26. The Symphony—Music for Every Person

Overview

The typical Classical-era symphony has four movements, each with its own distinctive character. The Classical-era symphony grew out of Baroque-era opera and became tremendously popular with the rising middle class of the late 18th century. The accessible, tuneful style of music this middle class audience demanded crystallized in the music produced in Vienna during the last third of the 18th century. More than any other single composer, it was Joseph Haydn who standardized the Classical-era symphony. Haydn’s Symphony no. 92 is a brilliant example of his symphonic model.

Cast