Classical music is a broad term used to describe the music of the western art music tradition, including both “art music”, a broad term used to describe the music of the western art music tradition, including both classical music proper (e.g., symphonies, concertos, chamber music, etc.), and genres that are closely related to it by ideology, aesthetics, and performance (e.g., romantic, modern classical, neo-classical, etc.). It is a broad genre of music that originated in Europe during the Baroque period and is typically performed using orchestras and bands featuring string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments.

Today, classical music is often divided into “Western” and “Eastern” classical music, with the former referring to the music made by people of European descent, as well as folk and popular music from other parts of the world, and the latter referring to the music of Asian cultures, including music from China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Mongolia, and the Philippines.

Although we think of classical music as being the oldest type of music (and it is), the term itself is relatively new. To distinguish what we call “traditional” or “classical” music from popular music, the term was first used in 1852. It derives from the concept of “classis” – the Latin word for the social classes of the ancient Roman Empire.

The terms “classical music” and “serious music” are generally synonymous, although some use the former term more broadly than the latter. It can also be used to describe music that is associated with the religious sphere and which, in turn, gives it a sense of importance.

The Composers

The founding fathers of classical music are considered to be the great composers of the Baroque, Classical and Romantic eras. While there were earlier innovators of music, such as the Renaissance composer Josquin des Prez and the Medieval composers Guillaume Dufay and Pérotin, it is generally accepted that the Baroque era (1600–1750) started the classical music tradition.

While most of us are familiar with the great composers who are commonly taught in music school—Handel, Bach, Bartók, Mozart, Beethoven, Chopin, and the like—the majority of the field’s composers are less well-known. For example, Otto von Walsegg, John Blow, William Boyce, and Henry Purcell are some of the influential composers but are lesser-known to people.

Classical vs. Modern – which is better?

This might look like a debate about classical music versus modern music, but it is not. It is about a debate that is raging for decades, and for so long, it is almost impossible to say who is right and who is wrong. But we will not take a side in the debate, and we will try to keep an open mind and look at both sides to see what is going on.

Which is better? More sophisticated? More enjoyable? More important? But why? What makes classical music so special?

Some may disagree about it, but for many people, the answer is obvious: classical is better. More than just a taste for the classic, it’s a cultural choice.

It’s a well-known fact that classical music is more complex than modern music. The most complex classical music can get Johann Sebastian Bach and his musical “Fugues.” Fugues are musical pieces that are part of a larger composition, usually a larger musical piece. All fugues were thus far written are based on the same theme, and each iteration gets more and more complex and difficult and requires a great deal more skill to play than the previous iteration. However, the most complex modern music is that written by the band Radiohead.

The differences between classical music and modern music are some of the oldest arguments in the history of music. Some people say that it is all about the quality of the music and that modern music just doesn’t stack up to the classics. Others think that classical music is too simplistic for the modern world. Still, others think that the differences are more about the instrumentation and presentation.

Should you start listening to classical music?

Classical music has been proven to improve both mental and physical health, but can it improve your intelligence? A study from 2008 found that listening to classical pieces can help boost our problem-solving skills. A group of volunteers was given a set of puzzles to solve. When asked to solve the puzzles, some of the group were playing Mozart in the background. The group that listened to Mozart was consistently more successful at solving the puzzles than those who didn’t. But at the end of the day, it is still one’s preferences that matter.

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was one of music’s greatest, most prolific composers. Born in Salzburg, Austria, in 1756, he composed more than 600 works, including more than 600 symphonies, concertos, operas, and chamber music, before his death at age 35.

Perhaps no other composer has influenced the way music is written and perceived as much as Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Not only did he write some of the most recognizable tunes in history, but he also wrote the first operas in history. Although he only lived until he was 35 years old, he managed to compose more than 600 pieces of music.

If you have heard of Mozart, you would probably picture him as a tiny little boy playing with wooden toys. But his father gave him chores like learning to play the clavier and practicing the violin. He was only five when his father, Leopold Mozart, started making him play for his musical friends.

Even though Mozart is well-loved today, it wasn’t always like that. During his life, his father tried to make Wolfgang an established musician, which meant being a freelance musician.  This required Wolfgang to travel around Europe and compose a lot of music.  The problem was that not many people loved Mozart’s music.  In fact, for many years, his music was forgotten and considered unimportant.  It wasn’t until a hundred years later when people started to realize how great Mozart’s music was.

“Never Boring” Music

The music of Mozart is unmistakable. From the “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” to the “Jupiter Symphony,” each piece is like a puzzle piece that fits with the others. If you think of his music as a whole, you can see how each part is not only an integral part of the whole but also an individual piece of art, which can stand alone as well.

The late great conductor Herbert von Karajan once said that Mozart’s music “is never boring because the composer gives you surprises in every bar.” Von Karajan has a point: in a Mozart symphony, you never know what’s coming next. The unpredictable nature of Mozart’s music may account for its popularity with the public, but it has also posed a challenge to musicologists. Indeed, it is a well-known fact among musicologists that no one has ever been able to understand a single note of a Mozart symphony.

The Mozart’s Effect

Music has long been a tool for study, and yet its role in academic success has been largely understudied. But a handful of recent studies have shown that listening to classical music can improve memory and focus and thus may help students improve their grades. “Listening to Mozart has a beneficial effect on attention and working memory,” says Dr. Naila Rabbani, an expert in music and cognitive psychology. “So if they listen to Mozart before they go into an exam, they should perform better.”

While you might not think of classical music when you think of a study aid, many studies have shown that classical music can boost cognitive skills.  For example, researchers in Sweden had volunteers listen to a Mozart piano sonata before they took a test that measured their spatial ability to rotate objects in their mind’s eye.  Those who listened to Mozart scored much higher than those who listened to a relaxation tape.

What is this famous composition that was said to have the “Mozart Effect”?

Well, it is called the Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488. Mozart wrote this piece at the age of 16 and is his earliest known piano concerto, composed in 1767. Despite being young at the time, the piece is filled with mature musical ideas, and it goes beyond just being another boring, simple piano concerto. However, he never heard his Piano Concerto No. 23 in A major, K. 488 performed live.

The composer only gave the inaugural performance himself. At the same time, the manuscript sat unrevised in a drawer for several decades, and neither Mozart’s son nor his pupil Franz Xaver Süssmayr nor Beethoven made any changes to the composition. Therefore, Mozart’s autograph score of the concerto became the final version, and it is this score that is seen by performers today.

Does listening to classical music like Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 23 make us more intelligent?

The Piano Concerto No. 23, along with its famous, haunting final cadenza, is widely believed to make you smarter. Some have claimed that it is an effective mind aid, while others disagree with this claim. Whether a piece of music makes you smarter is mostly dependent on the complexity of the piece. More complex music tends to have more notes, different rhythms and scales, and more variance in volume and tempo and is more likely to be listened to regularly.