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What is Classical Piano Music Anyway?
 Classical
piano music is an enigma in a world full of techno-laden pop
slop. A capsule of a bygone era, the music style lives on
with ferocious tenacity. The legacy lives on.
Generally speaking the age of this style of music spans
between 1750 and 1820.
During this time master
composers such as
Bach, Beethoven, and Haydn were at the peak of their
game. Many liken this age to the golden age of art and
literature.
Classical piano music is a written
tradition. Music notation is the preferred correspondence
when dealing with the medium. Most other musical styles are
passed on through orally or through a recording, while
classical piano music must be transcribed and passed along
by paper.
This sense of tradition and
posterity translates even to how it is played. The original
composers of the genre had specific visions for how and
where the music should be performed. The effect of the music
was important.
To really appreciate the complexity of classical piano music
you experience it live.
No record, CD,
or MP3 will ever be able to capture the mood of this style
of music as vividly as a live performance. Most people think
such a concert is boring. Nothing could be further from the
truth. Concertos and solos can be surprisingly stirring,
even moving people to tears.
Improvisation is a
cornerstone of the genre and even played a part in some of
the most famous and revered works of the time. This sense of
play and fun can fill a concert hall with action, drama,
suspense and joy.
Who knew that listening to a symphony could be as exciting
as watching a football game?
Classical music
is a rich tapestry of complex relationships. Composers
wanted to create a link between the emotional and
intellectual content of their work. This happened through
musical development where they created many of the musical
phrases and devices that we take for granted in the music of
today.
Some of the
Composers of the Classical Era
Franz Joseph
Haydn
was considered one of the first most prominent figures of
the classical era. He was considered by many to be the
father of the symphony. Haydn's music was bright and had a
bit of humor mixed in.
Wolfgang Amadeus
Mozart is one of the
most famous composers of the classical era. He created over
600 compositions for classical piano music and is a standard
part of many concerts and symphonies.
Ludwig Van Beethoven is by far the most widely-known and
regarded classical composer of all time. He is considered by
many to be the first ever “rock-star”. He is responsible for
some for some of the most sweeping piano classical music
ever written.
Other famous composers from this era
are Chopin and
Bach. In fact, my favorite classical piece is "Jesu, Joy
of Man's Desiring" by
Bach.
To sum it all up, piano classical music
has a rich history full of intrigue and has been celebrated
by kings, queens, princes and emperors all over the world.
Learning to appreciate the genre will give you a better ear
for music that can greatly affect your performance as a
musician.
Just as a writer gains more skills in his
bag of tricks by reading others work, so does the musician
who listens to complexly structured music.
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