As with all music genres there are certain defining aspects. Classical music is a genre which is easier to define than most. It is one of the oldest music genres, with its earliest forms being around a thousand years old, and, despite fears for its survival, it still remains popular today.

Unlike a lot of popular music, which is often played by memory, classical music relies a great deal on music being written down, but not exclusively so. When music is written down, it means that it is easier to pass on to both current and future generations of musicians. The accurate playing of classical compositions is made possible by music being recorded in written form. Classical music has been written down for centuries, which helped spread the popularity of many classical composers.

Classical music relies heavily on the variety of instruments in an orchestra. There will also be occasions, when small groupings play a part of a classical piece using the same instruments, an example being a string quartet. Different types of instruments will be used to convey different moods in a piece of classical music. Woodwind will often be used for a light mood, whereas brass and percussion will be more explosive and dramatic. Keyboards and strings will be utilized to convey both drama and pathos.

Though classical music is sometimes seen as elitist, it wouldn't have survived for centuries if it lacked the power to connect with people. Some classical composers were the pop stars of their day, including Chopin, Liszt, and Paganini. The latter two would travel around Europe playing their compositions. Great orchestras from around the world, to this day, perform at concerts in the world's major cities. Classical music is also, arguably, inexpensive to buy, either on CD or as a download, compared to other music genres.

The most famous tunes in classical music are easy to remember, but there is often a complexity to how the music is both arranged and written. The mood in one piece of classical music may change dramatically from light to heavy. There will often be several parts to a piece of music, too. An overture, at the beginning of an orchestral work, may be followed by a wide range of musical contrasts, that ends with a finale.

Full Name	Dates	Nationality	Famous Compositions
Ludwig van Beethoven	1770-1827	German	Eroica Fidelio Nine Symphonies Pastoral

Full Name	Dates	Nationality	Famous Compositions
Frederic Francois Chopin	1810-1849	Polish	Funeral March Military Polonaise Minute Waltz

Full Name	Dates	Nationality	Famous Compositions
Franz Liszt	1811-1886	Hungarian	Hungarian Rhapsody Liebestraum

Full Name	Dates	Nationality	Famous Compositions
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart	1756-1791	Austrian	Don Giovanni Jupiter Symphony The Magic Flute The Marriage Of Figaro Requiem Mass

Full Name	Dates	Nationality	Famous Compositions
Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky	1840-1893	Russian	1812 Overture The Nutcracker The Sleeping Beauty Swan Lake