can inspire you to write a captivating essay:

How music can be used to promote cultural awareness and understanding
The benefits of music education in promoting creativity and innovation
The social benefits of participating in music groups
The Impact of Music on Memory and Learning
The cognitive benefits of music education in early childhood development
The effects of music on mood and behavior
How learning to play an instrument improves cognitive functions.
How music connects people distanced by thousands of miles
The benefits of listening to music while exercising
How music can express the feelings words fail to do so

Music Analysis Essay Example

Reading other people's papers is a great way to scale yours. There are many music essay examples, but the one crafted by our expert writers stands out in every possible way. You can learn what a great thesis statement looks like, how to write an engaging introduction, and what comprehensive body paragraphs should look like.

Click on the sample below to see the music analysis essay example.

How to Write a Music Essay with Steps

Writing music essays is definitely not rocket science, so don't be afraid. It's just like writing any other paper, and a music essay outline looks like any other essay structure.

Start by choosing a music essay topic. You can use our list above to get inspired. Choose a topic about music that feels more relevant and less researched so you can add brand-new insights. As we discussed, your music essay can be just about anything; it can be a concert report or an analytical paper about the evolution of music.
Continue by researching the topic. Gather all the relevant materials and information for your essay on music and start taking notes. You can use these notes as building blocks for the paper. Be prepared; even for short essays, you may need to read books and long articles.
Once you have all the necessary information, the ideas in your head will start to take shape. The next step is to develop a thesis statement out of all the ideas you have in your head. A thesis statement is a must as it informs readers what the entire music essay is about. Don't be afraid to be bold in your statement; new outlooks are always appreciated.
Next, you'll need a music essay introduction. Here you introduce the readers to the context and background information about the research topic. It should be clear, brief, and engaging. You should set the tone of your essay from the very beginning. Don't forget the introduction is where the thesis statement goes.
One of the most important parts of essay writing is crafting a central body paragraph about music. This is where you elaborate on your thesis, make main points, and support them with the evidence you gathered beforehand. Remember, your music essay should be well structured and depict a clear picture of your ideas.
Next, you will need to come up with an ideal closing paragraph. Here you will need to once again revisit the main points in your music essay, restate them in a logical manner and give the readers your final thoughts.
Don't forget to proofread your college essay. Whether you write a long or short essay on music, there will be grammatical and factual errors. Revise and look through your writing with a critical mind. You may find that some parts need rewriting.

Key Takeaways

Music essays are a pleasure to write and read. There are so many topics and themes to choose from, and if you follow our How to Write a Music Essay guide, you are guaranteed to craft a top-notch essay every time.

Be bold when selecting a subject even when unsure what is research essay topic on music, take the writing process easy, follow the academic standards, and you are good to go. Use our music essay sample to challenge yourself and write a professional paper.

If you feel stuck and have no time our team of expert writers is always ready to give you help from all subject ( medical school personal statement school help ). Visit our website, submit your ' write my research paper ' request and a guaranteed A+ essay will be on your way in just one click.

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FAQs on Writing a Music Essay

Though music essay writing is not the hardest job on the planet, there are still some questions that often pop up. Now that you have a writing guide and a list of essay topics about music, it's time to address the remaining inquiries. Keep reading to find the answers to the frequently asked questions.

Should Artists' Music be Used in Advertising?

What type of music is best for writing an essay, why do people love music.

is an expert in nursing and healthcare, with a strong background in history, law, and literature. Holding advanced degrees in nursing and public health, his analytical approach and comprehensive knowledge help students navigate complex topics. On EssayPro blog, Adam provides insightful articles on everything from historical analysis to the intricacies of healthcare policies. In his downtime, he enjoys historical documentaries and volunteering at local clinics.

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These are the 20 best symphonies of all time

Which is the best-ever symphony? 151 of the world's leading conductors voted for what they thought to be the greatest symphonies ever written

Ramazan Karaoglanoglu

BBC Music Magazine

It’s a classic rags to riches story. From humble beginnings in the Baroque period the symphony has grown in size and influence, becoming a badge of honour among composers clamouring for recognition. Here we explore the greatest 20 classical symphonies of all time .

