The Classical period, ranging from 1750 until 1825, “reflected general philosophical outlook that valued reason, balance, symmetry, and elegance. It also reflected the tastes of the wealthy ruling class that paid for it.” (Chiego 11) The classical period resulted in many great composers and compositions. Two of the most well-known composers of the Classical period are Mozart and Haydn. Both of these composers had a major influence on the periods of music that followed them. This paper will discuss the life of Mozart, the life of Haydn, and compare what influences had an impact on their musical style and compositions. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was “a musician capable of playing of playing multiple instruments who started playing in public at
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While they were friends and shared some similarities in their compositions and writing styles, they also had some differences. One of the biggest differences was the audience they were writing for. Haydn was writing mainly for the Esterházys while Mozart wrote for a vast variety of audiences throughout Austria and Europe. Another difference was the families they came from. Haydn came from a family that saw his musical potential and sent him to get better educated while Mozart’s family, though they saw his potential, was taught only by his father. Mozart also created a new type of opera, a hybrid between opera buffa and opera serria. Mozart’s example of a drama giocosso was Don Giovanni. Haydn on the other hand was known more for his symphonies and string quartets, so much so that “he was referred to as the “Father of the Symphony” due to his establishment of the four-movement format that became formally accepted.” (Chiego 216). Haydn also did more work on the oratorio genre of classical music than Mozart did. The popularity of Haydn’s operas is nothing compared to that of Mozart’s operas. Haydn relied mainly on comic operas while Mozart used the combination of serious and comic opera making his operas more successful. One of their similarities is that they were both two of the most successful composers of their time. They both used contrasting emotions and gave the emotion in their compositions
While they were friends and shared some similarities in their compositions and writing styles, they also had some differences. One of the biggest differences was the audience they were writing for. Haydn was writing mainly for the Esterházys while Mozart wrote for a vast variety of audiences throughout Austria and Europe. Another difference was the families they came from. Haydn came from a family that saw his musical potential and sent him to get better educated while Mozart’s family, though they saw his potential, was taught only by his father. Mozart also created a new type of opera, a hybrid between opera buffa and opera serria. Mozart’s example of a drama giocosso was Don Giovanni. Haydn on the other hand was known more for his symphonies and string quartets, so much so that “he was referred to as the “Father of the Symphony” due to his establishment of the four-movement format that became formally accepted.” (Chiego 216). Haydn also did more work on the oratorio genre of classical music than Mozart did. The popularity of Haydn’s operas is nothing compared to that of Mozart’s operas. Haydn relied mainly on comic operas while Mozart used the combination of serious and comic opera making his operas more successful. One of their similarities is that they were both two of the most successful composers of their time. They both used contrasting emotions and gave the emotion in their compositions