Classical music refers to a style of music based in the European tradition of music, both secular and liturgical. The term has come to characterize music that is viewed as an art form rather than as entertainment or serving some other subsidiary function. As with most Western music, classical music is generally in written form, using staff notation, such that the performance (i.e., pitch, speed and meter) of a piece is a literal interpretation, and improvisation or embellishment by the artist is limited.

Other qualities attributed to classical music include the use of a variety of orchestral instruments (e.g., piano, violin, clarinet), the use of intricate form and composition, agn advanced technical proficiency in its artistic performance and exclusivity in taste and appeal. Classical music is often described in terms of the historic period of its composition with the Medieval (6th through 15th centuries) and Renaissance (15th through 17th centuries) periods describing the Early Era, and the Baroque (1600–1750), Classical (1750–1830) and Romantic (1815–1910) eras delineating the Common Practice Period. There is also a modern (20th century) and a contemporary period (mid-1970s to the present).

The Medieval period of classical music began with the fall of Rome and continued through the Middle Ages to the Renaissance. During this period, music was greatly appreciated as an art form, with Saint Thomas Aquinas extolling it as an art and a science. Medieval classical music featured Gregorian chant, a homophonous melody without accompaniment or time measure, and gradually developed into polyphony, or plainchant melodies or motets featuring harmonic counterpoint. In the Renaissance period, there was an overall greater expression of the human consciousness as well as elements of nature. A greater use of instruments (e.g., flute, harp, lute, trumpet and shawm, a progenitor of the oboe) expanded to include lower-pitched instruments (e.g., the dulcian, the progenitor of the modern-day bassoon). Stringed keyboard instruments such as the clavichord and harpsichord were also popularized.

The Early Period was followed by what is known as the Common Practice Period, which includes the Baroque, Classical and Romantic periods. Baroque music (from the French word baroque meaning "irregular," in turn deriving from the Portuguese word barroco or "imperfect pearl") is characterized by a basso continuo (thorough bass), and a complex, melodic counterpoint. It is often associated with a negative connotation as elaborate or embellished, with melodies often interjected with sometimes excessive mordants, appoggiaturas and chromatic scales. Some Baroque composers of note include Antonio Vivaldi, George Frideric Handel and Johann Sebastian Bach.

The Classical era that followed is normative of what is considered the body of classical music. A new vigor in musical style erupted from the continued decline of opera, growing boredom with the polyphonic style, increased combinations of and proficiency in instruments and increased experimentation with melodies and harmonies. It was during this time that the piano became the primary keyboard instrument. Some Classical era composers include Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludvig van Beethoven. Subsequently, the Romantic era ushered in composers seeking to delve deeper into the expression of the spectrum of human feeling. Music of the era often drew upon European folklore and served to awaken personal and patriotic expression. Romantic era composers include Johannes Brahms, Frederic Chopin, Giacomo Puccini, Giuseppe Verdi and Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

20th-century classical music ranges from modernism to expressionism to jazz-influenced compositions (1900–2000). It marks diverse styles that are characterized by widespread experimentation in composition, instrumentation, melody and tonality. Some composers harked back to earlier periods borrowing elements and adapting them from a modern perspective. Famous 20th-century composers include Franz Strauss and Igor Fyodorovich Stravinsky. In the 21st century, contemporary classical music encompasses a varied collection of work, incorporates multiple forms of media and values the expression of the individual above adherence to any one particular school of music theory. Examples of 21st century, contemporary classical composers include Michael Nyman, composer of the musical score for Jane Campion's 1993 film The Piano.

贝多芬  

安东尼奥·卢奇奥·维瓦尔第（意大利语：Antonio Lucio Vivaldi，1678年3月4日－1741年7月28日），昵称Il Prete Rosso（红发神父）。是一位意大利神父，也是巴洛克音乐作曲家，同时还是一名小提琴演奏家。其最著名的作品为《四季》。

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更多链接：1、巴赫的生平

更多链接：1、纪念伟大的作曲家海顿逝世210周年

更多链接：1、人类历史上最伟大的音乐家

2、特蕾莎皇后的乞丐-莫扎特

更多链接：1、贝多芬和他的D大调小提琴协奏曲

2、贝多芬海利根施塔特遗书

3、伟大的作曲家路德维希·凡·贝多芬

帕格尼尼（Niccolo Paganini ，1782.10.27--1840.5.27），意大利小提琴演奏家、作曲家。他的技巧影响了后来的小提琴作品，也影响了钢琴的技巧和作品。他的作品有《bE大调协奏曲》、《二十四首随想曲》、《女巫之舞》、《无穷动》、《威尼斯狂欢节》、《军队奏鸣曲》、《拿破仑奏鸣曲》、《爱的场面》、《魔女》、《D大调小提琴协奏曲》。另外，还作有吉他曲二百首，以及各种室内乐曲。

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雅科布·路德维希·费利克斯·门德尔松·巴托尔迪（Jakob Ludwig Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy，1809－1847），德国犹太裔作曲家。为德国浪漫乐派最具代表性的人物之一，被誉为浪漫主义杰出的“抒情风景画大师”，作品以精美、优雅、华丽著称。

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威廉·理查德·瓦格纳（Wilhelm Richard Wagner，1813年5月22日－1883年2月13日），德国作曲家。他是德国歌剧史上一位举足轻重的人物。前面承接莫扎特的歌剧传统，后面开启了后浪漫主义歌剧作曲潮流，理查德·施特劳斯紧随其后。同时，因为他在政治、宗教方面思想的复杂性，成为欧洲音乐史上最具争议的人物。

勃拉姆斯（Johannes Brahms ），全名译为约翰奈斯·勃拉姆斯。1833.5.7 - 1897.4.3），德国作曲家。1833年5月7日出生于德国汉堡的一个职业乐师的家庭里。他童年生活十分贫困，7岁随父亲学钢琴，13岁便在酒店里为舞会弹伴奏，在剧院帮助父亲演奏。与此同时，为了多得报酬，他还写了不少沙龙音乐作品，包括多种舞曲、进行曲和管弦乐曲改编曲等。代表作品《a小调小提琴和大提琴协奏曲》、《D大调小提琴协奏曲》 。

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