FACTS IN THE CLASSICISM

Classicism is a specific genre of philosophy, expressing itself in literature, architecture, art, and music, which has Ancient Greek and Roman sources and an emphasis on society. It was particularly expressed in the Neoclassicism of the Age of Enlightenment. At the same time, the French Revolution was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France from 1789 to 1799 that had a fundamental impact on Europe history and on modern history worldwide. Artists tried to achieve the ideals of equality, liberty and fraternity. Austria was the musical centre of Europe (Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven lived there). The Age of Enlightenment was a cultural movement of intellectuals beginning in the late 17th and 18th century Europe emphasizing reason and individualism rather than tradition. Its purpose was to reform society using reason, challenge ideas grounded in tradition and faith, and advance knowledge through the scientific method. It promoted scientific thought, scepticism, and intellectual interchange. It identified itself with a vision of antiquity which, while continuous with the classicism of the previous century, was shaken by the physics of Isaac Newton, the improvements in machinery and measurement, and a sense of liberation which they saw as being present in the Greek civilization. The ornate, organic, and complexly integrated forms of the Baroque were to give way to a series of movements that regarded themselves expressly as "classical" or "neo-classical": return to formal balance, clarity and vigor in art. In music, the new style was also pushed forward by changes in the economic order and in social structure. As the 18th century progressed, the nobility became the primary patrons of instrumental music, and there was a rise in the public taste for comic opera. This led to changes in the way music was performed, the most crucial of which was the move to standard instrumental groups and the reduction in the importance of the basso continuo.