LibGuides: Composers You Should Know: Classical

Notable Classical Composers (1750 - 1820)

If you wish to be generally familiar with classical music, here is a short list of composers you should know from this period:

Name	Birth	Death	Nationality	Representative Pieces
Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel ML410 .B16	1714	1788	German	Die Israeliten in der Wüste (oratorio) Flute Concerto in D Minor (flute and string orchestra) Fantasia in G Minor (keyboard)	CDs Scores
Bach, Johann Christian ML410 .B15	1735	1782	German	Sinfonia Concertante in A Major (orchestra) Zanaida (opera) Keyboard Concerto in F Major	CDs Scores
Beethoven, Ludwig van ML410 .B4	1770	1827	German	Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9 Missa Solemnis (mass) Pathétique sonata (piano) Fidelio (opera) Bagatelle in A Minor (piano)	CDs Scores
Billings, William ML410 .B588	1746	1800	American	Chester (four voices) Africa (four voices)	CDs Scores
Boccherini, Luigi ML410 .B66	1743	1805	Italian	Cello Concerto in Bb Over 150 String Quintets	CDs Scores
Bortniansky, Dmitry	1751	1825	Russian	Sacred Concerto No. 15 (choir)
Cherubini, Luigi ML410 .C5	1760	1842	Italian	Requiem in C Minor (mass) Medée (opera)	CDs Scores
Haydn, Joseph ML410 .H4	1732	1809	Austrian	String Quartet Opus 20 "Sun" Symphony No. 94 in G Major "The Surprise" Mass in Time of War	CDs Scores
Haydn, Michael	1737	1806	Austrian	Requiem in C Minor (mass) Symphony No. 23 Saint Francis Mass in D Minor	CDs Scores
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus ML410 .M9	1756	1791	Austrian	Requiem (mass) The Magic Flute (opera) 30 Piano Concertos Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (orchestra)	CDs Scores
Salieri, Antonio	1750	1825	Italian	Falstaff (opera) Les Danaïdes (opera)	Scores
Schubert, Franz ML410 .S3	1797	1828	Austrian	Symphony No. 9 in C Major "The Great" (orchestra) Gretchen am Spinnrade (voice and piano) Marches militaires (piano 4-hands)	CDs Scores

Classical Composers (1750 - 1820): A-L

If you are a student of Music History or Composition, here is a more detailed list of composers you should know from this period:

