Classical

Classical music is a written tradition emphasizing formal structure, complexity, and instrumental precision, spanning roughly from 1150 to the present. It encompasses orchestral, chamber, choral, and solo works, distinct from popular and folk traditions through its notated scores and focus on development, harmony, and counterpoint. While specifically referring to the Western art music period circa 1730–1820 (Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven), the term broadly covers medieval through contemporary eras.