By the time the Classical Era began in 1750, it seemed the world had grown tired of the ornate and extravagant music of the baroque period. As said before, Bach’s music was soon forgotten and put on the back shelf. The classical era brought about a new sound. Still intricate and advanced in the notation, yet with more clarity and delicacy than the baroque period could dare boast. This era brought about the first concerts the public actually paid to attend. A few more instruments were added to the orchestra, such as the clarinet and bassoon, and it was in this era that instruments were actually of more importance than vocalists were. Some of the most famous composers of this time include Christoph Willibald von Gluck, Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, and Franz Schubert.

     In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, opera had become increasingly popular. Perhaps that is one of the reasons Bach’s music was so soon forgotten. It was a completely different style than this new and exciting music of the opera, full of comedy and theatrical entertainment. The opera had changed since it first came about in the early 1600’s when Monteverdi made it popular. Now there were all sorts of rules that the composers had to follow in order to please his patron, as well as the performers. These rules and regulations constricted the uniqueness of the opera, such as what type of song was to be sung and how many times. Every opera was similar in the fact that everyone knew what to expect. So, a man by the name of Christoph Willibald von Gluck decided he was bored with the monotony of all the rules and decided to do something about it. It was Gluck who would forever change the opera.

     In 1745 Gluck was asked to compose two operas, both of which ended up being complete failures. He then tried ballet, and cared nothing for it, even though it was a success. He and a good friend decided to team up and try a new kind of opera. Orfeo ed Euridice was produced, and though it took a full two years to gain popularity, when it did, it was a complete hit. This took opera to a whole new level. Not tied down by rules that made the opera lack originality, Gluck made every musical piece tie in with this opera, setting the stage for what was to come next. It kept the audience interested, for they had not seen an opera flow with such continuity as did Orfeo. Gluck went on to write many more operas, totalling thirty, and his work was the inspiration for all operas to follow.

     Joseph Haydn, born in 1732, would lay the foundation for many famous composers of orchestral music for years to come. Haydn grew up very poor, and was poorly treated as well. He was beaten as a child, and had little to eat. Music was part of his life, and he let nothing get in the way of that. So when he was invited to sing for St. Stephen’s Church in Vienna at only eight years old, he gladly accepted. He stayed on with the choir until his practical jokes got him kicked out. Haydn always had a sense of humor. This eventually did him great good with his music. He wrote his first symphony in 1759, which led to his almost 25 year career being in charge of Prince Paul Esterhazy’s orchestra.

     Being in charge of the orchestra did great things for Haydn’s work. He was allowed to experiment with his music and the orchestra all he wanted, which gave him great advantages over the composers that got little time to actually work with the orchestra. He could change things here and there on a whim, until he was completely satisfied. The prince demanded a new performance every day, so every night Haydn was required to compose a new piece, and every morning they would rehearse. Haydn’s hands were full with this work, but he stayed on and loved it until leaving in 1790. Haydn loved experimenting with the string quartet, which gained him great popularity among royalty as well as the common people, for he played everywhere.

     Haydn was best known and remembered, however, for his work with symphonic orchestras. In the past, the number of performers in the orchestra was limited. But Haydn could have as many performers as he wanted, for his prince was very wealthy. His sense of humor made his music very unique, as well. He had noticed the some members of the audience would fall asleep during some of his performances, so he wrote the Surprise Symphony, in which there was a loud crashing chord right in the middle of soft portion of the song. Haydn made friends with Mozart and although there was quite the age difference, they grew very close. Haydn was very fond of Mozart’s music and thought him quite the genius. Haydn seemed to compare everyone’s work with Mozart’s, and nothing could satisfy him more.

     Haydn was also deeply inspired by Handel’s The Messiah and he decided to set aside years of his life to write The Creation. This was an extreme success and people poured in from everywhere to hear it. He put so much effort into this piece for so many years, that in the end it made him very ill. In 1809 Haydn died, and at his funeral the Requiem Mass by Mozart was sung.

     Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was a child prodigy. By the age of four and a half he was composing, and had a very sensitive ear that made him play the violin with ease. His parents wanted his amazing talent to be known to the world, so they sent him and his sister, who was also very talented, on a tour to gain them great fame. Mozart was only six at the time. Their fame did spread, and quickly. The pope recognized him for his great talents, and he took lessons from a great teacher, Padre Giovanni Battista Martini. Mozart also played the piano so brilliantly that people thought it was magic.

