Classical Era: Musical Styles

The three most popular forms of music in the Classical era were the sonata, the symphony, and the string quartet.

The symphony is a piece of music composed for a large group of instruments usually containing four different movements (sections). The movements can usually stand alone, but are performed in succession with a pause following each movement. In most cases the first movement is brisk and lively; the second is slower and more lyrical; the third is energetic; and the fourth is the finale.

A sonata is like a symphony but is composed for only one or two instruments. There have been hundreds of sonatas written for piano alone, and many more written for piano and one other instrument.

A string quartet consists of two violins, a viola, and a cello. The structure of a string quartet piece is very similar to that of a symphony; usually four movements arranged in the same order.