The symphony throughout history

Haydn used the symphony as a vehicle of emotion, which intensified when Beethoven took on the symphony. To this day his symphonies are viewed as brilliant models of how music can express the most powerful of human feelings, in ways that even words can’t emulate. How did the symphony so rapidly become capable of this?

The answer lies in how composers quickly developed a habit in their symphonies of pitting one theme against another, weighing the relative merits of each, then pulling their conclusions together. This closely mirrored the processes of debate and interaction used in human communication, and it struck a chord deep in audiences.

But which of the thousands of symphonies written over the centuries is the greatest? To find out, we asked 151 of today’s leading conductors to name the three symphonies they consider to be the greatest. We counted up the votes, and, where there were tie-breakers, gave the deciding vote to our trusted critics.

Listen along to our 20 Greatest Symphonies of all time playlist - Spotify or Apple Music

The best symphonies of all time: And the winner is....

1) beethoven - symphony no. 3 (1803).

A trailblazing, mammoth masterpiece, glorifying the life of a great heroic figure

The best symphony of all time has to be the Eroica .

From those first two electrifying orchestral chords to the final victorious timpani flourishes it never puts a toe wrong. Architecturally, it’s stunning. The whole thing is wrought from the brilliantly simple notion of a not-quite-finished tune (first heard on the cellos ) that continually strives for completion, and each time goes off in some fascinating new direction.

Music that stirs, challenges and delights, a sense of vibrant musical form which ensures coherence yet remains elastic enough to admit the most acute human drama – surely that’s enough? But the Eroica also outlines what Jung what call an ‘archetypal’ pattern. Many of the world’s great myths tell of a hero/heroine who strives, fails, dies and then miraculously returns.

Six of the best: Beethoven's overlooked works

There is, Jung would argue, a universal human truth contained in that story. Because Beethoven’s Eroica tells that story in music, not words, it presents that truth in its purest, most universal form. But you don’t have to know any of that to be thrilled by what Beethoven forged from it: by democratic consent, the greatest symphony ever composed.

Recommended recording: Chamber Orchestra of Europe/Nikolaus Harnoncourt Warner 2564637792

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The best symphonies of all time: numbers 2 to 5

2) beethoven – symphony no. 9 (1824).

The symphonic game-changer which has both terrified and inspired composers ever since

Had audiences in 1824 heard anything more elemental than Beethoven's Ninth ’s opening bars? And it was a stroke of genius to place the slow movement not second but third, enabling its climactic profundity – something Gustav Mahler learnt from. So the first three movements clinch the Ninth’s greatness – but then comes Schiller’s utopian Ode to Joy , set to a once-heard-never-forgotten tune that everyone wants as an anthem.

Thanks to that, the Ninth today still has a growing cultural significance. It casts a long shadow – had it never been written we would surely have far more symphonies to talk about. But would you give up Beethoven Nine for a chance to hear them? Of course not.

Recommended recording: Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment/Charles Mackerras Signum SIGCD254

The best recordings of Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue

3) Mozart – Symphony No. 41 (1788)

A triumph of structure, crowned with one of music’s most dazzling fugal finales

The miracle of Mozart 's final symphony is its immense design, with a mixture of celebratory fanfares, cascading scales and yearning figures. The main body of the movement has climaxes in which stunning descending passages alternate and then combine with tremendous upward thrusts; while the centre of the movement enters areas of dense conflict from which there seems no escape. There is no greater or more exhilarating feat than this, nor could there be.

Five essential works by Mozart

Recommended recording: Orchestra Mozart/Claudio Abbado DG 477 7598

4) Mahler – Symphony No. 9 (1909)

An epic work from the dying embers of the Austro-German Romantic tradition

Scored for vast orchestral forces – huge woodwind and brass, with a percussion section that includes timpani, bass drum, side drum, triangle, cymbals, tam-tam, glockenspiel and three deep bells – the most striking thing about its soundworld is Mahler ’s exquisite handling of sonorities.

