At this point, the young composers of Europe diverged in a number of slightly varied directions, during the short period known as the Preclassical period. The three defining styles formed in different areas, most notably France, Germany, and Italy.

France's focus was on the style galant (French for "courtly style"). The purpose of the style galant was primarily to be elegant or pleasant, and the technique involved in its composition was fairly simple; it usually consisted of a single melody, with simple accompaniment and a few ornaments (such as trills) to keep it interesting. Unlike the long, unbroken expanses of music found in Baroque, style galant was often quite short, and composed of various, smaller phrases. Another defining point: French Classical composition was programmatic (in other words, musical pieces were often based on non-musical images, such as flowers or clouds.)

Meanwhile, a separate style formed in what is now northern Germany. This new form, called empfindsamer Stil (German for "sensitive style") was more like Baroque in both the length of its pieces and in its musical techniques. The great deviation here was in the content and imagery of the music. The works of the empfindsamer Stil had no concrete, real-world image behind them...thus, this was the foundation for the abstract music style of later years.

Of the three major forms which emerged during this time, that of the Italians was the most like Baroque. In fact, there was little change in the Italians' approach to music. Instead, their contributions involved mainly the refinement and redefining of existing techniques. For instance: opera, which was formerly considered drama to music, became far more abstract in the hands of the Italian composers. Over time, Italian opera overtures lost all dramatic connections with the operas they introduced. Italians were also responsible for the creation of new arrangements, such as the sonata.

It was near the climax of the 18th century movement that the Germans came to dominate the musical world. Expanding upon ideas begun by the Italians, German composers brought the technique of tonality to its peak, and developed the first clear distinctions between musical mediums (such as orchestras, string quartets, string trios, and keyboard sonatas). The glorious climax of the classical era came in a group of composers now known as the Viennese classical school, the most renowned of which are Ludwig von Beethoven, Joseph Haydn, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

At the beginning of the 19th century, the style of the Viennese school was adapted all over Europe. It was so highly accepted at that time as the pinnacle of music that few composers worked outside of it for a great time. In the hands of lesser composers, however, the style became overused, and various cheap copies of the masters were created. Many of the young composers of the time were frustrated by how downright formulaic the genre had become and, as might be expected, they began to reach out into new directions...