Operatic Scenes As a result of 17th Century French influence, a series of changes were made in the early 18th Century in Italian Opera. From intellectual exercise into a form of popular urban entertainment. Apostolo Zeno (1668 – 1750) was an important librettist, journalist and a man of letters. His younger contemporary was Pietro Metastasio... Continue Reading →

Strom and Stress movement (Sturm and Drang 1760s- 1770s) was preceded by the literary movement in North Germany followed by musical phenomenon in Austria. Compositions composed in the 3rd quarter of the eighteenth century were in Major Keys. Minor Keys were used to express anger or sadness characteristics in performance. Haydn’s symphonies from No. 39... Continue Reading →