Major 18th century composers

The transitions of the time in history reflect us the context and the way of life of the people who lived at that time. Analyzing the factors of change gives us a clue of people's motivations, especially in art, since it is the most refined method of expression par excellence. In this lesson from a TEACHER we will talk about composers of the 18th century, a transition time contrasting between the Baroque and classicism.

Since the 18th century spans from the year 1700 to 1799, we are just referring to the musical era of transition between Baroque music(year 1600 to 1750) and the classical music(1750 to the year 1820), being Vienna the most powerful center of development for this last period. For both periods, music had the greatest growth in the European area, specifically France, Germany, England, Italy, Spain and Austria.

During the Baroque, music developed by reforming its structure and reached an important boom in terms of social popularity within the public, no longer so much in exclusive situations such as the monarchy and the church. This is mostly due to the

Opera, with the highest growth in Italy. During classicism, this popularity of music open to the public continues to grow.

In terms of sound, Baroque music was based on workmanship and pomposity. In total contrast, the music of classicism is characterized by its transparency with clear textures and a lot of symmetry and solidity in tonality.

We are going to discover the most important 18th century composers so that you can learn about their works and their contribution to the history of music. The most prominent artists are the following:

Domenico Scarlatti (1685 - 1757, Italy)

Scarlatti is widely recognized for his wonderful harpsichord sonatas (estimated at approximately 555 sonatas). He was also popular for his operas. Scarlatti is a clear example of a musician's transition from the baroque to the pre-classical period. Some notable works: Sonata K. 9 in D minor, Amleto.

Georg Fredrich Händel (1685 - 1759, Germany)

Of course, Händel is another of the most important 18th century composers. Handel is called "the first master of homophony" (musical technique of parallel voices that create chords). In addition to being a pioneer in this area, he is recognized as the first musician to adapt his works to the taste of the public and not to the taste of the monarchy. The form of the oratory and the opera stand out from his works. Some notable works: The messiah, Acting music, Music for the royal fireworks.

Johann Sebastian Bach (1685 - 1750, Germany)

Bach is considered one of the most important musicians from all eras, inspiring many other essential composers such as Mozart, Beethoven, Liszt, Wagner and Malher among others. Bach is referred to as the master of counterpointThank you for the works of him that stand out in the form of the Fugue. One of the most important contributions of the composer is “El clave bien temperado”, a compilation of works for keyboard with which the principles of the 12 o'clock tuning were established. tonalities that we still use today (in earlier times the tuning was only an unbalanced approach that did not allow the interpretation of the works in any key). Bach marks the end of the Baroque with his death in 1750. Some notable works: The well-tempered harpsichord, The Art of Fugue BWV 1080, Tocata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565.

Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741, Italy)

In addition to being a composer, he was a priest, violinist and teacher. Vivaldi played an important role as impresario, (person dedicated to the organization of artistic events, in this case musical and theatrical). Vivaldi stands out for his numerous concerts (approximately 400) and his operas (approximately 46). Vivaldi is recognized for the contribution of developing a formal and rhythmic structure for the concert genre as a musical form. Some notable works: The four seasons, Ercole su’l Thermodon.

Christoph Willibald Gluck (1714 - 1787, Austria)

Gluck is another of the best composers of the 18th century. He is responsible for making essential reforms regarding the musical form and structure of the opera. Perhaps his most transcendent contribution was his insisting on the focus on the opera plot, believing that poetry was more important than the stage production itself. Important works: Orpheus and Eurydice, Alcestes, Iphigenia in Aulis, Iphigenia in Tauris Armida.

Carl Philipp Emmanuel Bach (1714 - 1788, Germany)

For many, the most prolific son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He was one of the founders of classical style music and one of the most important harpsichordists in Europe in his day. He is the creditor of more than 800 compositions that are mostly for keyboard. Important works: Concerto for two harpsichords, Magnificat in D major, Five Berlin Symphonies.

Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809, Austria)

Haydn stands out for his compositions in chamber music and piano trio formations. He spent most of his life under the patronage of the Estherházy family, for whom he commissioned most of his works. Many think of Haydn as the father of the string quartet and the symphony. As a curious fact, Haydn was the composer of the melody of what is today the national anthem of Germany. ("Kaiserlied"). Important works:Aquatic music, Symphony No. 100 and 101, Deutschlandlied.

Ludwig Van Beethoven (1770 - 1827, Austria)

Beethoven is undoubtedly one of the most famous 18th century composers. He is recognized as one of the composers with the highest excellence for symphonies, having composed 9 symphonies of great popularity and acclaimed for their beauty both then and today. Beethoven took part of the classicism, but also it was emphasized later during the romanticism. Important works: Third Symphony "Heroic", Fifth Symphony and Ninth Symphony, whose fourth movement is based on the "Ode to Joy".

These are just some of composers of the 18th century more prominent, but there are many more important figures in the music scene who have contributed to the world with their inspiration for art. Perhaps now that you know a little more about this time, you will be interested to continue investigating.