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"Music [is] the favorite passion of my soul." —THOMAS JEFFERSON

Key Points

  • The Classical era (1750–1825) is characterized by order, objectivity, and harmonious proportion.
  • Classicists emulated the art and architecture of ancient Greece and Rome.
  • This era was an age of strong aristocratic sovereigns throughout Europe.
  • The American Revolution (1775–83) and the French Revolution (1789–99) profoundly changed political systems and social order.
  • The era saw significant advances in science and ideas, and the Industrial Revolution made mass production possible.
  • German writers were among the first to express a romantic view of the world.

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