Baroque and classical music. I love its rhythm and dynamics, the rich sound of the orchestra, the vast variety of melodies and harmonies, the smooth and soothing quality its sound has to the ear, and the lore behind the different keys and instruments, but unfortunately most of it is about god or some monarch and basically the first great classical composer who would dare to no longer compose for the church or the nobility, gain financial independence, and express political opinions denouncing the feudal system would be Beethoven
Baroque music still tends to have many heavy overarching tendencies in common such as terrace dynamics, the doctrine of affections, and a whole jungle of commonly accepted symbols and allusions. Its composers, after all, tended to see music as an - albeit very complex - craft, rather than an art. Nonetheless, the great composers of this era, such as J.S. Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and G.F. Händel, still managed to develop their personal styles: Bach’s music tends to sound austere and elegant, Vivaldi is wild and energetic, and Händel sounds brilliant and festive.
Then of course, you have to know the Big Three of the Vienna period; Joseph Haydn, W.A. Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. Haydn basically invented the symphony as we know it today, Mozart brought it to fame, and Beethoven mastered it. They represent a progression from complete dependence towards rejection of the feudal Ancién Regime: Haydn spent almost his whole life entertaining a dynasty of Austro-Hungarian noblemen by establishing a more exploratory style, Mozart travelled internationally and collected different musical styles to eliminate the preconceptions other Europeans used to have of “uncivilised” nations, and finally Beethoven’s music always has the subtext of bourgeois democracy struggling to be born in Southern and Western Germany.
If you want to busy yourself for a week or so, I can recommend some of their most famous and well-known works:
From Bach, the Orchestral Suites 1-4 where some of his most famous tunes appear, and the Musical Offering which he improvised and provides a good look into his techniques.
From Vivaldi, obviously the Four Seasons concertos which concentrate his programmatic, expressive style. An interesting find is La Follia (the madness) which at some points approximates metal music.
From Mozart, I recommend you listen to the Magic Flute which is an opera laden with symbols of his ideals and different styles of music; as well as his last symphony "Jupiter" (No. 42). You might also enjoy his mischievous side, shown in “A Musical Joke” where he parodies bad composers, conductors, players, and low-quality instruments.
Baroque and classical music. I love its rhythm and dynamics, the rich sound of the orchestra, the vast variety of melodies and harmonies, the smooth and soothing quality its sound has to the ear, and the lore behind the different keys and instruments, but unfortunately most of it is about god or some monarch and basically the first great classical composer who would dare to no longer compose for the church or the nobility, gain financial independence, and express political opinions denouncing the feudal system would be Beethoven
I’ve been wanting to get into some. Could you give like 3-5 recommendations?
Baroque music still tends to have many heavy overarching tendencies in common such as terrace dynamics, the doctrine of affections, and a whole jungle of commonly accepted symbols and allusions. Its composers, after all, tended to see music as an - albeit very complex - craft, rather than an art. Nonetheless, the great composers of this era, such as J.S. Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and G.F. Händel, still managed to develop their personal styles: Bach’s music tends to sound austere and elegant, Vivaldi is wild and energetic, and Händel sounds brilliant and festive.
Then of course, you have to know the Big Three of the Vienna period; Joseph Haydn, W.A. Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. Haydn basically invented the symphony as we know it today, Mozart brought it to fame, and Beethoven mastered it. They represent a progression from complete dependence towards rejection of the feudal Ancién Regime: Haydn spent almost his whole life entertaining a dynasty of Austro-Hungarian noblemen by establishing a more exploratory style, Mozart travelled internationally and collected different musical styles to eliminate the preconceptions other Europeans used to have of “uncivilised” nations, and finally Beethoven’s music always has the subtext of bourgeois democracy struggling to be born in Southern and Western Germany.
If you want to busy yourself for a week or so, I can recommend some of their most famous and well-known works:
From Bach, the Orchestral Suites 1-4 where some of his most famous tunes appear, and the Musical Offering which he improvised and provides a good look into his techniques.
From Vivaldi, obviously the Four Seasons concertos which concentrate his programmatic, expressive style. An interesting find is La Follia (the madness) which at some points approximates metal music.
From Händel, you may enjoy the three Water Music suites and the Music for the Royal Fireworks, which I think represent the different facets of his style very well.
As for Haydn, all of his London symphonies are great, but my personal favourites are Surprise (No. 94), The Clock (No. 101), and Drumroll (No. 103).
From Mozart, I recommend you listen to the Magic Flute which is an opera laden with symbols of his ideals and different styles of music; as well as his last symphony "Jupiter" (No. 42). You might also enjoy his mischievous side, shown in “A Musical Joke” where he parodies bad composers, conductors, players, and low-quality instruments.
Of course, everyone of Beethoven’s symphonies is a masterpiece, but if you are short on time, I recommend No. 3 (Eroica), 5 (Fate), 7, and 9 (Ode to Joy). He is also very well-known for his piano sonatas Pathétique, Appassionata, and Moonlight.