# Composers of the mysterious gap (late 1740's to early 1760's)



## Handel (Apr 18, 2007)

I always wondered what happened between the forementioned years. Between Handel/Bach and the emergence of Haydn (with an obvious change of style).

So I discovered that some second rate composers were the main actors in this musical revolution...

We all know the Mannheim School (It took time for me to hear of it). Johann Stamitz was the pioneer. Rather a great musician and concertmaster than a great composer, but he introduces a lot of novelty in his composition....

An excerpt
Symphony in F major, allegro molto

(composed between 1752 and 1754, Northern Chamber Orchestra/Naxos)

Another School, less known and less structured (since not gathered around one court )than the Mannheim's: The viennise. Composers like Georg Matthias Monn and Georg Christoph Wagenseil were the front runners.

An excerpt from Wagenseil's symphonic output (to be fair with Wagenseil, there is a better excerpt I would have to post through Box.net, but the cap limit up there forbid me to post it)

Symphony in C major, allegro assai

(composed in 1750, L'Orfeo Barockorchester/CPO)

Both Mannheim and Vienna Schools were influence by Italian music. One of the main composer to emerge was Giovanni Batista Sammartini (and not Giuseppe, his older brother).

An excerpt

Symphony in A major, presto

(composed in 1750, Aradia Ensemble/Naxos)

Surely other composers influence music during this "gap" and beyond. I think of CPE Bach who influenced a lot Haydn. But it sums the essential.


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## opus67 (Jan 30, 2007)

Thanks for the thread, Handel. Something I like to do is to discover the unknowns of the classical era. (Just two big names won't do for me. ) But somehow the music from the era that you mention does not always "excite" me as does music from later or earlier periods. It is enjoyable, but I don't always find myself saying, "I need to listen to that one more time." after listening to a piece. Maybe this thread is a reminder to me to explore more of that music and find the true gems. 

Oh, BTW, I was listening to C.P.E.Bach while typing this reply.


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## CHasR (Dec 10, 2007)

post-Handel England:
Boyce
Arne
Avison
JC Bach of course,
Travers, John (Chapel Royal organist from 1737-1758)
Paradies, Pietro Domenico (in London 1746)

also
Gluck, (a pupil of Sammartini, maybe too late for this list?)
Gossec, (maybe also a little late?)
Telemann composed until 1767
Rameau; still active 1748 (who was his successors, i forget?)
Tessarini, Carlo, active til 1750's,
JJ Quantz, 1741 - 1773 (Frederick's T.G.'s court composer)
Fasch
when was Unico Wilhelm Van Wassenaer active? i forget that too.


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## Handel (Apr 18, 2007)

I know other composed, but I was just figuring those who reformed instrumental music.


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## Michael Ferris (Oct 25, 2007)

Well, I personally, don't think that there is a gap in that period. There was so much going on. As you said, there was a definite change in style, which was, of course, also influenced by the composers you mentioned, because they were the forerunners the schools to be first truely recognised during a later time, thereby creating a basis for classical composers, each having had their own characteristics, which above all, helps music historians to catagorize and identify various musical styles.

What I mean is that each 'school' or composing style has its own tell-tails and helps to identify, separate, and locate musical styles in the past, although, to a large extent, a concrete classification of them had not been given until 'music history' became a subject of study. It is true that they all had to do with the forming of what we know as the Classical Period(-Also a term to be created much later in history)

To go through the musical characteristics of each one would be a whole report, but here is a nice overlay of the composers, adding to the ones you have already mentioned:

- Mannheimer Schule, Gossec, Shobert, Beck in Paris; C. PH. E. Bach, Stamitz, Richter
- Wiener Schule (Viennese School) - Reutter, Wagenseil, Monn, then Haydn, and later Mozart and Beethoven)
- Berliener Schule - Brüder, J.G. Graun, C.H. Graun, Benda

Above all, it is important to look at the happenings in history in general to understand how people were thinking during the time and how it affected music. (e.g. The turmoil in America leading to the revolution, the priciples of the Age of Reason, etc.)

Although exact times are quite muddled in history, in both music, art and literature, the overlapping time between the baroque and classical period was known as the Rococo period, a period known for its elegance and sophistication. This is evident in music with the _Style galant _with its light and free flowing melodies. In German, it was described as '_empfindsam_', sensitive; this can of course be seen in the works of Bach, but also in Händel and Telemann. 
The period was followed by the 'Sturm und Drang'(Storm and Impulse) to the Classical Period, brought on by the authors Schiller and Goethe.(A great piece of literature is the 'Faust' by Goethe, for it inspired a great deal of composers and artists!)
Yet, other composers during the period you mentioned worth listening to would be Thomas Arne, Domenico Scarlatti, Albinoni, and Rameau.

If you are interested in some composers that a lot of people are not familiar with, I don't know if you have taken a look at it or not yet, but if you are interested, go to my blog at http://www.blog.ferrisguitar.com
There, I have a great collection of them that I have done a bit of research on.


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