These are the composers I feature as the Piano Peacemaker with the program called, "Bach to Chopin":
Johann Sebastian Bach (German), 1685-1750. He was the new thing of the Baroque era and remains the foundation of western music. Listen for different melodies happening at the same time.
Anton Diabelli (Austrian), 1751-1858. He simplified Baroque music to one melody with accompaniment into the Sonatina form.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Austrian), 1756-1791. He brought sprite tunes to the large form and comprehensive structure of Classical era music. Listen for bright melodies, repeated.
Muzio Clementi (Italian), 1752-1832. He wrote Sonatinas so his students could learn to play Mozart’s Sonatas.
Ludwig van Beethoven (German), 1770-1827. On the cusp of the Romantic era, he began the practice of naming pieces for life experiences. Listen for big chords and loud surprises.
Carl Czerny (Austrian), 1791-1857. He wrote studies of classical melodies and chord progressions so his students could learn to play Mozart and Beethoven.
Felix Mendelssohn (German), 1809-1847. He wrote songs without the poems and named them for the missing words.
Frederic Chopin (Polish/French), 1810-1849. The music of yearning for his homeland, this is Romantic era music at its height. Listen for wistful chords and tenuous delays.
These also have a place in "Bach to Chopin" because they wrote upon the foundation of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Chopin:
Carl Heinrich Carsten Reinecke (German), 1824-1910
Heinrich Lichner (German), 1829-1898
Johannes Brahms (German), 1833-1897
Piotr Ilych Tchaikovsky (Russian), 1840-1893
Edward MacDowell (American), 1860-1908