Name	Birth	Death	Nationality	Representative Pieces
Abel, Carl Friedrich	1723	1787	German	27 Pieces for Unaccompanied Viola da Gamba Symphony No. 3 in D Major	Scores
Bach, Carl Philipp Emanuel ML410 .B16	1714	1788	German	Die Israeliten in der Wüste (oratorio) Flute Concerto in D Minor (flute and string orchestra) Fantasia in G Minor (keyboard)	CDs Scores
Bach, Johann Christian ML410 .B15	1735	1782	German	Sinfonia Concertante in A Major (orchestra) Zanaida (opera) Keyboard Concerto in F Major	CDs Scores
Beethoven, Ludwig van ML410 .B4	1770	1827	German	Symphonies Nos. 5 & 9 Missa Solemnis (mass) Pathétique sonata (piano) Fidelio (opera) Bagatelle in A Minor (piano)	CDs Scores
Berezovsky, Maksym	~1745	1777	Ukranian	Liturgy (esp. Otche Nash) (choir)
Billings, William ML410 .B588	1746	1800	American	Chester (four voices) Africa (four voices)	CDs Scores
Boccherini, Luigi ML410 .B66	1743	1805	Italian	Cello Concerto in Bb Over 150 String Quintets	CDs Scores
Bortniansky, Dmitry	1751	1825	Russian	Sacred Concerto No. 15 (choir)
Cherubini, Luigi ML410 .C5	1760	1842	Italian	Requiem in C Minor (mass) Medée (opera)	CDs Scores
Cimarosa, Domenico	1749	1801	Italian	Il matrimonio segreto (opera)	CDs Scores
Clementi, Muzio ML410 .C64	1752	1832	Italian	Gradus ad Parnassum (piano)	CDs Scores
Danzi, Franz	1763	1826	German	Wind Quintet Op. 67, No. 2 in E Minor	CDs
Dittersdorf, Carl Ditters von	1739	1799	Austrian	Six String Quartets 6 Symphonies after Ovid's Metamorphoses (orchestra)	Scores
Dussek, Johann Ladislaus ML410 .D96	1760	1812	Czech	Piano Sonata in F# Minor, Op. 61 "Elegie Harmonique" Sonata in C Minor (harp)	Scores
Eberl, Anton ML410 .E2	1765	1807	Austrian	Grand Quintet in G Minor (piano, clarinet, 2 violas, & cello) Piano Concerto in Eb Major	Scores
Field, John ML410 .F445	1782	1837	Irish	Piano Concerto No. 2 Nocturne No. 1 (piano)	CDs Scores
Gluck, Christoph Willibald ML410 .G5	1714	1787	German	Orfeo ed Euridice (opera) Don Juan (ballet)	CDs Scores
Gossec, François Joseph	1734	1829	French	Le Triomphe de la Republique (opera) Gavotte (violin and piano)	Scores
Haydn, Joseph ML410 .H4	1732	1809	Austrian	String Quartet Opus 20 "Sun" Symphony No. 94 in G Major "The Surprise" Mass in Time of War	CDs Scores
Haydn, Michael	1737	1806	Austrian	Requiem in C Minor (mass) Symphony No. 23 Saint Francis Mass in D Minor	CDs Scores
Hummel, Johann Nepomuk ML410 .H93	1778	1837	Austrian	Te Deum (choir and orchestra) Piano Concerto in A Minor Serenade en potpourri (No. 1) (chamber ensemble)	CDs Scores
Kraus, Joseph Martin	1756	1792	Swedish	Symphony in D Major (orchestra) Pantomimes (ballet)	Scores
Le Sueur, Jean-François	1760	1837	French	Ossian ou Les bardes (opera)	Scores

Classical Composers (1750 - 1820): M-Z

Name	Birth	Death	Nationality	Representative Pieces
Martini, Giovanni Battista	1706	1784	Italian	Requiem (mass) Harpsichord Sonata No. 3	CDs Scores
Méhul, Étienne	1763	1817	French	Stratonice (opera) Symphony No. 2 (orchestra)	Scores
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus ML410 .M9	1756	1791	Austrian	Requiem (mass) The Magic Flute (opera) 30 Piano Concertos Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (orchestra)	CDs Scores
Mysliveček, Josef	1737	1781	Czech	Partita in Bb Major (chamber ensemble) Sinfonie Concertante in D Major (orchestra)	CDs Scores
Pleyel, Ignaz	1757	1831	Austrian/French	String Quartets in A Major Symphony in D Major (orchestra)	CDs Scores
Reicha, Anton	1770	1836	Bohemian/French	Wind Quintet No. 2 L'Art de varier (piano)	CDs Scores
Salieri, Antonio	1750	1825	Italian	Falstaff (opera) Les Danaïdes (opera)	Scores
Schubert, Franz ML410 .S3	1797	1828	Austrian	Symphony No. 9 in C Major "The Great" (orchestra) Gretchen am Spinnrade (voice and piano) Marches militaires (piano 4-hands)	CDs Scores
Soler, Antonio	1729	1783	Spanish	Six Concertos for Two Organs Fandango (harpsichord)	Scores
Sor, Fernando	1778	1839	Spanish	Serenade in E Major (guitar) Studies, Op. 6 (guitar)	CDs
Stamitz, Carl	1745	1801	German/Czech	Clarinet Concerto No. 9 Symphony in D Minor (orchestra)	CDs Scores
Stamitz, Johann ML410 .S811	1717	1757	Czech	Symphony in D Major (orchestra)	CDs Scores
Wesley, Samuel	1766	1837	English	Psalm 42 (choir) Symphony No. 4 in D Major (orchestra)	Scores