Music in the Classic Period

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The middle of the eighteenth century witnessed vast political, economic, and social changes that spurred some of the most profound transformations in the history of Western music. The sense of logic and discipline inherited from the Baroque period and the Age of Enlightenment was balanced with a greater freedom of expression, enabling composers to create masterpieces that encompassed their unique and individual feelings. An emphasis on instrumental music, with numerous thematic developments, helped to create a new diversity of sound that made frequent use of dynamic variations -- crescendos, decrescendos, sudden attacks, and dramatic pauses. Contrast and variety became the hallmarks of the new music.