The Poise, Balance, And Perfection Of The Classical Era

How did we get the title Classical to refer to an era in music? We can thank the ancient Greeks and Romans for this umbrella term. Classical antiquity was thought to represent the peak of cultural perfection throughout Europe, from the days of Homer to the decline of the Roman Empire. In Western music, compositions from roughly 1750-1820 seem more poised, balanced, and formally perfect than the music that came before and after. In this episode, Peter walks us through exactly what makes classical music so, well...Classical.