Quotes from book
The Classical Style

The Classical Style

The Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven is a book by the American pianist and author Charles Rosen. The book analyses the evolution of style during the Classical period of classical music as it was developed through the works of Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Ludwig van Beethoven.The Classical Style was first published on April 21, 1971 by Viking Press. Rosen later revised the work, complete with a new chapter, an updated preface, and a companion CD specifically recorded for the new edition. This second version was published through W. W. Norton & Company in 1998.


“The buffoonery of Haydn, Beethoven, and Mozart is only an exaggeration of an essential quality of the classical style. This style was, in its origins, basically a comic one.”

Part II. The Classical Style. 1. The Coherence of the Musical Language
Classical Style: Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven (Expanded edition, 1997)

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