Mahler's final completed symphony is undoubtedly one of the 20 greatest symphonies of all time.

Recommended recording: Berlin Philharmonic/Herbert von Karajan DG 474 5372

5) Mahler – Symphony No. 2 (1894 rev. 1903)

Symphonic form disturbed, distorted – and finally renewed and redeemed

From the ‘titanic struggles of a mighty being still caught in the toils of this world’ which the composer said fired the first movement, to redemption and resurrection in the choral finale, Mahler couldn’t resist describing his C minor Symphony in programmatic terms.

Recommended recording: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Mariss Jansons RCO Live RCO 10102

The best symphonies of all time: numbers 6 to 10

6) brahms – symphony no. 4 (1885).

A visionary masterpiece combining the spirit of JS Bach with Beethovenian energy

Brahms ’s Fourth baffled even his friends.Sombre, austere with a passacaglia final movement that brought echoes of the Baroque era – it appeared willfully unfashionable. There’s something almost intimidating about the Fourth’s formal perfection: its thematic integration, economy, richness of variation, fusion of polyphony with sonata form.

Recommended recording: London Philharmonic Orchestra/Marin Alsop Naxos 8.570233

7) Berlioz – Symphonie Fantastique (1830)

The French composer Berlioz takes the symphony into a new realm of reverie and imagination

The storm in the Pastoral Symphony certainly goes some way beyond Haydn, but no one before 1830 had come close to writing the note clusters for four timpani that produce such an extraordinary sound at the end of the ‘Scene in the Fields’ – not to mention the bizarre alternations of D flat major and G minor towards the end of the ‘March to the Scaffold’.

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Recommended recording: Mahler Chamber Orchestra/Marc Minkowski DG 474 2092

8) Brahms – Symphony No. 1 (1876)

With his First Symphony, Brahms proves himself a worthy successor to Beethoven

When Brahms came to compose his own First Symphony, pressure was extreme. The work’s creation took him 20 years of on-off struggle, but the achievement was stellar.

Recommended recording: Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique/Gardiner SDG SDG702

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9) Tchaikovsky – Symphony No. 6 (1893)

A wretched struggle between life and death that ultimately ends in abject despair

What really marks this work out is the brilliant way in which Tchaikovsky manipulates the emotional argument and brings a new, frightening dimension to symphonic thinking, the unifying factor a sequence of descending scales that mirrors the Symphony’s long-term narrative of a descent into the abyss.

Tragic, nakedly emotional - and one of the 20 greatest symphonies of all time.

Read more about Tchaikovsky and his work here

Recommended recording: Leningrad Philharmonic/Evgeny Mravinsky DG 477 5911

10) Mahler – Symphony No. 3 (1896)

All of nature and human existence in Mahler’s most ambitious symphony

A century on, the progressive despoliation of the planet is sharply evident, and the relatively benign relationship in the Third between human beings and their environment has drastically deteriorated. Mahler loved the natural world, and all the creatures in it: the Third Symphony encapsulates that profound attachment, in music of life-enhancing physicality and wresting melodic beauty.

Nature makes a grand entry in our list of 20 greatest symphonies of all time.

Recommended recording: Bamberg Symphony Orchestra/Jonathon Nott Tudor TUDOR7170

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The best symphonies of all time: numbers 11 to 15

11) beethoven – symphony no. 5 (1808).

The Fifth Symphony blazes from turbulence to triumph, its structure unfolding from a single motif

Beethoven gives the entire work a remarkable cohesion by referring to that opening rhythmic motif at key moments, for instance by the horns in the penultimate Scherzo movement, recalling it in the finale. In another inspired touch, Beethoven uses the rhythmic motif as a subdued timpani pulse which links the Scherzo to the glorious blaze of the finale’s opening.

