In the middle of the 18th century, Europe began to move toward a new style in architecture, literature, and the arts, generally known as Classicism. This style sought to emulate the ideals of Classical antiquity,

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In the classical period, the theme consists of phrases with contrasting melodic figures and rhythms. These phrases are relatively brief, typically four bars in length, and can occasionally seem sparse

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Baroque/Classical transition c. 1730–1760
In his book The Classical Style, author and pianist Charles Rosenclaims that from 1755 to 1775, composers groped for a new style that was more

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Musical eras and their prevalent styles, forms and instruments seldom disappear at once; instead, features are replaced over time, until the old

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Guitar
The Baroque guitar, with four or five sets of double strings or "courses" and elaborately decorated soundhole, was a very different instrument

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• List of Classical-era composers

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The First Viennese School is a name mostly used to refer to three composers of the Classical period in late-18th-century Vienna: Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. Franz Schubertis

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