The Classical Period excites me the most because it was during the Age of Enlightenment. Learning about the Enlightenment Period from a musical standpoint is something not focused on in high school. It is a way to expand our knowledge about the time and discuss how the Classical Period impacted the Age of Enlightenment and vise versa. I did know that this time period involved the Industrial Revolution and shaped the middle class, which is another reason I find the period interesting because the middle class still exists to this day. According to the text, the music was an “international” style that not only drew from Germanic and Italian tastes, but also emphasized different features reminiscent of Classical Greece. The period also introduced new concert staples such as a symphony and string quartet.

I listened to Franz Joseph Hayden’s piece, “The Creation.” I do not have very much knowledge on the “international” style described in the textbook but I definitely expected to hear opera singing and a symphony, which is what I heard. I did not know what to fully expect when I started to listen but when I heard the piece I think the textbook described the music well.