Recommended recording: Vienna Philharmonic/Carlos Kleiber DG 447 4002

12) Brahms – Symphony No. 3 (1883)

Written during a happy summer near the Rhine, Brahms’s concise Third was inspired by the motto ‘free but happy’

From contentment to passion, emotion wells up and subsides in music of yearning, bittersweet beauty and each movement ends quietly – rare for symphonies of this time. It also pays homage to Robert Schumann , echoing the Rhenish Symphony in the violins’ first melody , and when Brahms sent the score to Clara Schumann , she said it was a ‘wonderful work.’ One of the sunnier entries in our 20 greatest symphonies of all time.

Recommended recording: Gewandhaus Orchestra/Riccardo Chailly Decca 478 7471

13) Bruckner – Symphony No. 8 (1887/1890)

A synthesis of Bruckner ’s symphonic genius – majestic, sensuous and conflicted…

The Austrian’s cathedral-sized Eighth is the apogee of his symphonic achievements. Although Wagner -like in character and scope, chorale-like themes and harmonies flow through all four movements as Bruckner brings his skill as an organist to bear on this grandest of masterpieces.

Recommended recording: Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Riccardo Chailly Decca 466 6532

14) Sibelius – Symphony No. 7 (1924)

In his final symphony, Sibelius paints a broad, shifting landscape that beguiles with unexpected, twisting paths

Scored in one 22-minute-long movement, originally christened Fantasia sinfonica , Sibelius wrote his Symphony No. 7 at night, aided by substantial amounts of whisky. Extraordinarily, though, the work is among his most lucid and profound musical statements.

It would be his last symphony before a 30-year musical silence – its closing bars, a major seventh B rising to a burnished C major chord, were described by conductor Sir Colin Davis as ‘the closing of the coffin lid’.

Recommended recording: Lahti Symphony Orchestra/Osmo Vanska BIS BIS-CD864

15) Mozart – Symphony No. 40 (1788)

A 35-minute miracle that blends elegance and tragedy, and confounds expectations

No. 40 combines elegance and unease, its dark opening yielding to calmer waters, only to return to despair. Mozart explores this pattern again in the Andante , harmonic clashes, falling motifs and rhythmic twists gently poisoning its bucolic charm. A stately, stormy Minuet precedes the brilliant, fizzing finale which has at its heart a moment of baffling brilliance.

Recommended recording: Scottish Chamber Orchestra/Sir Charles Mackerras Linn CKD308

The best symphonies of all time: numbers 16 to 20

16) beethoven – symphony no. 7 (1812).

Beethoven’s ‘return to life’ – a bubbling cauldron of exuberance and vitality

Beethoven’s Seventh is a restless beast, full of driving, unnerving energy – less about melody, more about rhythm and orchestration. For sure, it teeters on the edge of obsession, in the hypnotic repetitions of the ambiguous Allegretto (the work’s only ‘slow’ movement) and the syncopated, wayward rhythms of the final Allegro that pushes the orchestra to its absolute limits.

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Recommended recording: Staatskapelle Berlin/ Daniel Barenboim Warner 256461890-2

17) Shostakovich – Symphony No. 5 (1937)

The Soviet composer tapped into a deep well of public emotion with his mighty Fifth

It was in the teeth of official denunciation of his opera Lady Macbeth of Mstensk that Shostakovich composed what appeared to be one of his most conventional works. His Fifth Symphony sounds a lament in its third movement, expressing what was too dangerous to be said during Stalin’s ‘Great Terror’. Many of the audience at its premiere were reduced to tears by this movement, and the work received a half-hour standing ovation.

The best recordings of Shostakovich's Symphony No. 5

Recommended recording: BBC National Orchestra of Wales/Mark Wigglesworth BIS-CD-973/974

18) Brahms – Symphony No. 2 (1877)

Brahms hits his symphonic stride with a work of surface serenity and dark undercurrents

Written in the summer of 1877, this is on the surface a sunny, serene work. It’s even been dubbed Brahms’s Pastoral . Yet, as ever with his music, a darkly elegiac tone is never far away, set up in the opening movement by timpani, trombones and tuba. No wonder it went down well at the premiere, with the critic Eduard Hanslick declaring it an ‘unqualified success’.

