Overview

The music of Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven forms a cornerstone of the modern repertoire, but very little is known about the context in which these composers worked. This volume of 12 essays by international scholars considers some of the musical traditions and practices of this period of music history. Beginning with the early decades of the 18th century, the volume documents selected aspects of musical life and style from the late Baroque period through to the early years of the 19th century. The four main areas covered in this exploration of new territories in music history are orchestral music, sacred music, opera and keyboard music. Georg Reutter (Haydn's teacher), Antonio Salieri (Mozart's colleague) and Wulffl (a rival of Beethoven) are only three prominent musicians of the period who are discussed at length.