Western History 174: Who are the Ten Greatest Classical Composers of all-Time?

When researching the music background to answer this question I was pleasantly surprised by a stark realization. Many of the composers who we would ordinarily regard as Classical are in fact part of others eras namely the Baroque and the Romantic. This distinction is often overlooked.

The Baroque period preceded the Classical era and corresponds with the time period between 1600–1750. It was during this era that we witness the work of Johann Sebastian Bach, George Fredric Handel, Jean-Baptise Lully and Claudio Monteverdi. Opera was born in the Baroque era and there was a larger use of keyboard instrumentation and small ensemble work.

The Romantic Period covers the time between 1800 and 1910 and includes the compositions of Johannes Brahms, Antonín Dvořák, Frederick Delius, Franz Liszt, Richard Wagner, Richard Strauss, Edvard Grieg, Gustav Mahler, Frédéric Chopin, Felix Mendelssohn, Robert Schumann, Louis-Hector Berlioz and the great opera composers Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Georges Bizet. The era is exemplified by its expressive and emotionally driven music.

So where do the Classical composers fit in? Well the Western Classical era is taken as the period between 1730–1820 giving it an overlap at the bookends with each of the other two periods. The period had many great musicians but any top ten list would have to include Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven as #1 and #2, followed by Joseph Haydn and Franz Schubert. To this list I would add Gioachino Rossini, Johann Cannabich (of Mannheim orchestra fame), Niccolò Paganini, Johann Hummel (an important transition figure to the Romantic Period), Christoph Gluck and Johann Christian Bach.

Ludwig van Beethoven source: Gramophone

Joseph Haydn source: the Guardian.com

Mozart - looking really chill. source: San Diego Symphony

Classical music has a distinct style that differs from that of Baroque. It has a lighter feel to it, and uses distinct melodies. It also makes use of large orchestras than its predecessor. In addition the piano replaces the harpsichord with the symphony growing in influence.

Additional Reading:

Julian Rushton, Classical Music, London 1994.