Recommended recording: London Philharmonic Orchestra/Vladimir Jurowski LPO LPO0043

19) Beethoven – Symphony No. 6 (1808)

Beethoven’s groundbreaking pastoral masterpiece is the ultimate hymn to nature

Cast in five titled movements, Beethoven’s Pastoral takes us on a tour of the countryside, complete with birdsong and a sense of bucolic joy. Where Beethoven's Fifth Symphony progresses inexorably, the Sixth meanders and lingers. Until, that is, the Storm, which rips through this peaceful idyll with extraordinary violence.

The best recordings of Beethoven's Sixth 'Pastoral' Symphony

Recommended recording: London Classical Players/Sir Roger Norrington Virgin 083 4232

20) Bruckner – Symphony No. 7 (1883)

Bruckner pays homage to his hero, Richard Wagner, in a work of great hope and light

Hailed as a masterpiece after its Leipzig premiere in 1883, Bruckner ’s Seventh Symphony became his first (and only) instant success. From the yearning opening cello melody to the dramatic hunting horn motif that begins the third movement, the Seventh is full of striking moments, none more so than the brilliant finale, in which shimmering strings and heroic horns surge upwards to a euphoric close.

Recommended recording : Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra/Bernard Haitink Decca 478 5690

This article first appeared in the May 2016 issue of BBC Music Magazine.

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Classical Music - Essay Examples And Topic Ideas For Free

Classical music, known for its complex structures and formal styles, spans a period from the 11th century to the present day, with the most notable compositions coming from the 17th to early 20th centuries. Essays on classical music might explore its historical evolution, the impact on musical theory and practice, or the works and lives of significant composers. Discussions might also delve into the influence of classical music on other musical genres, its role in contemporary society, or the psychological and emotional effects of classical music on listeners. A substantial compilation of free essay instances related to Classical Music you can find at Papersowl. You can use our samples for inspiration to write your own essay, research paper, or just to explore a new topic for yourself.

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Classical Music Concert at LACMA: a Symphony of Youth

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Mozart and his Life

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Wolfgang Mozart’s Biography

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Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, one of the most influential and prolific composers of the 18th century, lead the forefront of classical music alongside composers like Beethoven, Haydn, Handel, Scherbert, and etc. The 18th century was a period marked by the practical and just music composed during the time. Mozart in particular was rather adept at every musical genre, and so he was able to compose in every major musical genre during his time. Whether it'd be the sonata, concerto, symphony, or […]

I Hear America Singing Analysis

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Mozart’s Life

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Essays on Classical Music

In your classical music essay explore the music that has passed the test of time and nowadays has not lost its relevance. Classical music belongs to a specific period in the history of music, which authors of essays on classical music refer to as the classical period, or the period of classicism, that took place in the 18th and 19th century. Writers of essays name some of the world’s most famous classical musicians: Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Brahms, Wagner, Tchaikovsky, Chopin, Vivaldi, and others – the list can go on. Classical music essays define depth, elegance, and harmony as the most common features of classical music. If you need some ideas, check out our classical music essay samples. We listed the best essay samples below for you to learn from.

One of the performances was titled “Romeo and Juliet” by Sergei Prokofiev, a ballet based on the play by William Shakespeare titled “Romeo and Juliet.” The performance of Sergei Prokofiev’s work ended differently from the William Shakespeare’s play, which had a sad ending. The performance exhibited Juliet returning to life...

The United States and Classical-Style Composers The United States is one of the nations that host great classical-style composers. For example, Hector Berlioz and Richard Wagner who compose music such as folks, blues, pop and jazz styles for performance. According to Rosen (2005), the industrial revolution and the struggle for democracy...

Music and its Structures Music is a sequential type of art that has been annotated for a long time by vibrational methods. Classical tunes are created using a variety of structures in music. The theme character is made up of tiny groups of stages that complete the musical premise. It is...

Claude Debussy, a prominent French composer who was one of the most protuberant figure that was involved in the late 19th and 20th century impressionist music and Gustav Mahler who was an Austrian romantic composer and served as a link amid the modernism of the earlier 19th and 20th century...