     However, as Mozart grew older, his father decided it was time for him to find a patron, so he could continue to compose and earn a living at it. Mozart searched and searched for employment, but found none. He traveled all over Europe, hoping to find a way to make a living. He continued to write music while searching. He was one of the first to own a piano and to actually compose music with it. Eventually he got offered a job to write an opera, and being a great success at it, he decided he would continue to write more. However, he received little money for his operas, and he was almost forced into a state of poverty. Gluck was so widely popular at this point that people paid little attention to Mozart and his work. Mozart was invited to visit Prague, and there he was very popular. People raved about his work, and wanted to hear more of it. He then wrote the opera Don Giovanni, and when it opened in 1787 people were overwhelmed by its music and various emotions. No matter what Mozart did, however, nothing could seem to bring him the money he needed.

     In 1791, Mozart was asked to write a Requiem Mass for a count whose wife had just passed. Mozart could not shake the haunting feeling that this Mass was not for her funeral, but for his own. He went back and forth between writing this mass and working on an opera he had previously been composing. He finished the opera, but never finished Requiem. Mozart died 3 months later, and because of horrible weather conditions, no one who knew him came to the burial. To this day, no one knows where Mozart is buried. He was only thirty-five years old when he died, and when the news of his death came to Haydn, there was much mourning.

     Ludwig van Beethoven came from sad circumstances growing up. His dad was constantly drunk and for years was trying in vain to turn Beethoven into the same child prodigy that Mozart was. Beethoven didn’t have the same charming characteristics that Mozart had. However, as time passed, his talent did become recognized and a man by the name of Christian Gottlob Neefe found him to be promising. Beethoven became Neefe’s assistant in his orchestra. It is possible that in Beethoven’s late teens Mozart may have given him some lessons on the piano. Mozart himself had said, “The world will hear more of him.”

     One day, while Beethoven was playing with a court choir, Haydn was listening in and took note of Beethoven's talent. A year later, Haydn began giving Beethoven lessons. Haydn was not a fan of Beethoven’s music, and often compared him to his beloved Mozart. Beethoven didn’t care much for Haydn and said he learned nothing from him. Beethoven was said to have had a bad temper and didn’t know how to be sociable. However, he played very well and despite people’s opinion of his personality, he was invited to play at many noble houses. At one point, he fell in love and dedicated the “Moonlight Sonata” to the girl, but she refused him. He also had financial struggles, for the money he made from giving lessons was not much.

     Then he began to lose his hearing, so he retreated to quiet places to compose. He didn’t want to deal with the awkwardness of trying to make conversation with people. His deafness became intense, causing him to cut off contact with society. He wrote a great strand of symphonies, and tried his hand at some operas, such as Fidelio. His popularity grew and soon his name was spoken of along with the names of Haydn and Mozart. Even when Beethoven became completely deaf, he insisted on conducting the pieces he wrote; though the performers were told to ignore his gestures. Beethoven died in 1827. His music had such a dramatic element that was so grand and full of emotion that no one could ever forget this passionate composer.

     In America, music, as well as the country, was just beginning to blossom. Orchestras and concerts were meant only for the rich, and the people were convinced that the best performers were foreigners. Therefore, many musicians came from overseas to perform for the Americans. Choirs formed by new citizens of America from Europe were very popular, as they performed pieces from many classic composers. Religious revivals also began to break out throughout the country, and with them a new type of music was being sung. This music required no instruments, simply the impressive ranges of male and female vocalists, singing about their Lord. They sang hymn after hymn, and the Negroes sang their spirituals and work songs with great rhythm and conviction.

     During this time, Benjamin Franklin made a contribution to music. It was the late 1700’s and Franklin became the first to print and publish music in America. He also invented the “Glassychord”. It was raved about in Europe, and many famous composers wrote pieces specifically for it. Thomas Jefferson had a great love for music, and put a lot of time into practicing it. He also recognized the musical talent of the slaves, when it seemed no one else would pay any attention to it. No one would have guessed at that time that the Negroes would have a great influence on music in the twentieth century.