This online edition is presented as a service to the community of Georgetown Preparatory School. Any unauthorized reproduction is prohibited. If you are interested in using the full text, please contact Gary Daum to arrange a license agreement. Technically, the term 'Classical Music' applies to music composed in a distinct style between the years of 1740 and 1820.
Music written during that period contains a very well defined sense of proportion.
The perfection in the structure of a piece of music was very important to composers of this era. In other words, what was said was as important as the way it was said. Unlike the Baroque era, there weren't any major events that represent a starting point. As often happens, a new style of music began to be composed by the younger generation. At first it began to show promise and eventually dominated as the older generation began to die off.