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Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 in C Minor, Op. 67 ”Allegro con brio” (first movement), first carried out in 1808, has always been an eye-opener to me because of how it is delivered by revealing to the ears and the deepest part of my soul. This is with regards...

Ludwig Van Beethoven: A Musical Genius Ludwig Van Beethoven was a pianist and composer of German origin. His music is greatly distinct from the rest because of their large extended architectonic designs that featured broad templates, musical materials, and motifs developed through 'modulation' technique (Swafford 92). The Technique of Modulation The technique involved...

10-day Orchestra Nights at Barbican On September 14th at 7:30pm, 10-day orchestra nights was organized by Barbican. It featured local and international Classical music. This program brought the best orchestras and international artists to London. Staged orchestras, operas and contemporary compositions were some of the wonders of music seen in this...

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Classical Music - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

Classical music is a genre of music characterized by complex harmonies, ornate melodies, and formal structures. It often uses orchestras or chamber ensembles and is known for its emphasis on balance and restraint. Classical composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, and Bach are widely renowned for their contributions to music theory and innovation, and classical music is seen as a cornerstone of Western culture. With roots dating back to the medieval and Renaissance periods, classical music has evolved and adapted over the centuries, continuing to inspire and captivate enthusiasts worldwide.

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Report on My Visit of Classical Music Concert “Endings”
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Comparison of Beethoven’s and Mozart’s Classical Music Pieces
Characteristics of Renaissance and Baroque Periods
Ludwig Van Beethoven and Niccolo Paganini
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Classical Music Essay Examples

Classical music: tracing the evolution of western musical tradition.

Music is a very important part of history. It represents the style and people of the era it is from. Music is also constantly changing to fit the style people like. Throughout the history of music, conductors have played an important role in organizing and...

Analysis of Classical Music's Effect on Humans

To start with, this is classical music essay where will be discussed its effects on human's brain and emotions. Classical music's roots lies in Egypt. They used classical music to express their culture, society, art and their lifestyle. They created music called cheironomy. Also healing...

Strauss: One of the Most Recognizable Composers then and Now

When someone mentions the name Strauss most people would recognize it. But probably not through knowledge of Richard Strauss. The popular jean brand Levi Strauss probably comes to mind. Or maybe they think of Johann Strauss II, also known as “The Waltz King.” They may...

The Stroop Test: Measuring an Individual’s Ability to Inhibit the Cognitive Interferences

Beethoven is one of the most well-known and influential musicians of all time, if not, the most. He has been credited for the romantic period, which drastically changed the way music is played in a lot of ways, especially in [the three pieces]. To put...

The Life Story of the Musical Genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

The German composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was not only a musical genius but was also one of the pre−eminent geniuses of the Western world. He defined in his music a system of musical thought and an entire state of mind that were unlike any previously...

The Influence of Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 K.467 on Concertos by Other Composers.

This essay will discuss the influence of Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.21 K.467 in C major on the works of other composers. This concerto was finished on 9th of March in 1785. It has significant influence on Piano Concerto No.5 in C major by Joseph Wolfl...

The Concert "Stravinsky’s Firebird and Ravel"

The concert “Stravinsky’s Firebird and Ravel” was performed at the David Geffen Hall on Friday, February 22, 2019. The David Geffen Hall is located in the Lincoln Center and is the home to the world-renowned New York Philharmonic. The hall is very beautiful with a...

The Problem of the Law of Incarceration in the United States: the New Jim Crow

We listen to the music of Beethoven not only for its ability to transcend time and to experience visceral emotional fulfillment, but also to gain insight into the composer and his mythologized life. Music came to occupy a privileged role within Romanticism because of its...

Mozart's Contribution to Classical Music

The classical music period that started in the early 18th century and ended in the early 19th century is perhaps one of the most significant periods of music. The classical period gave rise to composers like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven, who remain...

Víctor Mirecki – a Genius of a Cellist

Víctor Alexander Marie Mirecki Larramat, achieved Spanish cellist and music teacher, died of old age at 72, on April7th. Víctor Mirecki was one of the most flexible and talented concert performers in the late 19th century and early 20th century. He was a man of...

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