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The Classical period in Europe was during the years 1750 to 1820. The economy was doing well and the middle class was growing, so people had more money and time for pleasurable activities such as listening to and playing music. For the first time, cities held public concerts and there were more amateur musicians who wanted to buy music to play. All of these factors contributed to an increase in work for musicians and composers.

The Classical period was dominated by three key composers - Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven. Their works have become synonymous with the classical style. Although this evolved from the work of the later Baroque composers, eg Handel and Bach, the classical style has many features different from the Baroque.