Beethoven - Symphony - Britannica

Other composers of the mature Classical period

So overwhelming was the impact of Beethoven’s symphonies, along with that of Mozart’s and Haydn’s mature ones, on later generations that they utterly obscure the productions of many other worthy symphonists. François Joseph Gossec, an early French symphonist (born in Vergnies, now in Belgium), and the Flemish composer Pierre van Maldere came to grips successfully with the dominating German-Italian idiom; both were influenced by Stamitz and his school. Van Maldere was eulogized for his imaginative thematic structures as well as for the unusually serious nature of his compositions, which strongly contrasted with the more lighthearted style characteristic of the Mannheimers.

An English composer, William Boyce, eclipsed by Johann Christian Bach, wrote eight sinfonias that betray in design the strong influence of theatre music. Basically merely overtures in French or Italian styles, they show none of the modern characteristics being formulated at the time in Germany; England, in general, was not quick to adopt the new symphonic style.

Eastern Europe produced revolutionary composers of whom little was known until the mid-20th century. Stamitz, Bohemian by birth, overshadowed such competent composers as Jiří Benda. Benda’s symphonies, dating mostly between 1750 and 1765, are generally brief, in three movements, and close to the Italian overture in form and feeling. The sonata form is not exploited, although characteristics such as contrasting themes and contrast within a single theme (a technique used also by Mozart) suggest a Mannheim influence or at least a revolt against Baroque conventions.

Luigi Boccherini, Giovanni Giuseppi Cambini, Michael Haydn (Joseph’s brother), Leopold Mozart (father of Wolfgang), and many other important chamber music composers contributed numerous symphonies well worth performance. Later composers included the conservative Swede Franz Berwald and a brilliant but short-lived Spaniard, Juan Crisóstomo Arriaga, influential mostly in their own countries; and Muzio Clementi, Luigi Cherubini, Louis Spohr, and Carl Maria von Weber, who, although better known for work in other genres, were nevertheless popular symphonists. Spohr wrote a number of highly pictorial programmatic symphonies, going well beyond Beethoven’s Pastoral.