Why do we study composers such as Bach, Mozart and Beethoven above others?

GCSE and A-Level papers (and university degrees) tend to focus on composers such as Bach, Mozart, and Beethoven because of the impact they each had on subsequent generations. Each one had a profound impact on musical culture, but that is not to say that they were the most important or well-known composer at the time; Handel was far more popular than Bach during the early eighteenth-century (not to say that Handel was not important). The way we study music means that we favour composers and pieces that had an impact on the way music was composed by others. Bach’s music is considered important to study not just because it is impressive or beautiful itself, but also because of the influence it had on future composers, such as Mozart and Beethoven.

SG
Answered by Sewek G. Music tutor

11498 Views

See similar Music A Level tutors

Related Music A Level answers

All answers ▸

Why does my set work only partially conform to Sonata Form?


Describe Five stylistic features of a piece that would of been composed in the Romantic period


How do I harmonise a Bach chorale?


How do you distinguish between a suspension and a dominant 7th chord in the listening exam?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning